ENERGY: Three Art-Science Workshops

*THIS WORKSHOP IS POSTPONED UNTIL LATER IN 2012.*

Organised by Baltan Laboratories and Holst Centre, with support from High Tech Campus Eindhoven and in collaboration with the Renewable Network. Part of Dutch Technology Week, Eindhoven, NL.

Bartaku, TpED Worklab #8 – Oslo. http://bartaku.net/tped-worklabs

Are you a researcher, artist, student, designer or entrepreneur enthusiastic about exploring new cross-disciplinary perspectives in the field of alternative energy sources? Then this event is for you. By bringing together people with similar interests, but totally different backgrounds, mutual inspiration is the main ambition. Built on the experience of several internal workshops, Baltan Laboratories and Holst Centre now open up this format to the public, in collaboration with the Renewable Network and High Tech Campus Eindhoven. Sign up fast as seats are limited! We will select only the most enthusiastic candidates from all applications.

Participate in one of these workshops:

#1 On Bioenergy: Biotricity http://renewable.rixc.lv – a workshop on ‘bacteria-electricity’, which uses wastewater as an energy source. Led by Raitis Smits (RIXC, Riga, LT) and Arturs Gruduls (Faculty of Biology, Latvian University).

#2 On Renewable Energy: TpED-Worklab #9 http://bartaku.net/tped-worklabs – A co-creation worklab with research-based experimentations on the relation between light, food, body and electric energy. Led by Bartaku (BE).

#3 On Energy Harvesting: Neighbourhood Satellites Energy Harvests http://energyharvests.org/ examines the practical as well as theoretical possibilities of an alternative, decentralized supply of energy by asking: How can citizens use these surplus energy supplies? What would local micro-power-networks, where free energy can be collected, distributed and exchanged, look like? Led by Myriel Milicevic and Hanspeter Kadel (DE).

More detailed information about each workshop can be found below.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Date: Monday, 4 June 2012
9:30 – 16:00: Hands-on workshops (for max 10-12 participants per workshop).
16:30-18:00: Public presentation of the workshop results and closing network drink. Participation is free.
Location: High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Conference Centre

Space is limited to 10-12 participants per workshop, so sign up quickly. There is a participation fee of €25. Lunch, drinks and materials will be provided.

To sign up for the workshop, please submit your motivated request, including your first and second choice of workshop, to info[AT]baltanlaboratories.org by May 31.

This event is framed within the 1st Dutch Technology Week, offering a variety of high-tech activities from June 1-8 in Eindhoven. Check out www.dutchtechnologyweek.com for more events in the same period and get the maximum out of your trip.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

#1 Biotricity
Led by Raitis Smits (RIXC, Riga, Latvia) and Arturs Gruduls (Faculty of Biology, Latvian University).
http://renewable.rixc.lv

A workshop on ‘bacteria-electricity’, which uses wastewater as an energy source. The intent of the workshop is to experiment with ‘next-generation’ biotechnology (microbial fuel cells / MFC) in order to explore how it can be approached and interpreted through artistic perspectives and cultural innovation.

During the workshop, artist Raitis Smits and scientist Arturs Gruduls will introduce how to make a fuel cell that generates electricity from bacteria living in (dirty) water. They will also experiment with using different energy sources (soil, wastewater). Later on, using their own self-made ‘biotricity’ cells, workshop participants will be invited to ‘design’ and to builds themselves ‘bacteria-battery’ systems, as well as to develop ideas and experiment with this technology from an artistic perspective. Workshop leaders will also introduce scientific visions and artistic approaches related to the future of this emerging technology, encouraging participants to contribute to this discussion by sharing their ideas.

Technology: MFC technology is based on a bio-electrochemical system that converts chemical energy to electrical energy by using microorganisms – bacteria found in the commonly available resources such as, for instance, wastewater.

The workshop is open for everyone.
The workshop is a collaboration between artists from RIXC in Riga and scientists from the Institute of Solid State Physics and Faculty of Biology at the University of Latvia.

#2 TpED-Worklab #9
Led by Bartaku (BE)
http://bartaku.net/tped-worklabs

A co-creation worklab with research based experimentations on the relation between -light-, food-, body- and electric energy. Fusing cooking and solar technology and designs, As a participant you will use principles and tools from the realms of alchemistry, photovoltaics and cooking, exploring the power of berries, currants and other edibles to create ‘e-tapas’ of different aesthetics, smells, tastes and textures. The Digestopians you create are to be tested, tasted and documented on your heliotropic – light seeking – tongue.

Participants can bring their own pigment rich fruits/vegetables for experimentations. More details can be found at http://libarynth.org/luminous/phoef#temporary_photoelectric_digestopians

No specific knowledge is required. The TpED Worklabs are open for people from the age of 16 onwards. In case there is a specific food issue (allergy, for example) please let us know when you sign up for the workshop.

The TpED-Worklab #9 is part of a series, fused by PhoEf: The Undisclosed Poésis of the Photovoltaic Effect; an artistic research project by Bartaku (Brussels, BE).

Biography
Bartaku (BE) is an artist/researcher with special interest in tropes and hyper-wounded realities. Since 2007 he explores the relation between light, -plant, -body -and electrical energy. His public work consists of installations, interventions, co-creation labs, writings and talks. He is a member of transdiciplinary lab FoAM.

http://www.bartaku.net
http://libarynth.org/luminous/phoef/
http://fo.am

#3 Neighbourhood Satellites Energy Harvests
Led by Myriel Milicevic and Hanspeter Kadel (DE)
http://energyharvests.org/

In everyday city living, we are surrounded by waste products from our urban infrastructures – heat waste from air conditioners, light pollution emitted from shop windows, vibration caused by heavy traffic and the loud wails of sirens. But these structural leakages are, in essence, a multitude of free power outlets for anyone wishing to collect them, because light, noise, vibration and heat can all be turned back into usable energy.

Neighbourhood Satellites Energy Harvests examines the practical as well as theoretical possibilities of an alternative, decentralized supply of energy by asking: How can citizens use these surplus energy supplies? What would local micro-power-networks, where free energy can be collected, distributed and exchanged, look like?

In this workshop we will follow these questions and construct small portable harvesters for light pollution. All materials and tools will be available on site. No prior knowledge required.

Biographies
Myriel Milicevic is an artist, researcher and interaction designer based in Berlin. With her Neighbourhood Satellites she explores the hidden connections between people and their natural, social, and technical environments. These explorations are mostly of a participatory nature, emerging from collaborations with other artists and scientists, in the context of workshops, classrooms, exhibitions, residencies and out in the field.
www.neighbourhoodsatellites.com

Hanspeter works as a designer in Berlin. He mainly develops websites/applications/installations for clients like Adidas, Lodown Magazine & THEBAKERY. His background in engineering allows him to bring “objects” alive and he loves to share his knowledge as Ecoresearcher, for Fritzing or giving Arduino Workshops. Apart from that he’s crazy about music – watch out, you can spot him behind Berlin decks from time to time, playing tiki jazz, heavy metal and house all night long.

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