Kbaumlier

Author: Kbaumlier

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

Thirsty? Need a drink from the “bubbler?”

Posted on June 17, 2012June 27, 2012 by Kbaumlier

When I was growing up, bottled water was not sold yet. In fact – my mom used to make our water bottles out of empty maple syrup containers. There are pictures of us at baseball games drinking out of our syrup bottles.

The main place that we used to drink from at school and on the road was at the “bubbler.” If this means something to you – you probably originate from Wisconsin or a few other states where drinking fountains are sometimes called “bubblers.”

The term bubbler comes from a Bubbler, a trademarked name for a drinking fountain product invented in 1888 by the Kohler Company, which is based in Kohler, Wisconsin. The original Bubbler shot water one inch straight into the air, creating the bubbling phenomenon that gave the product its name.

Later, this was redesigned to cause the water to arc, which made drinking from it easier. The Bubbler name was trademarked, so other companies made drinking fountains that had names like the “Gurgler” and the “Gusher.”

The name bubbler is reported to still be used in most of Wisconsin, Portland, OR where 20 Bubbler fountains were installed in the late 1800s, Rhode Island, in a couple of cities in Massachusetts, and in Australia.

I recently have been filling up my water bottle with tap water, since the water in my town is tested and has healthy results. I will refill at work and head over to the bubbler to fill it up – but since I am in in Ohio now, I have to say drinkinfgfountain if I say it out loud or people look at me funny.

Image Source:
www.offbeatoregon.com

Trueque Digital: Sharing Files in a Personal (and In-Person) Way

Posted on June 13, 2012June 13, 2012 by Kbaumlier

At Camp Pixelache, an event I attended last month in Helsinki, Finland, I met Luis F. Medina who is a new media professor/researcher and cultural producer and one of the founders of the project Trueque Digital (TD).

Trueque Digital started in 2009 was founded by Medina, Fundacion Casa del Bosque, and Pio in the City of Bogotá, Colombia and it explores how sharing files and networking could work in a more personal way. TD is a traveling project where people gather to share digital content under open licenses and public domain. Each person participating brings a storage device to share information which is hooked up to the computer network for downloading files, and also a wireless network can be used.

While sharing this information (which might include video, music, books, etc.), there are often events and lectures about technology and our culture which might include topics such as open exchange models, p2p networks, net neutrality, culture free issues, hacktivism, and others. The project explores how one individual can give another person files as a digital bartering system.

The project came out of a few friends hanging out and talking, and they wanted to exchange files. The question, “How can we humanize this experience?” came up, and this idea inspired the project Trueque Digital.

At a Trueque Digital event, a “Trueque” is setup as a public access space such as at a museum, university, and cultural centers. Storage items are linked in order to digitally barter legally in the real world. Right now the group is often invited to setup a Truequ in person, but they are currentley re-engineering the project to have how-to directions so that it is easier for others to setup a Trueque without the groups’ participation.

The project has several aspects to it. One aspect is setting up a bartering zone” in which open source software and free culture are promoted. It also explores hardware recycling. Many old computers and a small land network are used to share files. At some events there is a real world of bartering involved, with an exchange of physical objects such as a book exchange occurring in parks.

In his presentation, Medina said that, “With the exchange of digital files there are always copyright issues. Usually we are fighting for the right to upload – what about the right to upload? “

In his presentation, Medina talked about how the project explores hacker ethics. It also challenged him and the rest of the founders of the project to acquire new skills through the process of having to problem solve and learn new things to make the project work.

Recent activities of the project include a Digital Barter event in Bogota, Colombia on May 5^th in coordination with the Eighth Festival of Latin American Free Software Installation. The event was organized by the communities of free software and free culture of Bogotá and was supported by organizations, companies, university groups and other public institutions who are engaged in the promotion of free software and culture. Trueque Digital was there setting up a Trueque and generating fie exchange. If you are interested in setting up a Trueque in the future, check out their website, directions to set up a Trueque will be added to the site soon.

Image Source:
www.flickr.com/photos/truequedigital

Links:

www.truequedigital.phunik.com/

www.flickr.com/photos/truequedigital

MaKey MaKey: An Invention Kit for Everyone

Posted on June 12, 2012June 15, 2012 by Kbaumlier

I’ve been keeping my eye out for interesting projects on Kickstarter recently. I am going to be starting a campaign for my new project Food Font next month on Kickstarter – so I have been watching the sites for interesting projects, and watching successful projects.

One great project that I backed this month is called MaKey Makey, which is a project which the makers call, “ an invention kit for everyone.” With the MaKey MaKey electronic device you can turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It is meant to be an invention kit for beginners and experts doing art, engineering, and anything in between:

To use the device you load up a computer program, webpage, or game. You hook up the MaKey MaKey to something like a banana or playdough – and the banana or playdough becomes the mouse or joystick.

An example of how it can work that they describe on the website is, “Let’s say you load up a piano program. Then, instead of using the computer keyboard buttons to play the piano, you can hook up the MaKey MaKey to something fun, like bananas, and the bananas become your piano keys.”

