popkablog

Blood

2011-12-01T06:03:00.001-08:00

Blood (2011)

Foam and needles

Mix Technique. 25.5 X 25.5cm

Price on request: ricardo@popkalab.com

Preço sob consulta: ricardo@popkalab.com

Coroa

2011-11-22T04:15:00.001-08:00

Coroa (2011)

Foam and needles

Mix Technique. 25.5 X 25.5cm

Price on request: ricardo@popkalab.com

Preço sob consulta: ricardo@popkalab.com

Camouflage

2011-11-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

Camouflage (2011)

Foam and needles

Mix Technique. 26X26cm

Price on request: ricardo@popkalab.com

Preço sob consulta: ricardo@popkalab.com

New frames

2011-11-15T08:57:00.001-08:00

Corvo. (2011)

Needle and foam.

Mix Technique. 44 x 29cm

Surveillance. (2011)

Needle and foam.

Mix Technique. 40 x 34cm

Tesoura. (2011)

Needle and foam.

Mix Technique. 30x 30cm

No Title. (2011)

Needle and foam.

Mix Technique. 20 x 16cm

Those are some frames I did last months.

If you are interested on buying let me know ;-)

Price on request: ricardo@popkalab.com

Preço sob consulta: ricardo@popkalab.com

TK Series

2011-09-10T02:20:00.000-07:00

I am glad to present my new work called TK-730. This work was made during the Summer Sessions at V2 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was great to have the opportunity to with with Meg Grant, Anja Hertenberg and Leonie Urff.

What happens when senses are cross-wired in the brain? Can data convey different meanings when interpreted as a purely visual object? What other ways of interpreting a single piece of data could there be? This is what the TK Series attempts to explore.

The first machine in our series is the TK 730. This machine converts a piece of information, in this case words, into a knitted code that can be worn. It decodes the typed word and re-encodes it into the pattern of the knitwork in a sort of encryption procedure.

Our starting point for this encoding were the words text and textile. These words share the same origin - both come from the Latin texere, which means “to weave”. From this premise one can observe many things in common between them. A knitted textile work is comprised of lines and points, just like a piece of text. When you tell a story, you follow a thread in a similar way to a thread in a knitted work. It should be continuous and with no breaks. With the TK 730, you can read, see, touch and wear your story.

Exhibition in Bergen (Norway)

2011-08-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Exhibition opening 19. Aug 6pm , concert 6:30pm

Exhibition period 20. Aug – 25. Sept 2011

The exhibition Soft Technology was shown at SOFT Gallery in Oslo in March with four e-textile works by Norwegian and international artists and designers. We thank you for the participation in both the opening and the workshop and concert with Syntjuntan.

On Aug. 19th the exhibition Soft Technology will open again at Gallery 3.14 in Bergen, this time expanded with nine works and a collection of prototypes and samples from participants in the Soft Technology research project. The audience here will be able to touch and pull, make sound and even see and experience how electronic textile works.

The exhibition at Gallery 3,14 in Bergen shows works that takes smart materials, e-textiles and traditional electronics as a starting point in the development of the work. These are works by international and Norwegian artists that take different approaches to materiality, technology and context, and tell different stories. Still they have in common a quest to give the unstable, unknown and unpredictable a form and a visuality, both in content and materiality.

Kristina Aas (NO), Berit Greinke (DE / U.S.), Hilde Hauan (NO), Elin Igland (NO), Kobakant (AT / US / JP), Astrid Krogh (DK), Celine Marq (FR / U.S.), Hillevi Munthe (NO) and Ricardo O"Nascimento (BR).

Soft Technology is a research project on textile electronics in an artistic context, carried out at Atelier Nord in Oslo and the Art Academy in Bergen. Soft Technology is produced by Atelier Nord in collaboration with the Art Academy in Bergen and Gallery 3.14.

Concerts performed on the piece "Mønsterundersøkelser av lyd nr 1" will be played on weekends during the exhibition period.

Wednesday 31 August 5pm book launch of "The Temporary Embassy" by Anders Rubing. In cooperation with KHiB.

Lydgalleriet is also taking the opportunity to curate a sound piece for our Parabol-series in the passage.

Soft Technology is produced by Atelier Nord, more information www.ateliernord.no

Summer session at V2

2011-07-19T01:49:00.000-07:00

I will spend this summer developing a project at V2 (www.v2.nl) together with more 3 artists. We are part of the e-textile group, a group of people interested in smart clothes that meets once per month in Rotterdam to discuss and exchange ideas about technology, clothes, materials.

For this project here we are four:

All I can tell know is that we are gonna work with knitting machines... stay tuned.

Last adjustments

2011-06-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am now finishing the dress for the presentation on friday. All the sensors are connected and working. The code in arduino was made by Ben and the fashion design was co-made by Carol Chan. It is nice to involve more people on my artwork and see that everyone is very excited about. Documentations will come soon.

sound amp

2011-05-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

I am planing to use these speakers in the dress and create a sort of a pattern with them.

To amplify the signal i am using the following circuit with LM386

fabric Market

2011-05-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today me and Carol went to the fabric market here in Taipei for a visit to do some research on patterns and colors. It is an old building full of stands. The entire neighborhood is full of shops with fabrics, accessories, stones, ....

we found some nice patterns. We expect to finish the design this week.

Taipei Artist Village

2011-05-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

I am now in Taipei (Taiwan) to develop a new piece. This piece is about music, culture and tradition. Before i came here i had no clue about the Taiwanese history and culture. I have to confess that I am very impress about how this people went into so many things, specially when it goes into trying to preserve their own tradition facing the many foreigners that took over their land.

I am still figuring out which kind of music i want to work with and for that i am having lots of help. But for sure i want to work with tribal music.

I am also working in collaboration with Carol Chan, a young Taiwanese fashion designer.

Today i found this little movie about tribes in Taiwan. Please, have a taste.

How technology is changing the fashion show

2011-04-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

The release of new technologies present us with new formats to convey information.

Fashion designers are aware of those transformations and are changing the way they present their works to the audience. it is common to present a new collection in a catwalk where models wear the creations and walk for pleasure of the people.

One of the first fashion designer to introduce technology in a innovative way in his presentation was Alexander McQueen. His shows are famous for its production that always include something original. To present the summer 1999 collection he used some robots interacting with the model. The result was a dramatic performance.

After that, McQueen amazed his public in the fall/winter 2006 collection presentation using a holographic projection of the super model Kate Moss.

Recentlly Hussein Chalayan decided to present his new collection only using video projection.

Following this trendy, the brazilian brand Ellus (www.ellus.com.br) presented their collection using 3d projection technology.

I am excited to see new visual effects on the presentations. There are many technologies that could delivery a dramatic effect that were not explored so far. I could mention some like augmented reality, motion tracking and interactive feed back with the audience for instance.

I am wondering: Are the real models becoming obsoletes?is the body not enough to represent the complexity that characterize our society and is reflected on the fashion world?

swimming in the Shin'm interactive space

2011-04-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

More feathers experiments

2011-03-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

This day was a bit strange for both of us.... Maybe the weather was not good...

Anyways.

We did some more experiments using vibration motors and strings and wind. Keep going...

antenna and measurements

2011-03-17T03:40:00.000-07:00

We built a little circuit to detect cellphone activity. Afterwards we wanted to check the distance that the cellphone should be from the antenna to be detectable with different resistance values. We figure out many things: that it does not work good on the top floor and that are many variables that can influence on the wave. However, we are satisfied with the range our little circuit provide (about 80 cm).

In the afternoon we had a meeting with researchers from the "Conservatoire National de Arts et Métiers" (CNAM). They study hardcore telecommunications signal treatment. Maybe we will come up with a future collaboration.

Feather tales @ Gaîté Lyric

2011-03-16T03:32:00.000-07:00

Ricardo O'Nascimento (me) and Ebru Kurbak were invited for a short residency at Gaîté Lyric in Paris, France. Here we are researching new sensors to detect electromagnetic field and also and maybe more important for us movements with feathers.

I will be posting here some of our research and achievements.

Our working space when we arrived.

The room after some organizing. It is actually a sound studio with no windows... We have to go outside quite often to enjoy a bit of the nice weather in Paris.

Theses are the feather we will work with.

Circuit made by Ebru that detects when a cell phone is being used. It works quite well. We are trying to avoid to use arduino and use the circuit as a switcher.

Parangonet in Utrecht

2011-03-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last friday I presented my work Parangonet 1.0: sonic dimension at Straatschouwburg in Utrecht, Netherlands.

It was performed by Ingrid Berger and also Pinar help me tuning the patcher.

Interesting to perceive how it was different from the one we did in Brasil. This time only one garment was performed and Ingrid managed to make if more simple. Her performance was an almost technical dialogue with the cape. She explored it in a beautiful way. I love it!

How new technologies are changing the creative process in fashion

2011-03-11T04:29:00.000-08:00

The recent evolution of smart textiles and materials in general triggered designers' imagination and turned possible the creation of interactive and reactive clothes. Clothes can be equipped with electronic components like microcontrolers, small motors, led's, motion sensors and so on.

Technologic improvements also influence the conception of the clothing. Nowadays when a designer has an idea and start to draw it he can use digital and also generative tools to give form to his ideas. Here some exciting examples:

The brazilian brand Amapo gained notoriety after the singer M.I.A. used their pieces in a video clip. The designer duo uses 3D technology to create some of their their patterns. The result is volumetric pieces that delivers an interesting effect depending on the lights.

Another example is "Continuum", the latest project by Mary Huang. It allows anyone to "draw" a dress and convert it into a 3d model, which is turned into a flat pattern that can be cut out of fabric and sewn into the dress. The real dress can be bought via website or you can download the parts and sew it yourself. Tools like Continuum points the fashion creation towards digital customization.

Diana Eng released a set of scarves inspired by math and ethnology. She designed the patters based in mathematical functions and used several techniques to transfer the numbers into drawings.

Another technology that is rocking the fashion design is 3d print. 3d pinging is a technology where a tridimensional objected is created by laying down successive layers of material. This allows rapid prototyping and put down the costs of production.

this video describes the 3d print process pointing out the ecological potential of this technology due to the fact that the material can be totally recycled.

The dutch designer Iris Van Herpen is an example of 3d printing in fashion. In her last collection she created structured clothes that reminds shell shapes and fractals and share concepts of architecture and design.

Almost every day pop up projects and collections the make use of new technologies in their conception and realization and for sure we are going to see more exciting examples of how new technologies change creative processes.

Katharina Bredies

2011-03-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to the work of Katharina Bredies. She is a young artist from Belin that has beautiful work that mixes craft and technology using clothes accessories as support.

I found "This is not a radio" (2010) very interesting. »This is not a radio« is an exploration of different forms of materiality and interaction. Marrying the traditional »female« craft of textile art with the »male« domain of audio devices, the fully functional objects question tradtional interaction patterns and challenge our expectations with electronic products.

The details of the Radio Hood allow the user to operate a radio that is inte- grated into its lining. Knotting the ends of the shawl turns the radio on and off. There are speakers hidden in small pockets next to the hood. A string in a hem can be pulled to increase and decrease the volume. And a bell on top of the hood serves as a control to change the sender and browse through the radio frequencies.

The exotic look of the knitted radio entirely follows practical considerations, but it also reminds us of distant countries and ritualistic garments. Besides, all the functional elements that serve as the interface for the radio are borrowed from clothing.

what is wearable technology?

2011-02-23T03:49:00.000-08:00

The therm "Wearable technology" embrace various other concepts like: fashionable technology, smart materials, wearable computing, e-textile and fashion.

What a piece should have to be considered something wearable and technological? What does it mean after all? Is there the use of electricity that makes a pice be placed into wearable technology field? Why this is relevant?

Suzanne Lee describe wearable computing as a genre of cloth that functions at the electronic level. Capable of processing information on the moving body (Lee, 2005). Sabine Seymour (Seymour, 2007) in 2000 coined the term ‘fashionable technologies’ that refers to the electrical engineering physical computing, and wireless communication networks that make a fashionable functional. Through technology the function of clothing is enhanced and new ones are defined.

From those definition we can conclude that it is about electronics and function. Clothes might have to be expanded and have new functionalities added in order to be considered wearable technology.

Technology in clothes has been used by several fields like medical and military. However, the function can be only aesthetic like in the very common use of light in clothes, specially in stage performance clothes.

