Kbaumlier

Author: Kbaumlier

Kristen Baumlier’s work spans the full spectrum of interdisciplinary media, including performance, interactive installation, video and audio works.

Upcycle It! – a Great Idea/Resource book for Upcycling Projects

Posted on June 26, 2012June 27, 2012 by Kbaumlier

When I attended the Camp Pixelache event in Helsinki, Finland in May I met members from the group Kulturlabor Trial&Error which is a Berlin based collective of designers, craftivists, thinkers, doers, artists and project managers. Members of the group use media, handicrafts and arts as tools to work with local communities and other groups to exchange knowledge and skills and to experiment. The projects explore creative activism, sustainability and the development of social networks, using principles of D.I.Y, Open Source Culture and non-formal education.

At Camp Pixelache, two members of Kulturlabor Trial&Error were there setup at a table. They had some of their books on display – which included Upcycle It! A book about upcycling, and has lots of project ideas of how to turn trash into useful and beautiful things. Upcyling is the practice process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

The Upcycle It!” project started in Berlin as a way to look more closely at what people actually throw away. What is the impact we have as citizens on the environmental situation? What are our habits and choices that we make about what to throw away? What are other ways to use our trash?

Members from Kulturlabor Trial&Error started to re-mix handicraft, existing knowledge and new techniques with upcycled materials. They created workshops about trash and sustainability in various locations in Berlin, Germany and Asturias, Spain. The ideas from the workshops were put into a book and videos. The workshops often focus on one material each time, and a brief history and overview of the material is discussed first. Then – the creative construction, design, and crafting begin. Want to make a light out of an old umbrella, a zippered container from two plastic lens caps, a bottle cap welcome mat? Upcycle It! is a great book with information, inspiration, and great project ideas.

The great thing about the book is that you are able to download and print the book online so you can get started doing upcycling projects. I am interested in starting a meetup/ group to hang out and do innovative, creative and imaginative upcycling projects. I am planning to propose using the upcyling book and workshop format. So if you live near me – I’ll see you near the trash container!

Image Source:
Upcycle It! – website
Upcyle It! Book Online – (Read, download, and Print for free)

Links:

Upcycle It! – website

Upcyle It! Book Online – (Read, download, and Print for free)

Kulturlabor Trial&Error

Games For Change – and Finding the Way

Posted on June 21, 2012June 21, 2012 by Kbaumlier

If you get my weekly newsletter, I apologize for the small number of posts in the newsletter that went out early this morning. Since I started tinySplash bigView, I have been committed to writing posts 4-5 times a week. The weekly newsletter email lists all the posts, and is a way for me to make sure that I have written enough for the week.

I just got back last night from the Games for Change Festival in New York City last night. At the 3 day conference I was busy attending presentaitons taking notes on my ipad, and participating in the discussions related to the conference on Twitter. I had intentions of writing two posts early today before the tinySplash bigView newsletter went out. Problem is that I thought that today was Wednesday, so I did not get this done before it got sent out. Anyway – I just posted 3 new posts, and everything is all caught up and the world is in balance. (and sorry for 2 email newsletters in one day if you are on the list.)

The Games for Change Festival was amazing, and I will be writing a number of future posts about what I learned, saw, and heard. The annual Games for Change Festival is the largest games gathering that focuses on games for social good. I went to some amazing talks, played some great games, and was able to attend some roundtables with funders and others interested in games for change.

Games for Change (G4C) facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as critical tools in humanitarian and educational efforts an aim to leverage entertainment and engagement for social good. This was the 9^th annual festival, and there were attendees from the digital games industry, gaming enthusiasts, educators, policymakers, activists, foundations and others. Near the main auditorium was a Game Arcade where the games nominated for awards could be played.

Last night was the award ceremony, and the Game of the Year award went to WAY, which is an online cultural bridge-builder game in which two players must communicate without words in order to overcome obstacles. The Way utilizes puppetry, and players can make hand signals and make gestures to communicate. As in real life, everyone sees the world differently, and the two players have unique views while playing the game. One interesting thing about the game is that if you quit – you abandon the other player, so feeling connected to someone that you do not even know occurs when you play the game.