You can play Pacman or type an email with your finger, pencil, or a custom alphabet soup keyboard.

MaKey MaKey works by clipping alligator clips to other objects, and the signal is sent back to the device and to the computer. The creators behind the project have done some workshops with the device at a conference with some grad students and other groups. Someone made a beachball into a controller. Someone else used playdough to make a unique keyboard.

MaKey MaKey works with any laptop or computer with a USB port and a recent operating system. The project is meant to support the Make Movement – to get others to think of themselves as makers or inventors, and to change the world.

The money that they have raised on Kickstarter will be used to help fund doing a large run of making the devices. The great thing about their Kickstarter campaign is that if you donate $35 – you get a MaKey MaKey device.

The devices will be made at Sparkfun., which is a unique partner. Sparkfun makes safe, environmentally responsible (RoHS compliant) circuit boards. They are located in the USA (in Boulder, CO), and they treat their employees well. Workers are paid a generous wage with benefits, can bring their dogs to work, listen to music while they work, etc. It The creators of MaKey Makey write, “ That may sound like it should be “normal”, but in the world of circuit production it is very rare and there are lots of sad working conditions elsewhere. Also, Sparkfun is the world’s largest manufacturer of Open Source Hardware, which is critical to MaKey MaKey, an all Open Source Hardware project.”

The Kickstarter campaign closes on June 12 – but you will still be able to order the device afterwards on the MaKey MaKey website. I can’t wait until mine comes. I will be posting with a playdough keyboard and banana mouse.

Image Source:
www.makeymakey.com

Links:

http://www.makeymakey.com/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joylabs/makey-makey-an-invention-kit-for-everyone

Today is International Yarn Bombing Day

Posted on June 11, 2012June 11, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Today you might just see some knitted “monster feet” on a picnic table, a crocheted turtleneck on a tree, or a knitted picnic set in the park. Yes – today is International Yarn Bombing Day, which started last year.

Also called knit graffiti, yarn bombing started over 20 years ago, when artists and groups wanted to give a softer side to urban environments – and created public works using yarn and other soft fiber materials. Maternal expressions such as knitting, or wrapping up something have been used to transform the cold, concrete, and metal elements in our landscapes. Hydrants, lampposts, mailboxes, bicycles, cars, and even buses and bridges have all been yarn bombed in recent years. In 2009, the book, “Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti” was published, and yarn bombing has gone global, with the first International Yarn Bombing Day held on June 11 of last year.

The group behind International Yarn Bombing Day was started by a knitter “knitting ninja” Joann Matvichuk who lives in in Lethbridge Alberta Canada. Matvichuk was looking for a way to bring awareness of yarnbombing to her community and the world, so started to communicate with other fiber artists to create a day to yarnbomb and share images of what is done this day.

Yarn bombing is often considered littering or vandalism. Pieces are often installed at night, and sometimes are removed by city officials. Some groups, like a group in Carrboro, NC who put up some yarn pieces in a public area earlier this year will get permission from the city before making the pieces, and also follow guidelines such as making the pieces less than 8 feet tall, and on approved public spaces only.

The Facebook page for the event says, “Fiber artists of the world uniting on one day to bring color and beauty to our urban landscape.” There is a flickr page associated with the day, so check back later to see what gets posted. Also – watch closely for yarn to appear in your neighborhood today on June 11^th, and if you are a knitter or crocheter – get your yarn out!

Image Source:
International Yarn Bombing Day – Facebook page

Links:

International Yarn Bombing Day – Flickr page

International Yarn Bombing Day – Facebook page

Winning Designs of the Where Do You Give? Design Contest at 92YTribeca June 20th

Posted on June 10, 2012July 10, 2012 by Kbaumlier

This Spring the Where Do You Give? National Design Competition asked designers and to translate the Jewish tradition of giving to others, tzedakah‘s meaning into a compelling and contemporary design. The design contest explored ways that in current times people can give to others and how the values behind our giving can inspire us to expand our universe of obligation around where and how we give.

The contest had 3 categories which included Interactive/ Web, “Out-of-the-Box’” and Tzedakah box category. All of the winning entries show creative ways that philanthropy can work in our increasingly interconnected, global, and technologically accelerated world. The winning designs, including my Hand + Heart Game design that was a winter in the Interactive/ Web category will be in a show that will travel across the United States this year.

Next week – on June 20^th at 92YTribeca the show will be exhibited. There also is a panel discussion and event about the current and future state of giving which includes Rebecca Stone of the American Jewish World (AJWS), Karen Pittelman, author of Resource Generation’s Classified: How to Stop Hiding Your Privilege and Use it for Social Change, Ryan Clifford, a judge of the contest and Faculty Director of the MICA Design Coalition. Sasha Feldstein, who works in the department of education and community engagement of AJWS is the facilitator for the event.

If you are in New York next week – get a ticket for the event, and stop by to see the exhibition at 92YTribeca. It might get you thinking about how you give to others.

Links:

Tickets for the June 20th Event at 92YTribeca