Now I am wondering if electricity is a condition sine qua non to a piece to be considered wearable technology… I have seen many works that are very ingenious but do not use electrical components but enhance the body in a way. A nice example is the work from Trond Kasper and Bart Hess Can they be considered wearable technology?

Bibliography

LEE, Suzanne. “Fashioning the future. Tomorrow wardrobe”. Thames and Hudson, London. 2005.

SEYMOUR, S. “Fashionable technology: The intersection of design, fashion, science and technology”. Wien. Springer Wien /New York, 2007.

Interview with Elena Corchero

2011-02-14T14:09:00.004-08:00

Founder of Lost Values, Elena Corchero, envisions a future where technology helps us become more human and less machinelike. She focuses in lifestyle products that embrace craft and tradition as well as new technologies and innovative materials.

Elena studied Fine Arts in Spain and Germany, and the Textile Futures Masters at CSM in London. Interested in the power of fashion to reach people, she decided to explore wearable technology as a research associate at MIT Media Lab Europe. Determined to make sustainability one of the major driving forces in her work and after various international exhibitions, publications and awards; Elena joined Distance Lab as a Senior researcher and in 2008 Lost Values was formed with their support.

POPKABLOG: What is your educational background?

Elena Corchero: I consider studies and experience at a similar level. For me it all started from a very early age learning from my mother in her Spanish Tailoring Studio. I decided to study Art after a difficult decision to not follow my father's footsteps as a lawyer ... in any case it is my law background what also makes me being so keen for social issues and Design Activism. My final year of Art took place in Germany where I specialized on multimedia and new technologies. I worked then in Haute Couture and later on MIT Media Lab Europe. After it's closure in 2005 I joined the MA Textile Futures from Central Saint Martins in London.

POPKABLOG: How did you start to work with wearables?

E C: My love for craft and Haute Couture and my admiration for new technologies lead me to apply at MIT Media Lab Europe where I had the chance for the first time to share space with a multidisciplinary team and learn much more about technology and electronics. That is where it all started. I was very inspired by an article in National Geographic called "Dream Weavers" where I started also being fascinated by Biomimicry materials.

POPKABLOG: What is your inspiration for the project?

E C: Each project is different; I believe there are only 2 general approaches. 1 An idea that you believe in, and despite not knowing how to make it come true, you want to pursue and finally somehow it does become a reality, as I learned at Media Lab, 'in a world were everything is possible ... what is it that truly matters?' if we question this we can truly achieve relevant work. The 2nd approach is to be fascinated by a technology or material, and try to find a meaningful and innovative use for it. For the work I develop at Lost Values, my initial ground is to ensure qualities for every project, to be sustainable and emotional yet smart and playful.

POPKABLOG: Why do u think is important to make intelligent clothes?

E C: Because in the world we live today we must acknowledge the intelligent consumer out there. People are more and more demanding, curios, agile with technologies, active and also nomadic. Clothing and other accessories is what follows us wherever we go and stays close to our body. By this I don't mean that everything we wear must contain technology though, some ancient materials such as the use of wool, are much more intelligent than anything man has created in a laboratory ... yet. I like to believe that materials we wear can provide us with the qualities that nature did not give us, but perhaps did give to other animals, and this can mean anything from healing properties to weather resistant, to communication, glowing, morphing, energy production, invisibility? What intrigues me the most is to believe that intelligent clothing might actually be just a field of experimentation until human skills, technology and tabus lead us to actually integrate all of this possibilities into our own bodies... that is a whole new discussion though.

POPKABLOG: Do u intent to commercialize your work?

E C: I commercialise my work since 2008 through commissions, retail and an online boutique at www.lostvalues.com. Retail includes the London Design Museum.

POPKABLOG: How do u predict the future of wearable technology?

E C: Nothing is predictable, but one can only believe to have a good eye/intuition and social/human understanding as well as feeding the precious with constant observation to both the simple things that happen in your everyday and keeping up with the big advances and discoveries in science and technology. But as previously said it is not just what is possible that matters but what it is truly meaningful is what will prevail ... it has not been so for the long years of mass consumption, but with people's awareness and new manufacture methods such as rapid prototyping tools, people can be more individual, trust their own criteria and choices as well as be more proactive and involved in processes customizing to their needs and even simply diving into DIY... Designing intelligent clothing is important, but definitely even more it is designing intelligent ways for people to customize these to their own needs.

POPKABLOG: Do you see yourself as an artist or a designer?

E C: Art and Design are merging and it would be a whole new discussion to try and draw their boundaries, even harder now that sciences have been added to the equation. So I might say like John Maeda, I believe to be an 'Ideas' person, the outcome of these ideas varies and their impact and reach as well. I like my work to communicate and inspire as well as have a function and be the answer to some issue I consider relevant for today’s world.

update: we were discussing what should be the best term to describe Elena's work and after some time she found a nice term: Technology Artisan. I found this very interesting once it put together the traditional with the novelty, technology with kraft. Very appropriate indeed.

Soomie Park

2011-02-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Soomie Park got my attention with the project LED Eyelashes with which She won a prize in Ars Electronica. Follow bellow a conversation we had via e-mail.

POPKABLOG: What is your educational background?

SOOMI PARK: I majored in visual communication design in college: specifically multimedia, such as graphic, animation and motion pictures. I studied digital media design in graduate school, International Design school for Advanced Studies (IDAS).

POPKABLOG: How did you start to work with wearables?

S P: I became fascinated by how technology can be used for artistic purposes when I took the “Interaction Design” class at IDAS, my graduate school. Adding to that excitement was learning that I could create something fashionable using technology as well because the first project for the class was to make something wearable as well as technological. I discovered that my personal interest in fashion could become my artistic inspiration and has definitely guided my work since. Wearable media became a new area of focus for me from the beginning of my study at IDAS.

POPKABLOG: What is your inspiration for the project?

S P: For the LED eyelash specifically, I was inspired by cosmetic commercials, which came through mail. I don’t know if this applies to other countries, but here in South Korea, cosmetic companies often promote their new products by keeping a mailing list of clients who have bought their products. One day I was flipping through my mails, and found a promotional postcard that had a picture of an eye with long eyelashes. This company described how their new product is able to make the eyes look bigger. I was looking for ideas for the first project of the Interactive Design class at the time, and I thought to myself, “Don’t people wear eyelashes?” It came to me at that moment: eyelashes are wearable too, so I can make something about eyelashes using technology.

Once I started to research more with a focus on the eyes, it was like a domino. Having bigger eyes was such an issue in our society. So many people go through plastic surgery to make their eyes look bigger, they wear fake eyelashes, and they put on make-ups. I was thrilled about my project to be focused on the eyes because, first, it was closely related to everyday aesthetics – what is being considered as beautiful by social standards – and what people do to look good. You go as far as surgically cutting and sewing your face to look pretty; alternatively, you wear cosmetics. I thought, “Hey, why not wearing art on your face? Isn’t art for beauty, after all?” Second, I could address social issues using my project, which was great, since dealing with social issues via artistic processes intrinsically meets my drive to communicate with others.

POPKABLOG: I lived in Japan for a while and I figure out this obsession about big eyes. This is also very noticeable from the "mangas" and "animes" where the characters have extremely big eyes. Maybe that is an Asian issue. What do you think?

S P: I also read many articles about plastic surgery to open the eyes a bit. Also in women magazines there are several make up techniques to enlarge the eyes. All of this I found in Japan. Also the LED eyelashes are very "kawai" (cute). I totally can imagine the cosplay wearing your work in Shibuya. How was the reaction of the Japanese audience to your work?

Thanks for your comment, the LED eyelash being “kawai.” Arigato.

This project has theoretical, practical and social bases not on the Japanese society, but on the Korean society. Many people asked me about how the LED eyelashes apply to or address Korean’s obsession with plastic surgery, which was my artistic intention as well.

I have never been to Sibuya, but I can understand why people may think that I might be Japanese, or the LED eyelash might be about the Japanese society. In fact, some people asked me if I was Japanese at Youtube, maybe because I used background music from a well-known Japanese animation’s original soundtrack, or because the Japanese culture is more known to the world. Or for other reasons that I may not know.

I have never exhibited my work in Japan or interacted with the Japanese society about my work. So, I am not aware of how the Japanese audience may respond to my artwork. I would be very excited if the LED eyelash could be worn by people who are into Cosplay and seen in Sibuya streets. It will be really interesting to see how the Japanese society may perceive my work and the message the LED eyelash delivers.

Answering your question if wanting big eyes could be an “Asian thing,” although I can understand why you noticed the obvious connection of my work to the Japanese culture, I think obsession with bigger eyes is more of a universal desire. I can’t say how much of plastic surgeries worldwide is to address people’s eyes, but I can say that generally people, especially women, spend a lot of their energy, time and money to make their eyes look prettier – that is, bigger. Just like Japanese Anime characters have exaggerated eyes, so do American Barbies and Disney princesses. Personally, I receive many inquires about commercializing the LED eyelash from people in Europe and the United State, but no one from Asia yet. In addition, the LED eyelash received many awards from Europe, and to tell you a personal story, I got similar, positive responses from both my European and Korean friends.

By universal, I also mean it transcends time. Look at the ancient Egyptian wall paintings, drawn thousands years ago, which show that people at that time wore thick, harsh make-ups to emphasize their eyes. I also have read about the Roman beauty standards also included long eyelashes and big eyes.

POPKABLOG: Why do u think is important to make intelligent clothes and how do you predict the future of wearable technology?

S P: People express themselves through fashion: what and how you wear clothes communicates your identity as a social class, a gender, a profession and so forth. Applying technology to what you wear is a smart way to articulate your uniqueness. Everyone wears clothes but with wearable technology you can communicate your emotions more easily.

I teach a class on Wearable Technology for college students. In the class, I don’t teach them how to use high – complicated and expensive – technology to create fashion. Really, what I preach is that the importance of assessing what people need emotionally, and finding a way to utilize technology in order to meet the needs of people more effectively. Technology is a complementary tool for us to complete the purpose of intelligent clothes.

I think that the future of wearable technology depends not primarily on how advanced technology can be, or how well high technology can be used on clothes. Rather, wearable technology will develop in a way that can complement the function of fashion (self-expression): specifically in a way that can address the emotional needs of people (communication).

POPKABLOG: Do u intent to commercialize your work?

S P: I do intend to make a limited number of the LED eyelash for a commercial purpose. I do not have any plan to manufacture this item in a large quantity.

Interview with Joanna Berzowska

2011-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

For the last issue of Vague Terrain I had the opportunity to interview some people that work and research in the field of wearable technology. For the journal was not possible to publish the entire interview but now I am publishing the interviews in its totality.

The first one is from Joanna Berzowska, founder of XS labs.

Enjoy ;-)

POPKABLOG: what is your educational background?

JB: Joanna Berzowska is Associate Professor of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University and a member of the Hexagram Research Institute in Montreal. She is the founder and research director of XS Labs, where her team develops innovative methods and applications in electronic textiles and responsive garments. Her art and design work has been shown in the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in NYC, the V&A in London, the Millenium Museum in Beijing, various SIGGRAPH Art Galleries, ISEA, the Art Directors Club in NYC, the Australian Museum in Sydney, NTT ICC in Tokyo, and Ars Electronica Center in Linz among others. She lectures internationally about the field of electronic textiles and related social, cultural, aesthetic, and political issues. She was selected for the Maclean's 2006 Honour Roll as one of "thirty nine Canadians who make the world a better place to live in". She received her Masters of Science from MIT and worked with the Tangible Media Group of the MIT Media Lab before co-founding International Fashion Machines in Boston.

POPKABLOG: How did you start to work with wearables?

JB: I founded XS Labs in 2002, in my first year at Concordia University, and positioned it as a design research studio with a focus on innovation in electronic textiles and reactive garments. My interest in this field, however, did not originate from weaving, fashion design, or even fiber arts. It emerged from a concern with the lack of softness in HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and the desire to explore a wider range of material properties in the development of physical interfaces.

While a student at the MIT Media Lab in the mid 1990’s, I was drawn to electronic textiles for their ability to conform to the human body and their potential for bringing softness to physical interfaces. The work I was conducting in HCI focused on tangible interaction and involved the manipulation of physical objects with the human hand. I anticipated that electronic textiles would allow us to expand the realm of physical interaction into a wearable context and to explore the boundaries of what I call “beyond the wrist” interaction.