I attended a interesting and thoughtful talk by Chris Bell, who was one of the designers of the game that I will be writing about later this week. The developer of the games is CoCo & Co, and you can download the alpha version from the game website. I just downloaded it, and will be trying it out this week before I write about Chris Bell’s talk.

Get ready for some posts on this site about games making social change. I am still thinking about the amazing opening keynote speech by Jane McGonigal which was called “The Game That Changed My Life” So get ready for most likely a week or two where we get our game on tinySplash bigView. The great thing also – is that you can watch all the talks and presentations from the Games For Change site, which is great since I missed a few and I can catch up this week.

One last note: make sure you play at least an hour of games today – it is proven now that it is good for your health.

Images:
www.gamesforchange.org

Links:

www.gamesforchange.org/festival2012/awards/

www.makeourway.com

www.gamesforchange.org

The Ultimate Utility Bike for Modern Living: Ziba x Signal Cycles

Posted on June 21, 2012June 21, 2012 by Kbaumlier

The Constructor’s Design Challenge, held in Portland, OR is a one-of-a-kind design/build competition, in which some of the country’s best custom bike craftsman and design teams work together to create the ultimate modern utility bike. The mission of the contest is to inspire and foster design innovation around a bike that recognizes the needs of modern living, to celebrate and champion the resurgence of American bike craft, and to show riders and enthusiasts that a well-crafted bike can be a tool integrating seamlessly into everyday life

The bikes are constructed by various teams and then are put through the “Oregon Manifest Field Test,” a road test that assesses the real function of each bike in real world environments including hills, byways and off-road sections. The Field Test requires riders to keep a fast pace that will stress their bikes to the limit, and demands a well-crafted, expertly assembled entry in order to complete the route in good time.

I attended a presentation in May by Ziba Design as part of the Cleveland Institute of Art Spring Design Dhow, and learned about the collaboration between Ziba and Signal cycles for the challenge. Ziba is a dynamic organization that works on projects that range from tactical product design to in-depth strategy. Signal Cycles, who is the team of Matt Cardinal and Nate Meschke who make bikes that are drawn, cut, brazed and finished in their North Portland, Oregon workshop. What happens when you put these two groups together? A bike with a sidecar, custom bags, and a lock that all fit well on a great looking well-crafted bike that would be great to use when doing errands around town.

The project took 6 months to do, and the final bike was called The Fremont. In the design, the focus was on how to get a regular person around town and take care of everyday tasks without a car.

The team made the frame of the bike a step-through frame, which is helpful when carrying cargo and wearing normal clothes. The unique belt drive design on the bike is a great choice, since chain grease and drive side maintenance can be annoyances to the everyday rider. The overall design is very classic and understated and will appeal to riders who do not want their bike to stand out. The cargo bags fold flat when they are not in use, are easy to install, and can be locked to the frame. Another great feature on the bike is that the lights are powered by a generator hub, so the lights do not need batteries or recharging.

I recently traded in my road bike for a more practical commuter, upright bike. My cargo baskets are not as cool as on the Fremont – but I am excited to have a bike that is more practical for everyday errands, and also is better for my shoulders that I injuired the last couple of years.

If you want to see other great inspirational commuter/ everyday bikes from the contest, check out the Constructor’s Design Challenge website, or Ziba’s article about working with Signal Cycles on their site.

Image Source:
www.ziba.com – article about the-fremont

Links:
www.ziba.com – article about the-fremont

oregonmanifest.com/

signalcycles.com

www.ziba.com

PhoEf – Edible and Sustainable Solar Cells…. In Your Mouth

Posted on June 19, 2012June 27, 2012 by Kbaumlier

When I was at the Camp Pixelache event in Helsinki, Finland in May I learned about a unique project involving energy and food. On the Pixelache website, it had an article that talked about a past workshop called Temporary photoElectric Digestopians WorkLab which was aco-creation worklab with research based experimentations

on the transformation of light energy into electric energy with food. For the workshop, the participants worked with edible materials to create ‘e-tapas’ of different aesthetics and tastes by creating edile solar cells. The aronia berry was used, which is a sustainable power source for both the body and electronic devices.

