16th June 2PM. Electric Art Lab with Jeff Mann

Our ancestors believed that ordinary objects could contain energies,
spirits, intelligence, and the spark of life. Today, tens of billions
of tiny electronic processors permeate our reality, embedded in
phones, watches, appliances, toys, cars, factory equipment, and our
entire technological infrastructure. In this lab/workshop, we'll look
at the microcontroller - the basic element of this distributed network
of intelligent objects. These "computers on a chip" are small,
inexpensive, simple, and unlike their desktop/laptop cousins, are
designed for interaction with the physical world. How can creative
individuals use microcontrollers to produce evocative, compelling
objects and experiences that go beyond typical mass-produced consumer
products?

We'll look at examples and discuss how artists have incorporated
embedded processors into sculpture, installation, and
performance. We'll compare various microcontroller platforms and,
using the open-source Arduino board, we'll experiment with building
activated objects that include sensors, processing, and
movement. We'll also look at using the microcontroller as a physical
interface for audio/video environments like Pure Data, and for remote
interaction over the Internet.

The workshop is designed for people of all levels of experience. No
equipment is required, but it's recommended to bring as many of the
following things as possible:

- Materials to modify, hack, and build objects with. Household items,
battery-operated toys, plastic, wood, metal, anything you find
interesting. Before the workshop, try to imagine two or three simple
ideas you might try to make.

- Laptop with Arduino and Pd software installed.

- Toolbox with cutters, glue gun, screwdrivers, as well as soldering
irons, multimeter, etc.

- Microcontrollers - a limited number of Arduino boards will be shared
between the participants. You can also purchase your own before the
workshop for 27 euros in Berlin at: http://www.segor.de/

- Sensors and Actuators - pushbuttons, photocells, rangefinders,
accelerometers; DC, R/C servo, and stepper motors.

- Electronics parts and supplies - a selection of wire, connectors,
resistors, capacitors, transistors, chips, and so on.

More details about tools and materials can be found at:
http://jeffmann.com/resources.html

About the instructor:

Jeff Mann creates electric art with computers, electronics, kinetics,
and telecommunications media. His work explores the nature of
technological life and its cultural representation; it draws out
tensions between notions of utopian industrialism, personal theatre,
and the evocative enigma of electronic equipment.

Course fee: 15 euros

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