Our design philosophy at XS Labs focuses on the use of smart materials and technologies as fundamental design elements. The projects at XS Labs often demonstrate a preoccupation with — and a resistance to — task–based, utilitarian definitions of functionality in HCI. Our definition of function simultaneously looks at the materiality and the magic of computing technologies; it incorporates the concepts of beauty and pleasure. We are particularly concerned with the exploration of interactive forms that emphasize the natural expressive qualities of transitive materials. We focus on the aesthetics of interaction, which compels us to interrogate and to re–contextualize the materials themselves. The interaction narratives function as entry points to question some of the fundamental assumptions we make about the technologies and the materials that we deploy in our designs.

POPKABLOG: What is your inspiration for the project?

JB: With the proliferation of wearable and portable electronic devices in our everyday lives, our power consumption needs are constantly increasing. The development of alternative energy sources has not kept up with the needs of our markets and we find our spaces cluttered with an ever-expanding number of adaptors and chargers. A promising alternative involves the development of energy sources that are independent from our power grids and reside on the body, collocated with the electronic devices they power. Research in this area includes (1) alternate power sources such as flexible solar panels, photovoltaic cells, biobatteries, and dielectric elastomers among others; (2) eco-design and design for sustainability; and finally (3) parasitic power, which involves harnessing energy directly from the body or generating power by the user. Researchers such as Paradiso from the MIT Media Laboratory have studied methods to recover power (a) passively, from body heat, arm motion, typing, and walking, and (b) actively through user actions such as winding or pedaling. Many of these solutions compromise comfort in order to deliver functionality, which contributes to slow rates of acceptance both from designers and potential customers.

The dresses are the result of a development process that included a series of structured brainstorming and bodystorming exercises. Very early in the design process, it was decided that we would not attempt to conceal the generators and their operation. Previous work in body-generated power strives to seamlessly integrate generators into wearable artifacts so as not to make their presence “obvious or annoying”. Most often, this is accomplished by harnessing the energy from walking by embedding generators in the soles of shoes. We chose to pursue a different approach, one that is heavily influenced by the field of fashion design. While it is difficult to accept an uncomfortable running shoe or other fitness garment, it is easier to embed the discomfort and the inefficiency of current human-generated power solutions into the culture of fashion and costuming. Fashion designers throughout history have distinguished themselves by presenting new silhouettes and trends that constantly surprise and challenge the body. This has been exemplified by devices that include brassieres, bustles, crinoline hoops, and exaggerated shoulder pads as well as more extreme practices that involve deliberate physical deformation of the body. The field of fashion design often embraces discomfort and has been known to tolerate some amount of pain, which inspired us to explore the use of irritation and inconvenience as a means of power generation on the body. The Captain Electric garments focus on alternate definitions of functionality, such as pleasure, fun, and beauty, so as to allow playful and engaging design concepts, while leveraging the discomfort to influence the conceptual direction of the experience.

POPKABLOG: Why do you think is important to make intelligent clothes?

JB: Many of our electronic textile innovations are informed by the technical and the cultural history of how textiles have been made for generations (weaving, stitching, embroidery, knitting, beading, quilting) but use a range of materials with different electro-mechanical properties. This enables us to construct composite textiles with more complex properties. New developments in material sciences and the field of electronics have often been hard, solid, and unyielding. We want to make them soft, playful, and magical, so as to better service the curvilinear contours of the human body and the complexities of human desire. Working within the Fine Arts, we often infuse dark humor and romanticism into the materials and processes as a way to drive technical innovation.

POPKABLOG: Do you intent to commercialize your work?

JB: Yes, through my students. I inspire them to work in the field and they graduate and start commercial ventures.

POPKABLOG: How do you predict the future of wearable technology?

JB: I deeply believe that the killer application will not involve reading email on my sleeve, increasing my productivity by receiving vibrating reminders of my appointments in my jacket, or keeping track of my calorie intake through my necklace. Those are specialized applications. They are not fun or sexy. They sound too much like work. The future of “smart textiles” and wearable technologies is to have fun, to connect with friends, and to bring social networking information back onto the body.

Flexible circuit workshop in Spain

2011-01-05T02:42:00.000-08:00

In March I will give a workshop at "Espacio red de prácticas y culturas digitales" in Málaga.

There we will learn how to develop smart cloths using flexible circuitry techniques. Here the description in spanish.

Este taller pretende introducir a los participantes en el universo de los circuitos flexibles y reflexionar sobre su utilización y funcionalidad. En él los participantes utilizarán la tecnología para vestir prendas y objetos.
Se tratarán conceptos básicos de electrónica, circuitos flexibles, materiales conductivos y sensores. Los participantes aprenderán a transformar un accesorio (bolso, cartera, cinturón, sombrero, etc.), una prenda (camiseta, pantalón) o algún otro objeto (cajas, etc.) utilizando luces o sonidos que serán accionados interactivamente por el usuario. La parte electrónica será desarrollada en circuitos flexibles con hilos y tejidos conductivos y técnicas de costura.
Por último se evaluará la funcionalidad de estas interacciones y el porqué de la utilización de luces o sonidos en prendas y objetos personales.
Esta actividad forma parte del programa de talleres del Centro de Producción y Experimentación en Contenidos Digitales UNIA, una iniciativa coordinada desde UNIA Prácticas y Culturas Digitales

more information: http://practicasdigitales.unia.es/talleres/taller-de-circuitos-flexibles-y-arte-vestible.html

Hope see some of you there and please tell your spanish friends ;-)

o que me interessa

2010-11-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

Movimento me interessa.

Corpo me interessa.

Erotismo me interessa.

Espaço me interessa.

Tecnologia me interessa.

Colaboração me interessa.

Toque me interessa.

Tecido me interessa.

Parangonet's performance

2010-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

I was invited to participated in an event about wearables, part of "Mostra Sesc de artes 2010".

For this exhibition we set up the parangonets and documentation at Sesc Pompéia in São Paulo - Brazil. The scenography was really cool.

Besides the exhibition we had 3 performances in various places. I made a small compilation with some moments.

From this experience I figured out that I want to do more performances. The performance's complexity triggered something in me that i really like. Something between dance, theater and visual arts...

Parangonet 1.0: sonic dimension from ricardo O'nascimento on Vimeo.

workshop @SESC Pinheiros

2010-11-26T04:37:00.000-08:00

This week I gave a 2 days workshop at Sesc Pinheiros as part of the "MOSTRA SESC DE ARTES 2010".

The theme was flexible circuits and the idea was to introduce to the participants a bit about smart materials and the history of wearable computing. Something very basic but also inspiring.

After the theoretical introduction they did a flexible circuit using craft techniques. We did a simple push bottom that lights up a LED. It is very impressing to see how this simple circuit can raise nice ideas :-)

You can see more about the workshops I do at: www.popkalab.com/workshops.html

e-ansã ready to blow!

2010-11-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

I just finished my new work called e-ansã. For those who are not following this blog or do not read portuguese I will explain a bit.

E-ansã is a dress reacts to the presence of cell phone frequency signals. The intention of the project is to transform an invisible phenomenon (electromagnetic radiation) into another invisible phenomenon (wind).
The wind can then be picked up by the human senses.

Concept

The name e-ansã comes from the name of an Orisha: Iansan. Iansan is a spirit entity of the Afro-Brazilian religious faith Candomblé. This entity is connected with the winds, hurricanes and tempests and has the power to control those natural forces.

The dress is composed by an aluminium structure where the fans are placed. Covering this structure there are hundresds or ribbons in red, orange and yellow in reference of the colors of Iansan.

Those ribbons are called “fitinhas do Senhor do Bonfim” and are used in a religious context in Brazil, mostly in the state of Bahia.

They appeared in 1809 as a sort of souvenir from the church. It was worn around the neck like a necklace, at the same place where saints and medallions were hung.

The ribbons worked as a type of currency: upon making good on a promise, the faithful use to give to the church a photo or a small sculpture of beeswax representing the part of the body which was cured with the help of the saint. As a souvenir of the favor, these ribbons would be acquired, symbolizing the church itself.

Nowadays it is common that people worn around the wrist with 3 knots that correspond to 3 wishes. These wrist ribbons come in all colors - each for a different saint - and bear the words "Lembrança do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia" meaning "In remembrance of the Savior of Bahia." (Senhor do Bonfim refers to Jesus, "Our Lord of a Good End"). Measuring 47 cm/ 18.5 in, which is the length of the right arm on a Christ statue in Bahia's Senhor do Bonfim church, the ribbon is tied around the left wrist in three knots, each one signifying a wish. Once the string falls off naturally, your wishes will be granted.

No one knows when the transition occurred from the old style ribbon to the new one (worn around the wrist), although the new ribbon was popularized by the street vendors of Salvador around the 1960′s, when it was also adopted by the Bahian hippies as part of their style of dressing.

Religion, invisible forces, tradition and technology are mixed together in this dress that intends to aware people of electronic pollution especially with the increasing use of cell phones. Maybe the modern Iansan could also control the electronic fields.

Technology

The dress is composed of 110 computer fans, 4 antennas, batteries and a microcontroller. The detection system constantly checks and verifies whether there are any waves in the atmosphere that are put out by mobile phones. This live information is sent to a microcomputer. The microcomputer activates the fans that creates wind and blows this through the dress.

I would like to thank Jum Nakao for his advices and also Thiago Hersan for his great job helping me to develop this dress.

more info: www.popkalab.com/eansa.html

Abertura da mostra labmis

2010-11-12T08:42:00.001-08:00

Fitas ao vento

2010-11-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Depois de diversos testes com vários tipo de fitas e até cabelo (!) acabei optando pelo uso das fitinhas do Senhor do Bonfim.

Essa escolha se deu pelo comportamento da fita que se ouriçou razoavelmente com o vento e também pela carga simbólica que carrega.

A fita original data de 1809 e era usada como uma espécie de ex-voto, uma lembrança da igreja após se ter a graça alcançada. O comprimento de 47cm se refere ao tamanho do braço da estátua do Cristo na igreja do Sr. do Bonfim na Bahia. Existem diversas cores de fita e cada uma corresponde a um orixá.

Acredito que o uso das fitas do Sr. d Bonfim vem de encontro com a idéia do invisível. Assim como as ondas eletromagnéticas a religiosidade também é invisível e age de forma real na vida das pessoas. Assim, se abre uma nova possibilidade de leitura do trabalho, penso eu.

testes com fitas e vento

2010-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Esses últimos dias estou fazendo testes para decidir o melhor tipo de material para as fitas...

olha ai os vídeos.

Escolhi o dourado. O movimento ficou bom e as fitas não são tão finas.

novos caminhos

2010-10-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

estrutura pronta

2010-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ontem acabei a estrutura do vestido com as 11 ventoinhas. A idéia foi fazer uma espécie de balão na região da cintura. Agora vou trabalhar junto com o Jum Nakao para fazer um desenho bacana.

ventoinhas tomando forma

2010-10-08T06:50:00.001-07:00

Ontem tive uma ajuda muito agradável e fixamos 42 ventoinhas na estrutura do vestido.
Hoje mais por vir.

primeiro protótipo em alumínio.

2010-10-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Tivemos um trabalho danado para encontrar as ventoinhas. Precisamos das de funcionam com 5v e normalmente aqui só se vende 12v. O alumínio para a construção do vestido também chegou, o que me fez pensar sobre a estrutura de uma maneira mais prática. resolvi fazer diferente do que o modelo de papel para espalhar melhor as ventoinhas. Vamos ver...

Protótipo de papel

2010-09-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Essa semana fiz um protótipo de papel para sentir melhor como vai ficar o tamanho do vestido.

Imaginem essa estrutura em Alumínio.

Ainda não decidi a espessura da barra de alumínio, mas vai ser mais ou menos assim.

e- ansã

2010-09-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Uma das coisas mais complicadas para mim é dar nomes aos meus trabalhos. E agora que estou fazendo um vestido ficou mais complicado ainda. Que nome dar ao vestido? Vestido precisa de nome?

Incrive que como sempre uma conversa com amigos queridos é inspiradora. Entre um bolo de cenoura e um morango sem agrotóxico estava eu explicando como funciona o vestido que estou fazendo para Renata e Jader e Pepo. Esse último não estava muito interessado.

A metáfora principal desse meu trabalho é transformar ondas electromagnéticas em vento. Explicando isso a Renata prontamente diz: Uma coisa Iansã.

Claro! e para ficar ainda mais claro a conecção com o eletrônico resolvemos grafar como: "e-ansã"

Pra quem não conhece Iansã é uma entidade cultuada no Candomblé e está ligada aos ventos e tempestades.