I did some research on the worksnhop and project, and learned that PhoEf is the work Bartaku who does projects that explore both the micro and macro realms of Photovoltaics, which is the conversion of light energy into electrical energy.

On the project page of his website, Bartaku writes that, “PhoEf emerges from a personal, transversal flight through the interconnected worlds behind and around photovoltaics; a technology based on A.E. Becquerel’s 1839 observation of the photovoltaic effect… PhoEf is an attempt to reach, inspire and connect researchers, developers and artists.” I also found an interesting five minute video of an interview with Bartaku, which helped me better understand the project and how it works.

Solar cells can be expensive, so Bartaku was interested in using simple technology to create cheaper and sustainable solar cells. For the experiments pigments from plants (which can be natural or synthetic), electrolites, and graphite or carbon are mixed together and squeezed between glass plates – making a solar cell.

Since you design the cell, which is a temporary photoelectric cell, you can choose the shape, color, and other design elements. In the workshops that he leads, people make a cell, put it on their tongue, and then turn towards a light. The result is an electric sensation of the tongue as the energy hits the cell and the tongue.

The goal of the workshops is to share the technology and idea with others who are not familiar with making energy and solar cells. Bartaku hopes that other artists might think more about energy sources in their work, and make solar cells to power installations, outdoor activites, and elements used in performances.

His goal is to eventually make a solar cell made of 100 percent edible ingredients using the principles from the realms of alchemistry, photovoltaics, and cooking.

There is a flickr site that has photos from one of the workshops, which features lots of pictures with people with strange color shapes in their mouths. I am very interested in this idea and project, and hope to be able to attend a workshop in the future. Informaiton about making a PhoEf is on Bartaku’s research site, so go head and see if you can get your solar on!

Image Source:
PhoEf Project – Images on flickr

Links:
Video with Bartaku talking about PhoEf Project on Cobra TV

PhoEf Research Page – libarynth.org

PhoEf Project – Images on flickr

Bjorn Qorn: Popcorn Popped by the Sun

Posted on June 18, 2012June 27, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Bjorn Qorn is a new popcorn snack that is cooked not in a popcorn maker, but by a 5 meter basin structure that is built into the ground. The team behind the project is Jamie O’Shea, Ezer Lichtenstein and Bjorn Quenemoen who have been developing the cooking structure called the Caloris Basin, which can concentrate sunlight in an effective way for cooking.

All solar cooking devices work with reflecting light, but the unique thing about the Caloris Basin is that instead of being a structure built above ground, the Caloris Basin is a crater-like shape that is dug in the ground. To construct it, a lage hole is dug. This is then lined with concrete and mortar, and then laminated with a reflective material. The result is a large half dome structure which will heat up a kettle that is suspended at the center.

The idea came from team members looking at a picture of a bomb crater, and thinking about how this natural structure could be used instead of having to idea build the structure. With the cooking structure, you get free energy that you can use to cook for 6 hours a day.

Quenemoen has always wanted to make a popcorn business, so the team’s first project is using the Caloris Basin to make popcorn. To make the popcorn, the popcorn is put into a bucket and suspended in the central focal point of the circular reflective structure. When it heats up – the kettle gets up to around 600 degrees which is perfect for popping popcorn.

Earlier this month, a batch of Bjorn Qorn was made for an event at the Eyebeam center in New York, and you can currently buy some of the popcorn at the Eyebeam bookstore.

Their new facility will be opening this month in the Hudson Valley in New York state. Check out their website or video, which gives an overview of the project and you can see the Caloris Basin at work popping corn.

Image Source:
www.bjornqorn.com/

Links:

Bjorn Qorn – Vimeo Video

calorisbasin.tumblr.com/