Bioelectronics for artists @ CEMA

Abstract

The workshop is an experimental make-workshop with multilayered outcome for people interested in sound, DIY-biology, microscopy and simple technological interaction with living microorganisms. Participants will become involved in hacking webcams to be used for live-video microscopy, finding microorganisms from the urban environment, and then develop open hardware and software tools with which these organisms can be both viewed and become the subjects for simple interactions.

more info a about DIY_microscopy

Call for participation

The workshop "Bioelectronics for Artists @ CEMA, Bangalore" is open to the public to join. Feel free to contact us at yashas(AT)cema(DOT)in for more information. Artists are welcome to join in only partially if their schedules doesnt allow the whole 5 days.

Workshop mentors

Yashas Shetty | CEMA, /DFG India

Yashas Shetty is an artist and composer based in Bangalore, India. He is currently an artist in residence at the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bangalore and faculty at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. He helped found the Center for Experimental Media Arts at Srishti and has previously taught at design schools across India, His works look at the relationship between language,ecology and technology.

Marc Dusseiller | dusjagr labs, SGMK, Switzerland

Dr. Marc R. Dusseiller is a transdisciplinary scholar, lecturer for Micro- and Nanotechnology and artist. He works in an integral way to combine science, art and education. He performs DIY-workshops in lo-fi electronics, music and robotics, has made various short movies and is currently developing means to perform biological science (mammalian cell culture, microfluidics, live-microscopy) in a DIY fashion in your kitchen or your atelier. He is also co-organizing dock18, Room for Mediacultures, and various other engagments like the diy* festival as the president of the Swiss Mechatronic Art Society, SGMK.

Participants

Joanne Hoffmann

Kannan Mehta

Avinash

Navin

Victor Vina

kinshuk surjan

Shikhar Srivastava

Nitya Kumar

Sandeep Mathew

...

Presentations

File:Hackteria CEMA introduction.pdf

Schedule

Friday, 24th July till Wednesday 29th July, 2009

Day 1 | Friday

  • welcome/introduction and overview
  • inputs from participants
  • how big are the things we want to work with? first views of the microcosmos 
  • microscopy overview
  • webcam hacking

Day 2 | Saturday

  • intro to bioelectronix
  • webcam hacking, cont.
  • build a microscope
  • puredata for microscopy 

Day 3 | Monday

  • improve the microscope / leds, motors and sensors
  • design and build the bioelectronix device
  • Bio­Arduino / control your bioelectronix device
  • observation and bio­hacking 

Day 4 | Tuesday

  • intro to bio­sensors
  • bio2sound interfaces
  • sound2bio communication
  • brainstorm about concepts for installations/performances
  • urban walk and field research

Day 5 | Wednesday

  • finish microscopes
  • investigate urban samples
  • open discussions
  • prepare installations/performances

Software

pd patch for linux inculding arduino controls (v4l, v4l2, pdp, simple message system)

Discussions

So we get these nice videos and images... and now what?

Discussion on Day 4:

Super Bio Mario Land

creating a computer game with a bio-generated landscape and moving organisms. a digital character will have to dodge and jump around the stuff

micro jam session

musical jamming with microorganisms. use the lifeforms to generate musical patterns and the human musican jams to it using normal instruments

bio-music videos / wormdancing

add music to various videos to tell stories...

microtorture chambers

no comment

universe to microverse

alien landscapes and local microenvironments

hackteria walk through Yelahanka neighbourhood

<i>water used to wash utensils at chai kadai