Agora o projeto tem um nome. Falta agora chegar a estrutura de alumínio e as ventoinhas...

circuito da Antena

2010-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Conseguimos chegar a um circuito que responde bem a telefones celulares daqui do Brasil.

a frequencia utilizada normalmente é entre 900 e 1800 Mhz.

Segue abaixo o desenho do circuito se você quiser montar o seu.

CALL OUT FOR ARTISTS

2010-09-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

'double lives:duple trials' Exhibition  A ‘double life’ conventionally is a life of two identities where one is simultaneously involved in two sets of circumstances and retains the secrecy of one from the other.  The exhibition hopes to explore these two sets exposing the dichotomies of fiction and reality, mirror images and opposing forces. ‘Double lives’ cater for a parallel existence whether it portrays deceiving acts or insatiable actions and can as subtle as a pen name or as exaggerated as the secret identity of a super hero; ultimately why are they adopted?  Rene Descartes and Gilbert Ryle both contest from separate perspectives that our biographies- mind and body- are divided but can along in parallel without being the same entity.  *Application information *  Artists are invited to submit work which investigates the functions of duality, such as alter egos, multiple personalities, parallel universes, secret relationships but where double lives exist, privately or publicly.  The exhibition will take place at the Malt Cross, 16, St James St, Nottingham (http://www.maltcross.com/) in February 2011.  All media will be considered but is steering towards alternatives such as, projections, slide shows, interventions and installations  Please note that the submission process is free but if artists are selected they are required to pay a £20 administration fee.  To apply please send up to 3 jpeg images and an approximately 50 word statement about how the work links to the theme to alidiana@gmail.com  Deadline for submissions: 30th November 2010.

A lenda das 100 ventuinhas de papel

2010-09-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Durante essa semana resolvi fazer um protótipo do vestido em tamanho real usando papel. Então começei a cortar e dobrar as ventuinhas de papel. Tiago,o engenheiro responsável pelo circuito, me lembrou de uma lenda japonesa onde quem dobrar 1000 aves terá muita sorte ou um desejo realizado. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_origami_cranes

Como não preciso de 1000 ventuinhas de papel resolvemos adaptar essa lenda para apenas 100.

Espero que dê certo ;-)

"Walking city" vestido cinético

2010-08-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ying Gao desenhos esse vestido que reage ao som do microfone (sopro). O vestido cria um movimento bem orgânico e bonito. Imagino que deva ter usado "memory alloy" para isso. ou entao um pequeno servo funciona... Bonito ;-)

Dandelion

2010-08-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Dandelion é um projeto dos designers mary Huang e Jennifer Kay que transforma vento em energia elétrica. Nesse acessório que você coloca no ombro estão fixados alguns cata-ventos que geram energia.

Dandelion from Mary Huang on Vimeo.

Inspirações

2010-08-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Vestido de metal do Pacco Rabane.

Outro do Paco R.

Eu gosto desses quadrados saindo do vestido, mas ainda me parece muito futurista.

Nao lembro o nome do designer, mas gosto muito desse vestido estruturado.

talvez uma capa de tecido leve sobre o vestido pode evidenciar o vento... Jean Paul Gaultier

Outra capa. Jean Paul Gaultier

De novo um belo vestido estruturado com formas geométricas. O que me chama atenção é que pode ser mais fácil para colocar os componentes eletrônicos...

Dior. Gostei da saia. Talvez possa fazer algo assim.

Chanel. Gosto desse vestido de duas partes. Pode funcionar...

Chanel. quadrados...

Chanel. Idem

McQueen. Gosto dessa saia abrindo na perna.

McQueen. Outro vestido estruturado.

Acho que estou um pouco obsecado...

Dior Lens: labeling all

2010-08-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

I found that Galliano designed a labeled lens. First I found very odd but actually is great. The idea of puting stamps in lens comes from before. I remember to saw lens in stars, balls and geometric shapes. But first time a logo ;-)

I am wondering how far we are to put electronics on it...

Paper bag

2010-07-30T02:27:00.000-07:00

The collaborative project between Saskia and Stefan Diez amazed us with this amazing paper bag. It is made of Tyvek®, a synthetic paper that is extremely lightweight – 135g for the bigger and 115g for the smaller bag – but at the same time exceptionally robust, both water- and tear-proof. The material is completely recyclable.

It is always nice to see new materials around ;-)

you can buy from their website and also in Berlin.

http://www.saskia-diez.com

World cup and technology

2010-07-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

I was watching a game Netherlands against Uruguay in my friend’s house in Rotterdam when I was wondering how it would like the images if we put a camera inside the ball. As soon as I told this idea to my friends they laugh. Well… it is not a very useful thought but it made me think how technology is used in the football and how it could improve.

For the first time ever FIFA excuse itself for the mistakes of the judges and considered using technology to avoid such mistakes. However it did not say witch kind of technology they were talking about: cameras? Sensors? Microphones?

This also brings another question: How people inside the football field will deal with these new inputs? Technology could disturb instead of help?

During the competition were many complaining about the Jabulani ball. Adidas spent lots of money and research in wind tunnels and robots to test the new ball and afterwards the players were very unhappy with the result. The Brazilian goalkeeper Julio César compared it to a ball you could buy at a “grocery store”. David James of England said it is “dreadful.” It seems that in this case the technology used to develop Jabulani was not so efficient.

Intrigued with this question I start to look for projects that involve football and technology and I found a nice project that Senselab MIT [1] developed together with the Italian soccer team A. C. Milan. In this project the researchers from MIT tracked the movement of the players during a match in the field in order to analyse their movements and maybe improve their training. What they want is to identify and develop new real-time tracking systems and to interpret from a strategic point of view the data they provide. Many problems were found on the project but it points, in my opinion, a way that technology could be used in football.

Bringing the discussion a bit closer to fashion I was wondering it could be effective the use of sensors embedded on the players clothe. Maybe the sensors could catch information that helps to decide if a player committed a fault or not. And besides of the sensor in the players’ cloths the judge would need a “gadget” to collect and present this information in a useful way. Otherwise it is an over information witch could be a disinformation. Would be the development of such technology a good path to follow? Maybe yes. Maybe it is just too much and the old and traditional system is enough. All this technology would take part of the magic of football out? Maybe.

Technology is not always good. Going back to the South Africa world cup the U. S. goalie Mr. Hahnemann said during a news conference that technology is not everything. “ Scientists came up with the atom bomb, doesn’t mean we should have invented it.” Definitively he has a point.

[1] http://senseable.mit.edu/milan/

Green Summer @ Verbeke Foundation

2010-05-31T02:09:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to be in verbeke foundation for a quick residence of 4 days. Actually, I was mounting the installation "Plantas Parlantes" that I made together with the mexican artist Gilberto Sparza and Recycle-x team.

The foundation is a quite impressive place. It reminded me a lot a place in Brazil called Inhotim. However, despite of the amazing work of its founder the place encounter some difficulties in maintaining its pieces and also providing infra structure for the residents artists.

I was there together with Javier Busturia, Jelle Decker, Jnigni Wang and Roel. We slept in a truck (!). The experience that could be interested was a bit challenging due to the arctic cold that was at night, not to mention the dust everywhere. Speaking with other artists I figured out that their living conditions at Verbeke foundation was not actually better.

Walking in the almost 6.000 m2 of the foundation you can find many sculptures, some of them in big size. Some really good, others not so much. I had the impression that the curatorial line is quite weak, not to say nonexistent. Also it is possible to perceive a fascination about dead animals on the place. Almost 60% o the installations has something to do with death or dead animals. Freak!

I would say that this time was good but not really totally enjoyable. I have to confess that I was in a really bad mood also. Despite of all of this I could see some nice artworks and had a good time with my friends. if you are in Antwerp a visit is high recommended, if you are an artist and look for a residence you might want to think twice. Unless you really like contact with nature at all cost ;-)

more info: www.verbekefoundation.com

Smart textile @ crosslab (Rotterdam)

2010-04-21T01:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I have been in Crosslab in Rotterdam for a talk about fashion and technology.

There were presentations of some projects in a DIY craft style (very hype nowadays). I liked very much the presentation of Meg Grant, who did a very nice and simple top with leds called " See-thru-me.

Another presentation, not so exciting was the Dutch/American artist Annet Couwenberg. For almost 3 months she worked together with Marisol Trowbridge and students on an interactive (textile) art piece. Point of departure were conversations (sewing sessions) with Turkish migrant women. Via this special form of dialogue they talked about themes like fashion, politics, hope, beauty and cultural diversity. Though the theme is relevant, specially in Netherlands, She felt in lots of cliches concerning the duch and islam culture. The project was not clear and the output not so interesting. Well.... I admire her enthusiasm but maybe in the next time. This work did not touch me ;-(

Another presentation was a livingroom made by students that created several non convencional switches that turned on several strange electronic devices. Funny, but I again missed the point ;-(

see-thru-me from Sneaker Peet on Vimeo.

OPEN CALL CELLSBUTTON#04: INVISIBLE CELLS - YOGYAKARTA INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ART FESTIVAL, INDONESIA 27 JULY - 7 AUGUST 2010.

2010-04-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

OPEN CALL CELLSBUTTON#04: INVISIBLE CELLS - YOGYAKARTA INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ART FESTIVAL, INDONESIA 27 JULY - 7 AUGUST 2010.
(http://natural-fiber.com)

“That the modernist tradition of progress and ceaseless extension of the frontiers of innovation are now dead. Originality is dead. The avant-garde artistic tradition is dead. All religions and utopian visions are dead and resistance to the status quo is impossible because revolution too is now dead. Like it or not, we humans are stuck in a permanent crisis of meaning, a dark room from which we can never escape. Humans will not be visible, humans will be invisible. (Inspired by Kalle Lasn's Contemporary Society) - Irene Agrivina, 2010”

The House Of Natural Fiber (HONF) are proudly to present Cellsbutton#04: Invisible Cells - Yogyakarta International Media Art Festival. Cellsbutton#04 will take the theme of “Invisible” as part of Education Focus Program curriculum in 2010. Cellsbutton#04 will consist 12 days duration of the festival, focussing on educative artistic activities engaging local and global development and application in art, science and technology. As an annual international community-base festival, Cellsbutton#04 will be a cross-collaborative starting platform for international artists, communities, scientists, researchers, lecturers, inventors, theorists, activists practitioners, to exchange knowledge that beneficial for the society.

Cellsbutton is an annual community-base organized international media art festival in Yogyakarta, Indonesia initiated by HONF. Since it was started in August 2007, Cellsbutton became the first international media art festival in Indonesia that focus on education. Cellsbutton act as a platform that connect international artist with interdisciplinary people in Indonesia to expand limitless creations and innovations through media art. As part of HONF Education Focus Program [EFP], Cellsbutton is set to became HONF primary instrument to provide the proper dissemination of knowledge, information and networking in media art for the general public in Indonesia especially Yogyakarta; a special province that contain great deal potential of intellectuality from various disciplinal backgrounds and famous as a center for Indonesian higher education. The organizing of the festival was done through the collaboration with the support from local creative communities in Yogyakarta.

The House Of Natural Fiber
The House Of Natural Fiber (HONF) is a media art laboratory run by a community in Yogyakarta. They implemented a methodology called Open - Community which is mostly concerned to the needs of cross-collaborative actions responding to technology development and practical use in daily life. In the beginning, they started as a young community with various backgrounds and ideals. They want to do whatever they wish, but with a natural inclination to create by the spirit of togetherness. There is no ambition to work simply for personal profit. They create for themselves, their family, and their environment. This is the basis for the first actions and commitment between them. Since 1999, they concentrate on the principles of critique and innovation. Thinking forward, positive and creative is becoming a vision for HONF. In the implementation of this vision, in every program, they work towards the development of art with technology. This desire to contemplate the future of technology and art is an important endeavor for the technology itself.

Education Focus Program (EFP)
EFP is a curriculum that act as a guideline for every HONF activities that is innovated responding the global situations and conditions in Indonesia. EFP concentrate on interdisciplinary knowledge exchanges and collaborations in critical analysis towards local and global issues and creating innovative ideas to seek solutions toward it. EFP main objective is to build a modern mind and mentality of society by bridging art, science and technology that is useful in processing local potentials into beneficial outputs for the society based on human uses and urgent needs. In the implementation of EFP programs, HONF use Open-Community form, a methodology that invites local communities in Yogyakarta to take various roles accordingly to their ability and competency, which allows them to be involved in the activities with HONF acted as navigator. This method is chosen, as community is a primary working method that is used by the society in Indonesia at the present time. It is also enabling EFP to be a generic infrastructure that enhance and amplify the dissemination of knowledge to involving communities and wide range society. EFP programs are presented in informal educative platforms that are accessible by the society to overcome the current Infrastructures and curriculum of overall education system in Indonesia that is far from efficient.

Invisible
Invisible seeks sustainable actions that were created to systematically expand or convert accessible technology and generic infrastructure to be used as multifunctional and cross-functional tools. Invisible will try to reveal innovation and creation that is developed in response to local and global situations and conditions. Invisible then will challenge the application and how art could function between artists and society in responding how it reaction could be achieve from suitable and crucial action rather than emphasizing the existence of the actor.

How to Apply
Please send an email to cellsbutton@gmail.com before 25 May 2010 an A4 size pdf format files containing information of:
1. Applicant’s Name
2. Applicant’s Short Biography (100 words max)
3. Project Title to be presented in Cellsbutton
4. Project Description
5. Brief Explanation on how the project would be beneficial to local communities

Term and Condition
HONF will provide place to stay, 1 meal per day and local transportation for Cellsbutton#04 schedule of activities. For international transportation HONF could only provides a letter of invitation to support and letter of recommendation for the participants to get funding. As the Official Office and meeting point during the festival, HONF lab will be open for every participant as the gathering place, studio and meeting point.

Activities
1. openCELLS : opening act of Cellsbutton
2. cellSONIC : special audiovisual performance act of Cellsbutton
3. cellsDISCO : club party, VJ gathering/VJ School
4. cellsOUTING : meet the fibers!
5. cellsKIT : DIY workshops, researches and presentations
6. cellsPICNIC : “even God take a day off...”
7. Indonesia Bricolabs : international global network focussing on local and global development generic infrastructure incrementally develop by communities
8. cellsKID : children workshop. Simple art - simple technology - fun learning and nourishing activity
9. breakcore_LABS : open platform for experimental music and audiovisual performance
10. The fibers : platform for collaboration and researches between media labs and creative communities
11. EA Channel Meeting : exchanging informations on global and local networking
12. cellsLIVING : pre-Cells and post-Cells residency program. Collaborating with local creative communities
13. cellsRADIO : sharing information & knowledges through radio frequency
14. offBUTTON : off - file not found (closing party)

Now and then...
“We’re looking for the invisible! And with togetherness we’ll overcome the invisible and become one! With this start, we see Cellsbutton#04 – Invisible Cells as our destination in presenting beneficial outputs in both directions to outer our communities and inside. Learning and progressing as our curriculum of Education Focus Program (EFP) have helped us in evolving and adjusting our role to accommodate the local communities for the last 10 years. We have reached a milestone more than we have expected, but thousands waits in our path. We realized that we are small, but from those small things we have evolved. For a new step and beginning of The House of Natural Fiber in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, we devoted ourselves think the unthinkable, to touch the untouchable and to see the invisible. One minor step we take in 2010 for our remaining long and distant path.” (/microCELLS - A Prelude To Cellsbutton#04: Invisible Cells - Yogyakarta International Media Art Festival 2010)

Welcome to the invisible cells!!!

andreas siagian
the house of natural fiber [HONF]
yogyakarta new media art laboratory
jl. wora wari a 80/6 baciro 55252
yogyakarta indonesia
p: +628175471005
url: http://natural-fiber.com
url: http://breakcorelabs.wordpress.com
url: http;//andreassiagian.wordpress.com

Plantas Parlantes - Gilberto Esparza and Recycle-x

2010-04-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

The day I arrive from Mexico I started to work with the recycle-x team and Gilberto on an interactive sound sculpture or something like this.

It was a week of production and last saturday was the oppening.

You can check the recycle-X HERE.
more about Gilberto Esparza HERE.
more about plantas parlantes SOON.
more about the exhibition: HERE.

new workshop: flexibe circuits

2010-02-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

I am glad to announce that I will give a workshop in Mexico City on 11th March at Centro Multimedia del Centro Nacional de las artes.

Bellow some information in spanish and link:

Circuitos flexibles

Imparte: Ricardo Nascimento

La intención del curso es que los participantes podrán crear un circuito sencillo, utilizando materiales flexibles. A manera de contextualización, serán presentados algunos proyectos en wearable art, posteriormente se presentarán trabajos que se valen de circuitos flexibles (fashion technology) y se hará una introducción en cuanto a materiales conductivos, así como a algunos conceptos básicos de electrónica, también se creará un prototipo de circuito con LED y sensores, por último se analizarán sus posibles aplicaciones.

El taller está dirigido a artistas, diseñadores y personas interesadas en la creación artística con medios tecnológicos (no es necesario conocimiento previo en electrónica).

http://cmm.cenart.gob.mx/cartelera/cursos.html#nascimento

Rambler @ Fashiontech

2010-01-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

People,

check the post about Rambler at:

http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/microblogging-sneakers-tweet

ART FACTORY BIALYSTOK - Upcoming residency application deadlines

2010-01-13T01:28:00.000-08:00

ART FACTORY BIALYSTOK - Upcoming residency application deadlines

Jan. 16, 2010 - deadline for summer 2010 residence for fine artists. 8
week residence in July-August 2010.

Feb. 1, 2010 – deadline for June 2010 residence for writers

More information:
http://artfactorybialystok.wordpress.com/

OPEN CALL 2010 for artists in residency

2010-01-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

OPEN CALL 2010 for artists in residency
Where: Chianti, Tuscany Italy
When: 2010

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 at La Macina di San Cresci
We are located above Greve in Chianti in the heart of Tuscany, between two great cities of the Renaissance: Florence & Siena.
The artist residency program provides the ideal combination of living and working in a setting of truly inspirational beauty.

Artist residency consist of sojourning from 7 to 90 days, with a possible time extension subject to availability.

This period covers a program based on the personal project proposal presented.

As an archive of activities is scheduled to publish a yearbook representative of the various experiences hosted and produced using photos and texts of artists and events.

The artists with a special interesting project have a public event that offer a venue to test their ideas in a dialog with other artists, and the general public.
Help will be given from La Macina di San Cresci staff to organize a local exhibition on a theme related to their Residency project.

Residencies are available between 1st January and 31th December 2010. Please see www.chianticom.com for details and an application form.

Rambler

2010-01-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce my brand new project done with Tiago Martins.

Rambler.

Rambler is a pair of sneakers that senses every step you take and , due to an embedded sensing system, post its status on a twitter account.

More information at: http://www.popkalab.com/ramblershoes.html

1° SALÃO DOS ARTISTAS SEM GALERIA

2009-12-14T07:20:00.001-08:00

1° SALÃO DOS ARTISTAS SEM GALERIA

O site Mapa das Artes (www.mapadasartes.com.br), do jornalista Celso Fioravante, acaba de lançar mais um projeto inovador: o 1° Salão dos Artistas Sem Galeria, direcionado a todos aqueles que lutam por um lugar ao sol no competitivo circuito das artes.

Para se inscrever, o artista precisa ter mais de 16 anos, ser brasileiro ou estrangeiro residente no Brasil e não pode ter galeria em São Paulo ou Rio de Janeiro. Deverá ainda pagar uma taxa de R$ 100,00.

Os inscritos serão avaliados por um júri altamente especializado composto por curadores, galeristas e artistas, e os portfólios selecionados serão apresentados a galerias do Rio de Janeiro e de São Paulo.

Os selecionados ganharão ainda uma mostra coletiva com pró-labore de R$ 600,00 por participação e, dentre eles, três sairão premiados. As inscrições vão até 30 de janeiro. Mais informações na seção Salões do site www.mapadasartes.com.br.

As dúvidas devem ser encaminhadas para o e-mail mapadasartes@uol.com.br.

Compassion

2009-12-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Budapest - residency

2009-12-01T01:46:00.001-08:00

Kitchen Budapest now opens the call for 2010! We are offering guest researcher positions for dedicated professionals, artist, engineers, interested in the convergence of new media and actual spaces, cultural experiences, new communities, interaction design and are highly motivated to create such projects in teams.

Application deadline is 15 December 2009. (for the period of January - June 2010)

Positions are available from 1 month up to 3 months. More information about the application at http://www.kitchenbudapest.hu/residency-calls.

Check out our former residents from the past 2 years!

C A L L F O R E N T R I E S: VIDEOEX International Experimentalfilm & Video Festival

2009-11-29T02:49:00.000-08:00

VIDEOEX invites you to submit your work for the

international & swiss competition

(entry deadline 30 January 2010).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIDEOEX International Experimentalfilm & Video Festival

22- 30 MAY 2010 Zurich Switzerland

We are looking for :

experimental films 8mm / 16mm / 35mm (screened in original format),

videos, (experimental, videoart, ...)

innovative animation,

experimental digital & graphic productions (to be screened),

experimental documentaries,

experimental music videos

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry deadline 30 January 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Details download entry form & rules www.videoex.ch

(PDF Files to open with acrobat reader)
or send a e-mail to office@videoex.ch

no entry fee

Send tapes & entry form & brief description to:

VIDEOEX
Postfach / Kanonengasse 20 ·
CH-8026 Zurich · Switzerland

#ACE2009

2009-10-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

Check my twiiter about the ACE2009 conference!

Bart Hess

2009-10-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

I just found this amazing fashion designer. Thanks to Sabine ;-)

One of his most impressive work (at least for me) is this collection. I am wondering how to achieve the same visual effect in real. For sure I will try something in this direction!

http://www.barthess.nl/walter_skink_king.html

Screem that produces sound

2009-10-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Lumierophone is a screen equipped with fotoresistors that are connected to a synthesizer. According to the amount of the light it produces a different sound.

This is a cool idea and not expensive to produce.

Lumièrophone Demo from The Amazing Rolo on Vimeo.

The fun theory

2009-10-20T01:01:00.000-07:00

"The fun theory" is a initiative of Volkswagen to estimulate and develop funny urban interventions that somehow change the social behaviour for the good.

In their website you can find some videos of public interactive installations developed by them. There is also a contest with the deadline is 15th November where you can send your idea of a urban funny installation. The Prize is 2500 euros, not bad.

More info: www.thefuntheory.com

Pra pensar....

2009-09-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Royal Interface Culture Masquerade Ball

2009-09-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

studioroosegaarde

2009-09-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

Nice installation for warm days ;-)

by http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/

IMAFY

2009-09-16T00:41:00.001-07:00

Hey people,

a guy from twitter sent me this link about an exhibition that I participated in Cairo last year. It seems to be from EFE TV Madrid. They say my name but do not show my work hehehe

HeadbangHero Tour

2009-09-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hell0 friends,

I am glad to announce the next dates of HeadbagHero.

30,31 october at ACE 2009 in Athens, Greece
www.ace2009.org

05 november at Musiques Volantes in Paris, France
www.musiques-volantes.org/

If you are around show up!

Parangonet

2009-09-08T06:20:00.001-07:00

Long story short.

http://popkalab.com/parangonet.html

Check my new work.

Call for a fashion designer for “Intimacy”

2009-09-04T03:03:00.000-07:00

Artist Daan Roosegaarde and V2_Lab are looking for a fashion designer (M/F) to help realise “Intimacy”, a next step in wearable technology.

Daan Roosegaarde, known for his interactive artworks such as ‘Dune’ and ‘Sustainable Dance Floor’, is expanding his artistic and innovative horizon to include fashion. In close collaboration with V2_Lab he will be developing electronic fashion that becomes visually transparent according to the amount of personal intimacy involved.

The dress ‘Intimacy’ is made out of smart foil that becomes transparent when electrified. The distance to the dress determines the level of transparency; creating a sensual play of shared control.

Daan Roosegaarde says: ‘Technology is used here not merely functional but also as a tool to create intimacy as well as privacy on a direct, personal level ... which in our contemporary tech society is becoming increasingly important.’

In order to take this step from prototype to 'haute couture' V2_Lab and Daan Roosegaarde are looking for:

- a recently graduated or senior year fashion designer (M/F) with an affinity for hairstyling;
- he or she must be able to participate in thought process along the lines set out by V2_Lab and Studio Roosegaarde in the preliminary stages and therefore must be a good team player;
- the project starts on 1 November 2009; it is a full-time position for a period of 4 to 6 weeks.

What we offer:

- access to functioning new technology, an existing prototype and an artist's impression of the intended final product;
- a workplace at V2_Lab, Rotterdam;
- a trainee allowance;
- exhibition of the end result;
- name credit.

Please send your resume/portfolio and motivation before 1 October, preferably by e-mail, to:

piem@v2.nl

fabric sensors

2009-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

In one parangonet I am using a fabric sensor. It was developed by Mika Satomi and Hannah.

For that you have to use conductive fabric, normal fabric and velostat.

After done you have to make a small circuit with a resistor.

I am conecting with an arduino board, but you can use any microcontroler you want.

It is simple to make and very sensible.

Parangonet

2009-08-28T02:50:00.000-07:00

This is a work that I am doing right now. It began with a nice conversation between me and Jader Scalzareto who is the co-author. It is a small tribute to the great artist Helio Oiticica. The idea is to create a set of "parangolés" remotely connected. According the movements of each one some sound are triggered and modified. as it is still under development I will post here some pictures of the process.

First parangonet made with many pieces of fabrics from different parts of the world, representing various cultures.

Atferwards a curcuit will be attached to this parangonet.

The circuit is composed by: arduino lylipad, accelerometer, xbee, power supply.

Oslo Screen Festival

2009-08-25T02:00:00.001-07:00

Oslo Screen Festival began in 2008 with the aim of bringing together young emerging artists working with video to present their work to Oslo audiences. The purpose of the festival is to focus on experimental video works and to emphasise emerging poetics of the medium.

We are now open for entries to the festival's second edition in March 2010 and would like to invite artists and filmmakers to send us their works. An award of €1000 will be given to the best video. Please find regulation & entry form on our website www.screenfestival.no

The deadline for entries is October 15th.

Hussein Chalayan for Puma Spring/Summer 2010 “Urban Mobility”

2009-08-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

It was released the new work of Chalayan as a new creative director of PUMA called "urban mobility". Chalayan designed some clothes with extra functionality as a throuser with lots of pockets to make life in airport easier and a jacket that opens with a remote control.

keep your eyes open to what come next...

FILE Festival

2009-08-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here more pictures of my work at FILE Festival...

when technnology meets krats

2009-08-14T09:12:00.001-07:00

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=6724776

I can not put the video here but it deserves a watch if you like fashion and technology.

Suffering Machine

2009-08-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Escvrevo abaixo algumas reflexões que recebi sobre meu projeto Suffering Machine.

Sorry, only in portuguese.

Neste projeto, existe um conceito profundo e o seu entendimento é essencial para a nossa existencia, alias, as verdades grandes e profundas se incerem frequentemente no Simples.
O ser humano esta sempre em busca da felicidade eterna, concreta, aquela que nao depende de circunstancias, e isso é uma busca dolorosa, desgastante, pq a falta de entendimento de nos mesmos nos impede de chegar-mos a um concenso. Entao vivemos assim; na maioria das vezes na defensiva, sempre procurando justificar os nossos atos afim de ficarmos em paz com a nossa conciencia e.,.. nao conseguimos.

"Vamos observar o " Projeto do Robozinho Imperfeito".-------------------
Observe o Robo: ao mesmo tempo que ele sente, ele desperta sentimentos.
-- Se ele fosse um ser humano, por causa da sua imperfeiçao, ele poderia sentir: - medo , odio , desprezo , revolta , tristeza , afliçao , desanimo , fraqueza , desespero , angustia , infelicidade , incapacidade......e poderiamos ainda enumerar varios outros sentimentos negativos.
Mas, ainda ele desperta em outros seres humanos, sentimentos dos mais variados, como por ex: piedade , compreensao , ternura , carinho , como tb,( dependendo da estoria de vida de cd ser humano,) podera,, observando este Robo ,ser despertado sentimentos de:raiva , agressividade , impaciencia , orgulho , vaidade , poder , soberba , desprezo , ...etc...etc.
à respeito de sentimentos, o nosso controle é tremendamente limitado, pq o "sentir" habita no coraçao, no mais profundo da Alma.

Através desta realidade, tao complexa e claramente verdadeira, podemos compreender que seres humanos podem se relacionar, se acrescentar uns aos outros, porem, a nivel de sentimentos é mais sutil, é delicado...e isto pq nao conhecemos a nos mesmos.
O sentimento que uma pessoa pode despertar em vc, (sentimento bom ou ruim), nem vc mesmo sabia que existia no seu coraçao.

Tremendo misterio é o Relacionamento.

Quando refletimos em todas estas coisas, começamos a observar a veracidade da Palavra de Deus (feliz daqueles que a conhecem e a praticam,pq caminham para o entendimento.

Voltemos ao Robozinho imperfeito.

-----Quem neste mundo pode afirmar que é perfeito?
------Quem neste mundo pode afirmar que é bom?
------Quem neste mundo pode afirmar que é justo?
-------Quem neste mundo pode afirmar que é a verdade?

Podemos afirmar,"se estiver-mos ligados à Jesus Cristo que temos "A Verdade", mas nunca que somos a verdade.

Somente Jesus afirmou isto: "EU SOU O CAMINHO, A VERDADE E A VIDA. NINGUEM VEM (e nao vai ) AO PAI SENAO POR MIM. Ele é o pp Deus.

O homem começa a se conhecer a partir do momento em que olha para o seu criador.
Deus é perfeito e criou o homem à sua imagem e semelhança e tb com o direito de Livre Arbitrio.(sem o qual ele nao seria livre).

Deus nos fez perfeitos mas, o pecado quebrou o relacionamento com ELE, e ficamos assim, como o Robozinho imperfeito, escravos do pecado,pecado este que brota de dentro da nossa alma e nao temos como controla-lo, a nao ser que deixemos JESUS agir.

As outras pessoas, como podemos observar, através deste Projeto, nao nos podem ajudar, simplesmente pq. elas tb sao imperfeitas. A felicidade entao, é momentanea,depende de circunstancias e nao existe um crescimento, mas sim, um circulo vicioso.

" Je veux vivre libre de moi-meme" quer dizer:(Eu desejo viver livre de mim mesmo) e isso, DEUS, o nosso criador, ELE mesmo, atraves DELE mesmo, JESUS CRISTO, nos libertou da maldiçao do circulo vicioso , do Pecado, e nos deu e nos da....pra todo aquele que quer, Vida em Abundancia e Eterna.

Gostei muito deste projeto.........para mim ele é significativo.....

MyCity: Residencies for artists from Turkey

2009-08-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-arts-my-city-european-residencies.htm

MY CITY
European Residencies [MCER]

MCER, is a one-off programme to be realized between 2010 and 2011 for enabling visual artists from Turkey to develop their work in six prominent host institutions across Europe through residencies. It forms part of My City, a new cultural initiative funded through the European Commission’s Cultural Bridges Programme, designed and run by the British Council in Turkey. The programme’s aim is to establish partnerships between artists and institutions in Turkey and Europe.

The My City programme has two strands: MCER and a programme of activities in Turkey around the theme of art in public space, including seminars, conferences and new commissions. Starting in 2009, five artists from Europe will be invited to Turkey to develop a unique work of public art for a specific city in Turkey. The selected cities are Canakkale, Istanbul, Konya, Mardin and Trabzon. Each of these cities has a unique story to tell and this project will give the artists the opportunity to take part in residencies and show their work at some of Europe’s leading cultural venues. The names of all participants will be announced during the International Istanbul Biennale in September.

My City has been conceived by the British Council together with Anadolu Kultur and Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center. The project is funded by the European Commission and the British Council.

The project goal is to enable visual artists to develop and reflect upon their work in a different European environment and culture. The residency also generates opportunities for making or extending contacts and for exploring and/or developing a new context as well as producing new work.

Who Can Apply?
My City European Residencies [MCER] grants are intended for visual artists. However, artists who are part of a collective or a multi-disciplinary team are also welcome to apply to the MCER.

In addition to work-related criteria, there are a number of conditions applicants must satisfy in order to qualify for a grant. All applicants must be resident in Turkey, and if they are not nationals of Turkey, they must have a valid residence permit. A good command of English and other relevant languages of the place of residence are required. Deadline for application is the 21st of August.

If you require more information please contact: platform@garanti.com.tr

Selection Process
MCER Applications will be reviewed by a committee of six professionals, including but not limited to curators, who have the experience in international residencies. There will be one representative each from Platform Garanti and the British Council.

The committee will prepare a short-list of three candidates for each institution for which the application was made. The final selection will be made by the European host institutions in consultation with the committee.

Participating institutions:

- Centre for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
- Frame, Finnish Fund for Art Exchange, Helsinki
- Gasworks International Residencies & Students, London
- DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service, Berlin
- The Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna
- Hartware MedienKunstVerein & Künstlerhaus Dortmund

Application deadline:
21 August 2009

Please see the following document for further information about the host institutions and the application form.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-arts-my-city-residency23july.doc

FILE 2010

2009-07-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

Some pic of FILE 2010 in São Paulo.

credit: fabiana Shizue

JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL

2009-07-31T01:37:00.000-07:00

From 12.09 to 20.09 we have the opportunity to see some of the media art produced in japan at the MuseumsQuartier in Wien (Austria).

I am particulary proud to see the work of my god friend Kanejun (KANEBAKO Junichi). He is presenting his amazing "Mountain guitar" who was developed here in Linz at Interface culture department.

More information here: http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/vienna/exhibition/zone1.html

FILE festival

2009-07-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers,

I want to invite you to visit my new exhibition at FILE festival in São Paulo - Brazil.

Press:

FILE 10 NURBS PROTO 4KT is the title of the FILE 09 exhibition, that will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, from July 28 to August 30, 2009. This year, we have the honor to present FILE 10 -- ten years of events accomplished in the city of São Paulo, ten years of discussion on art and technology in Brazil. NURBS (Non Uniform Rational Basis Spline) is a well-known 20th century computer graphic technique for representing smooth surfaces - which according to Lev Manovich, the author of the opening text in the catalog, can become a new tool for cultural theory in the 21 century, along with other computer graphics and visualization tools. Lev Manovich will also take part in FILE Symposium and FILE LABO Workshop. PROTO, from "Protomembrane", title of the performance by the Catalan artist Marcel.lí Antúnez Roca, which will happen during the event opening, at Teatro Popular do Sesi. 4KT, the first transcontinental high-definition broadcasting of a feature film: "While the Night Doesn't Come", by the Brazilian director Beto Souza, among the cities of São Paulo (Brazil), San Diego (United States), and Yokohama (Japan).

More info:

http://www.file.org.br/file2009/press_sp/

2009-07-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am glad to announce my next presentation in Festival
Miden 2009 on Suturday 11/7 in Kalamata,GR

More info at:

www.festivalmiden.gr

Interactivos Lima at Nature.com

2009-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

The technology of illusion

Jascha Hoffman1

ARTS REVIEWED:
-Interactivos? Lima '09: Magic and Technology
Escuelab, Lima, Peru. Sponsored by Medialab Prado.
Workshop held 13 April until 13 May 2009.

ESCUELAB LIMA

Viewing your arm through this box of tricks (top) transformed it into the furry equivalent shown above.

Magic is not limited to the tricks performed at children's parties. It can refer to anything that resists explanation, from cognitive illusions to high-tech wizardry. This broader sense of magic was in the air in Lima, Peru, earlier this spring, when engineers and artists converged to explore the intersection of magic and technology, with awe-inspiring results.

"It's nuts, it's very ambitious," said Julian Oliver, an artist from New Zealand who helped to organize the workshop for Medialab Prado, based in Madrid, Spain. "People bring the skeletons of ideas and build them in just two weeks."

The workshop began with a digital nod to the time-honoured manipulation of playing cards and coins. Using a suitcase that folds out to become a digital overhead projector, a Spanish magician doctored a live video feed of his tabletop tricks using a pair of wireless shoes.

Other artists endowed spectators with unearthly powers. One Brazilian artist gave visitors a 'magic wand' to change the outline of their shadows. A Mexican inventor used a hidden theremin, the musical instrument that responds to the body's electrical fields, to activate a magnet that causes a pair of ghostly silver spoons to flip over when someone approached. "We had to reject a project that involved a flame you could control with your hands by way of gas injections," said Oliver.

The conception of magic in Peru was not always the art of deception seen in the West. Instead of Houdini-style illusions, "there is superstition and metaphysics" in Peru involving "rites, summoning and prognostication", said Oliver. Abracadabra Pata, a box in which visitors saw their own arms transformed into the legs of insects or lions, gave a taste of the spirit of witchcraft. A sense of the miraculous also pulsed through an installation that asked passers-by to synchronize their heartbeats to revive an image of a dead man projected onto the floor, in a sort of shamanistic healing- ritual-turned-video-game that took its inspiration from the Peruvian poet César Vallejo.

Magic could be defined as that which science has not yet made intelligible. But "even if science could explain everything, there would still be a place for magic," noted Kiko Mayorga, a Peruvian engineer and artist who co-founded the Escuelab centre that hosted the installations. This is because "magic is linked to surprise, and one's attention can never take in everything," he wrote.

Magic can comprise inventions that baffle us until we understand them. But this ignores a crucial fact: the best illusions rely not on advances in technology, but on permanent facts of psychology. "Magic, in the traditional sense, doesn't occur in the world, it occurs inside people," explains Oliver. "The magician merely helps people to trick themselves."

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7248/full/459780a.html

CELESTE PRIZE 2009

2009-06-22T04:42:00.001-07:00

"There are 10 days left to enter a Live Media/audiovisual work in ‘Celeste Prize 2009’, submissions no later than 30 June !

6 Live Media sets will be invited to perform on 26 September 2009 at the Alte AEG Fabrik, the old Berlin city electricity generating plant, in Voltastrasse. All Celeste finalists artists themselves will vote the 8,000 euro which will go to the winning Live Media set.

Register on http://www.celesteprize.com and upload your work for the Live Meida Prize, there is a 50 euro submission fee which also entitles you to full interactive functions onsite.

‘Celeste Prize 2009’ is an international contemporary arts prize
in which artists decide who wins the 40,000 euro prize money.

LIVE MEDIA PRIZE 8,000 euro
VIDEO & ANIMATION PRIZE 8,000 euro
INSTALLATION & SCULPTURE PRIZE 8,000 euro
PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL GRAPHICS PRIZE 8,000 euro
PAINTING PRIZE 8,000 euro

The 6 finalist Live Media sets will be chosen by:
Claudio Sinatti artist and teacher at IED (Italy)
and a team of selectors which includes
Justine Beaujouan, co-curator & organiser of Mapping Festival (Switzerland), Boris Edelstein & Ilan Katin, Modul8 software (Germany),
Lillevan, artist (Germany),
Bart van der Ploeg & Edwin de Koning, Resolume software (Netherlands),
Marius Watz, artist and curator (USA).

The other 40 Celeste finalist works are selected by a panel of international art critics which include: Mark Gisbourne, Adrienne Goehler, Victoria Lu.

http://www.celesteprize.com/prize/

terms & conditions of prize : http://www.celesteprize.com/terms_2009/

Residence in Hong Kong

2009-06-16T03:13:00.001-07:00

Videotage <http://www.videotage.org.hk> , the media art organization in Hong Kong is calling for artists to submit proposals for an artist residency program - FUSE. Please apply or forward to people you think will be interested. For details, please click the link below. Thanks.

http://www.videotage.org.hk/projects/20090325_fusecall.htm

enGage ludiCity

2009-06-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

play...
disrupt...
explore...
transform...

Los Angeles

enGage ludiCity
by REMAP for Photocartographies @ g727
a module of Remapping-LA

A situationist-inspired participative experience/performance
using mobile technology for collective exploration and dialogue
about Los Angeles, its psychogeography and its historicity.
June 15 to June 19 - personal disruptive ludic actions

Re-envision the city through playful actions.
Disrupt habitual patterns and generate significant situations.
Transform the common and obvious into extraordinary and interesting.
Create maps of the city based on creativity, play and discovery.
Re-label the city with a language of personal experience.
Have fun.
Participate by registering to use the Situationist Messaging System (SMS)
http://la.remap.ucla.edu/ludicity/
Based on your registration profile our Situationist Messaging System will
suggest (through SMS) periodic random ludic (playful) actions and request
feedback.
The information sent about the participants' ludic actions will generate an
emergent experiential map of Los Angeles posted every couple of hours
at http://la.remap.ucla.edu/ludicity
June 20 - collective situationist ludic engagement
Daylight Engagement: 4pm to 6:30pm
Night Engagement: 9:30pm to 12midnight
at "Photocartographies/g727, 727 Spring Street, Downtown LA
Join participants to engage downtown LA through the maps and directions
created through playful actions (described above).
Explore color, texture, shape, and function in the urban geography.
Re-label physical space with the collective language of personal experience.
Re-define the city's purpose by turning it into an open library, archive, and stage.
Create trails of images, sounds and text for future reflexion.
Have lots of fun.
Participation in "personal disruptive ludic actions" is recommended but not
required to join the "collective situationist ludic engagements".
An mobile technology automatic documentation system will be used to
generate a multi-perspective representation of the experience.
June 20 - situationist D&D (dialogue and drinking)
7pm to 9pm at "Photocartographies/g727, 727 Spring Street, Downtown LA
A stimulating dialogue about the situationist frameworks, situationist action,
situationist technology and their relevance to Los Angeles.
Created by the Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance
School of Theater, Film & Television and Henry Samueli School of Engineering
UCLA
http://remap.ucla.edu
A Cultural Civic Computing System by
Fabian Wagmister & Jeff Burke
Photocartographies Curators
Adam Katz & Brian Rosa
http://www.tatteredfragments.info/
g727 Co-Founders
Adrian Rivas & James Rojas
http://www.gallery727losangeles.com/

Curator Position at CiC - Cairo

2009-06-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary Image Collective (CIC) is an independent non-profit arts initiative founded in Cairo, in 2004, by a group of visual artists and professional photographers.

CiC works to create a platform for production, exhibition, dissemination, research, education and exchange. CiC's mission evolves from an interest in the multifarious modes of image production and consumption, contemporary and historical, arising from within and without art practices, and the ways in which they reflect and deflect the present.

CiC has a special interest in the photographic image at large. Over the years, CiC has sought to engage a wide range of local and international cultural producers, in an attempt to enhance and augment local artistic production and discourse. CiC's interest in exploring, questioning and responding to local artistic needs and concerns qualifies its interest and engagement in international art production and discourse.

CiC is seeking a highly motivated individual to take on the role of curator. This is a key artistic and management position within the institution. The curator will work closely with the CiC director to further the depth and breadth of CiC's mission. It is a complex and demanding role, offering significant responsibility and a diverse, in depth engagement with the local, regional and international art fields. The curator should have a demonstrable knowledge of contemporary art practices and discourse, as well as an active interest in researching and engaging other paradigms of knowledge and practice.

The successful applicant will be expected to develop, fundraise for, and realize CiC's program, ranging from art projects, exhibitions, workshops and classes to various discursive activities. The curator must be able to realize their artistic program, from the stage of conceptualization to financial closure and reporting.

This program should be able to draw on, question and enrich local and regional cultural capital, as well as maintain an international awareness and interest. The program should be exciting, engaging and pertinent, and in its diversity of scope and fields of interest, should address a professional as well as a general public.

Excellent interpersonal skills and advanced organizational skills are necessary, as well as the ability to develop effective partnerships and work collaboratively with the other CiC staff and various other collaborators.

Interested applicants should apply with a detailed CV and a letter of motivation, explaining their interests in working in Cairo and with CiC, and giving a general proposition for their vision of a curatorial direction of CiC.

Applicants do not have to be currently residing in Egypt but must be willing to relocate upon accepting the position. A competitive local salary is offered.

Application deadline: 30th of June, 2009.

Applications should be sent to this email: ciccairoboard@gmail.com
For an overview of CiC's activities, please check www.ciccairo.com
More information provided upon request.

Taiknam Hat @ ORF

2009-06-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

For those who are in Austria this weekend the channel ORF will broadcast an interview with Sabine Seymour where she talkes about fashionable technology. One of the presented projects is Taiknam hat that I did with Ebru Kurbak and Fabiana Shizue.

Service:

ORF Newton
saturday 18h45
ORF Channel

More info:
http://tv.orf.at/program/orf1/20090606/462576701/264862/

Symposium for ART AND RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES

2009-06-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

CALL for proposals:

Symposium for ART AND RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
August 13-16 in Aizpute (Latvia)

The 4-day symposium gathering together artists, activists, technologists, scientists and researchers, to share their ideas and explorations which deal with renewable energy resources, alternative ecological use of technologies, and other sustainability related issues.

- - - -

Themes:

[bio]
Environmental science and ecology - Ecosystem research - Permaculture and biosystem design - Biomass as renewable energy resource - Critical and alternative approaches to biotechnology

[solar]
Sunlight as constant energy resource - Process of photosynthesis - Solar energy technologies

[open source]
Sustainability using open source/information approaches: in art and grassroots culture, ecology, architecture and environmental design

[myths & legends]
Historical traditions and modern alternative solutions - Speculations - Critical, utopian or scientific visions of future terrestrial energy

- - - -

Location:

The symposium will take place in artists residency center SERDE in Aizpute, a small town in Kurzeme region of Latvia. SERDE is located in old wooden historical building (that also will be used as a specific case for which alternative and ecological approach in developing sustainable systems and renewable energy technologies can be explored and applied).

- - - -

Call:

For this symposium, we invite those interested to send their proposals in relation to above mentioned themes,
to the following email address: <2009> (and/or )

!!!!!!! Deadline: June 8, 2009

- - - -

Participation:

Travel and accommodation/subsistence will be covered for 10 participants from Baltic and Nordic countries, and for 2 participants from EU countries.

For others, participation costs include:
1) admission - free
2) travel (to Riga) - has to be covered by participants (local transportation from Riga to Aizpute will be provided by organisers)
3) accommodation - 10-25 eur per night

- - - -

The outcomes of the symposium - new projects, artworks, co-productions - will be presented during the international art and science conference ENERGY that will take place in the framework of Art+Communication festival in Riga, October 15-17, 2009.

Symposium is organised by RIXC, the center for new media culture
with the support of Nordic Culture Fund.

2009-05-22T07:16:00.001-07:00

Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

NEW MEDIA MEETING 2009

2009-05-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

i am glad to announce my upcoming exhibition.

My work "Authority" will be part of the New Media Meeting 2009 during 28 -30 Mat in Nooköping (Sweden)

more about the festival:
www.newmediameeting.se

more about Authority:
www.popkalab.com/authority.html

AEF 2009

2009-05-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

They just released the theme of this year Ars Electronica Festival and it is.... Human nature...

Actually a quite wide term that could mean anything you want. But still a goo choice. Follow bellow the statment of Gerfried Stocker.

HUMAN NATURE
We are entering a new age here on Earth: the Anthropocene. An age definitively characterized by humankind’s massive and irreversible influences on our home planet. Population explosion, climate change, the poisoning of the environment and our venturing into outer space have been the most striking symbols of this development so far.
But to a much more enormous extent, the achievements of genetic engineering and biotechnology are the truly indicative markers of this transition to a new epoch. Now, we’re not only changing our environment; we’re revising the fundamentals of life itself—even our own human life.
Humankind has appropriated the mantle of Creator. Though we just barely understand how this functions, we’re already modifying entire genomes, constructing new organisms, cloning, creating and inventing new life.

We’re using innovative high-tech methods to observe the human brain while it thinks, so that we can now look behind the veil of our consciousness and see how our mechanisms of perception and decision-making capacities are reflected in our neurons. The long-established boundaries segregating nature and culture are breaking down, and we are once again confronted by the question of the essence of humanness and the nature of the human being.

Thirty years after its founding, this globally established festival’s mission remains the same—we are steadfastly dedicated to the pursuit of the curiosity that is so deeply rooted in humankind’s nature, and we continue to intrepidly peer far into the future. Our immediate objective: to once again foment a fruitful, fascinating dialog at the interface of art, technology and society.
The new Ars Electronica Center that debuted at the outset of this year plays a key role in this endeavor, in that its extraordinary exhibition concept is totally focused on the question of how scientific findings and methods are changing the way we see the world and our views of humankind.

Linz is Europe’s 2009 Capital of Culture. As a major contribution to our city’s big year, the festival’s first project is already being launched on June 17, the day the 80+1 Base Camp is being set up on Linz’s Main Square as the point of departure of a virtual ‘round-the-world journey that, following completion of its 81-day itinerary, returns to Linz just in time for the festival. There, 80+1 will culminate in a globally-networked symposium on cloud intelligence.

2009 also brings us to a joyous milestone: Ars Electronica’s 30th anniversary! As befitting this occasion, an intense retrospective look at the dynamic development of media art will be a key component of the festival program.

Led, curated and produced by artists and scientists—and inspired by their work—the festival’s jam-packed lineup of fascinating events constitutes, as ever, an expedition into hybrid reality and the future of our world.

So, just what is this going to be like, this new nature that human beings are going about engendering?

www.aec.at/humannature
www.80plus1.org

One more article about Interactivos? in Lima

2009-05-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/04/29/navegante/1240992785.html

TECNOLOGÍA | Nuevos proyectos
La tecnología se une al arte en la exposición Interactivos? Lima´09
Pantalla del sitio web Interactivos? LimaŽ09
Efe| elmundo.es | Madrid
Actualizado miércoles 29/04/2009 10:43 horas
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El arte y la tecnología son los protagonistas de las obras que componen la exposición 'Interactivos?, Lima'09', que se inagura hoy en la capital peruana con la participación de proyectos procedentes de distintas partes del mundo.

Estas 'instalaciones interactivas' son el resultado de un 'taller de producción colaborativa' que, bajo la tutela de Medialab-Prado (programa del Ayuntamiento de Madrid orientado a la producción, investigación y difusión del ámbito de confluencia entre arte, ciencia, tecnología ) ha reunido durante dos semanas en Lima a personas de países como Argentina, México, España, Estados Unidos, Austria, Chile, Brasil o Colombia.

"Se trata de un entorno de trabajo donde se busca juntar a gentes con conocimientos diferentes para producir proyectos", explicó Laura Fernández, la representante de 'Medialab-Prado' en el taller.

Cóctel de arte y tecnología

Con 'Interactivos? Lima'09: Magia y tecnología' se celebra ya la sexta edición de esta plataforma y es la continuación de la celebrada con el mismo título durante 2007 en Madrid, y anteriormente en ciudades como Nueva York o México DF. La oportunidad le ha llegado en esta ocasión a Lima gracias a 'Escuelalab', un espacio permanente creado en el centro histórico de la capital peruana con el objetivo de desarrollar proyectos que aúnen arte y tecnología.

El taller propone inspirarse en las estrategias de la magia para, utilizando recursos tecnológicos antiguos y nuevos, construir de manera colectiva piezas de 'software' e instalaciones interactivas que planteen una revisión del escenario habitual de sus números, a través de la exploración de los significados del concepto de magia en el contexto local de Perú.

Organizado gracias también al apoyo de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, en el taller se juntaron desde artistas visuales a diseñadores industriales, pasando por magos, músicos e ingenieros, lo que dio como resultado ocho proyectos creados en colaboración tras una serie de sesiones dirigidas por los españoles Clara Boj y Diego Díaz, Julian Oliver y el peruano Kiko Mayorga.

Proyectos internacionales y en colaboración

"Tiempo maleable", por ejemplo, es una instalación que juega con la percepción del espectador para permitirle controlar el flujo de una gota usando solo el poder de las manos, y parte de una idea original del argentino Francisco Castro, desarrollada en el taller con la colaboración de gentes de otras nacionalidades.

La experiencia del español Carles Gutiérrez es similar, ya que presentó su proyecto tras desarrollarlo durante algunos meses para, después de ser seleccionado y viajar al taller de Lima, volver a cambiarlo con la colaboración de sus compañeros.

"La obra ha ido creciendo entre todos y ha tomado su cauce final aquí", aseguró Gutiérrez. Su obra final es una caja con una apertura por la que el asistente puede introducir su mano, convirtiéndose entonces en la pata de un animal, como puede comprobarse a través de un visor.

Una gota que parece detenerse a un gesto de la mano, sombras que se liberan de los objetos que las producen para viajar por una pared o fotografías que desaparecen para siempre tras convertirse en arco iris, son solo algunas de las ilusiones que los limeños podrán experimentar hasta el próximo 13 de mayo.

Article about Interactivos? in Lima

2009-05-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.pressperu.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2488&Itemid=65

INTERACTIVOS? LIMA'09: MAGIA Y TECNOLOGÍA
lunes, 27 de abril de 2009
Visitas : 282
Publicado el : ESPECTACULOS, EVENTOS
Lima, (PRESSPERU).- La magia y el ilusionismo siempre han ido de la mano con la tecnología. Desde la mecánica, los engranajes y los juegos ópticos y de espejos, pasando por la incorporación de la electricidad y la imagen cinematográfica, hasta llegar en la actualidad a las más avanzadas tecnologías como la realidad aumentada, reality hacking, objetos reactivos, entornos inmersivos, etc.

A partir de ello, Medialab-Prado en España y el Centro Cultural de España en Lima, inauguran la exposición Interactivos?'09: Magia y tecnología. El resultado de una serie de sesiones dirigidas por los españoles Clara Boj y Diego Díaz, Julian Oliver (Nueva Zelanda/España) y el peruano Kiko Mayorga, donde se desarrollaron ochos piezas de software e instalaciones interactivas que planteen una revisión del escenario habitual de los números de magia.

Una alucinante serie de instalaciones que podrá ser vista a partir del martes 28 de abril en la Galería [e]star (Jr. de la Unión 1044, Centro de Lima). En el horario de lunes a sábado de 12.m. a 8:00 p.m. y domingos de 11 a.m. a 4 p.m. Hasta el 13 de mayo.

DE LA VARITA AL SOFTWARE
Con un programa de actividades de reflexión y producción, Interactivos?09 Magia y tecnología, propone inspirarse en las estrategias de la magia utilizando recursos tecnológicos antiguos y nuevos, para ello se seleccionarán ocho proyectos para el desarrollo posterior de piezas de software e instalaciones interactivas que planteen una revisión del escenario habitual de los números de magia, marcados por una marcada separación entre el mago y los espectadores.

Es así que Katya Álvarez de México nos presenta “La fuerza en tus manos”, un artefacto musical que registra el movimiento de las manos en el aire, es así que el participante sentirá que está moviendo objetos sin necesidad de tocar nada. En “abracadabra pata” de Carles Gutiérrez (España) el participante verá cómo su brazo se transforma en una pata virtual al introducirlo en una caja mágica; es así que los movimientos, imágenes y sonidos que se hagan corresponderán con las pezuñas y con la pata de animales o insectos.

Julián Pérez y Julio Lucio de España son los responsables de “Mesa Juliana”, una maleta/mesa que se convierte en una mesa ideal para hacer magia e implementar nuevos juegos que permitan interactuar también con las proyecciones en una pantalla. “Rainbows de Kyd Campbell” (Canadá - Alemania) se propone recopilar y transformar imágenes digitales, para luego transformarlas en un fenómeno natural: un arco iris por ejemplo; Rainbows es una acción práctica para metamorfosear nuestra basura digital.

En “Frame Seductions Summary” de Pierre Proske (Australia - Austria) vemos una pantalla que proyecta la imagen de una escena de la vida cotidiana. A medida que el visitante se mueve de izquierda a derecha, el fotograma se moverá siguiendo el recorrido de su mirada, incluso más allá de los límites del propio marco, revelando así nuevas escenas "ocultas". Ricardo Nascimento (Brasil - Austria) nos presenta “Mestre de Sombras”, donde el usuario podrá manipular la apariencia de las sombras gracias a una varita mágica, modificando la forma, tamaño, color, y hasta produciendo en ellas efectos de distorsión.

“Tiempo Maleable” de José Castro (Argentina) es un proyecto que explora la percepción del paso del tiempo: El espectador, extendiendo su mano hacia una fuente, modificará ilusoriamente el comportamiento de las gotas, que avanzarán o retrocederán a distintas velocidades o se detendrán en el aire; lo que permite explorar la percepción del paso del tiempo.

Finalmente tenemos a Andrea Sosa y Rolando Sánchez (Argentina- Perú) quienes nos presentan “MASA”, obra inspirada en el poema “Masa”, del poeta peruano César Vallejo, en donde múltiples usuarios, al sincronizar sus ritmos cardíacos, podrán revivir a un hombre que yace “muerto” en el centro del recinto. Así, mediante el esfuerzo colectivo y la sincronía de voluntades se produce un instante mágico: la vuelta a la vida.

“Medialab-Prado”, es un programa del área de Las Artes del Ayuntamiento de Madrid orientado a la producción, investigación y difusión de la cultura digital y del ámbito de confluencia entre arte, ciencia, tecnología y sociedad. Los responsables de esta iniciativa son Laura Fernández y Marcos García quienes se encuentran en lima asesorando a los participantes junto a los profesores del taller.

Con INTERACTIVOS? LIMA'09: Magia y tecnología se celebra la sexta edición de esta plataforma que ha realizado talleres en Madrid, Nueva York y México DF.

Wearables @ ITP

2009-05-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

AUTRMX @ transferatv

2009-05-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

In spite of the crisis, of the lack of sponsors and other well known obstacles, we want to communicate you that Transfera TV have not left to emit weekly the better current video art creations.

Transfer TV is audio-visual art, not spectacle or industry.

By this reason, Transfera TV propose you for next Friday 8 and Wednesday 13 of May at 21:00 the following program:

FOCFEST RETROSPECTIVE with works of

1. NEIL HOWE (AUSTRALIA) – “GENESIS” (2006: 10' 34)
2. JOSSIE MALIS (PERU) – "BENDITO MACHINE I" (2006: 4' 45)
3. RICARDO NASCIMENTO (BRAZIL) “AUTRMX” (2008: 5' 24)
4. EMRE ÖZKAPI & ASLI BÜYÜKKÖKSAL (TURKEY) “UZUM INCE BIR YOL / A LONG AND THIN ROAD” (2006: 6’)
5. JEAN-JULIAN POUS (FRANCE) “SEEKING YOU: A LOVE LETTER TO HONG KONG” (2008: 3' 14)

You can access to all the information at : http://www.transfera.es/programa33.html

"Smart Textiles Salon"

2009-05-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

we would like to focus your attention to the workshop called "Smart Textiles Salon" which is organized within the 80th anniversary of the Department of Textiles at Ghent University, Belgium (www.textileconferences.be).

This event will take place in Gent on September 25th, 2009. Further information can be found in the attached “Call for Prototypes” and under www.smarttextilessalon.com.

We are currently searching for prototypes!

We would appreciate your support by submitting an abstract of about 200 words not later than May 15th, 2009 to make this workshop a successful event.

Interactivos? lima 2009: magic and technology

2009-05-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

I was not blogging this time because I spent 2 weeks in Lima (Peru) at the interactivos? workshop.

It was the best experience ever! Amazing people, amazing place.

I developed the work called: "mestre das sombras"

You can see this piece and 7 more at Galeria [e]Star that is at Calle Jiron de la Union 1044 piso 3 Centro de Lima (Peru) from 28 April until 13 May.

THe Flying Grass Carpet

2009-04-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Flying Grass Carpet is a mobile park that travels the world. Last year the Flying Grass Carpet started its journey in Amsterdam, went to Aachen and lay in full size in Rotterdam. This year the flight continues.

And we would like you to participate in our adventure.

Everyone with a great idea for a game or gadget that can be played on or is inspired by the Flying Grass Carpet is invited to enter our competition. The winning designs will travel with us. The Flying Grass Carpet is going to exciting cities and art/design festivals all over the world.

Send an A3 in pdf with your idea or design before the 30th of April to info@flyinggasscarpet.org and maybe your design will be played with by thousands of people around the world.

Next destination of the Flying Grass Carpet is the international designfestival DMY Berlin 3-7 June 2009.

Chalayan X Trouvé

2009-04-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

In my research about wearable art I found a nice example of what was done around the second half of 1800 by a “designer” called Monsieur Trouvé.

He did a battery-powered ‘flash jewellery’, in the form of kinetic or illuminated hatpins, brooches and diadems, became a fashion fad in France and England during the late 1870s and 1880s. The journals La Nature and Scientific American documented the designs of Monsieur Trouvé in Paris, labeled Electric Jewels, to be worn in the costumes of dancers and stage performers. They were powered by 2-4 volt hidden batteries and operated by a switch carried in a pocket. Glass gemstones placed over tiny bulbs accented the sparkling electric magic so that, as Electric World commented, à dashing demi-mondaine can thus make a pennyworth of glass eclipse a duchess’s diamonds or rubies.

This is Monsieur Trouvé (1880)

This is Husein Chalayan (2006)

Recently I was astonish by the always-great Husein Chalayan. He did a dress using moving laser points. Much like Trouvé did 2 centuries before. However still impressing. You can see the dress clicking here. Yes… nothing is new…