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Yeastograms: Art and Science Imagery

Yeastograms: Art and Science Imagery

Posted on by Kbaumlier

In recent years art and science have continued to merge, with more imagery and art made with science  and art processes. This year, artist Lucas Czizek created a “printing process” using yeast, where Yeastograms are live images created out of yeast cells, and produced in a process similar to classic photography printing methods.   The images are created with UV radiation.  Areas that are not touched by the UV radiation are able to grow the white yeast His piece ANIMA was developed as part of bioart club pavilion_35, a close interdisciplinary collaborative series of projects between artists and scientists based out of Vienna, Austria.

This month, Czizek is giving a 3 day bioart workshop, where he will share the method of cultivating baker’s yeast, and then shaping the cultivation according to aesthetic and artistic decisions.  The workshop is being offered by the bioart club pavilion_35 and Pixelache.  For more information, you can read more and sign up on the Pixelache website.

You can see a vimeo video of ANIMA, Czizek’s piece in action, which gives a great overview of the yeastogram process.

 

Imags and Links:

www.pixelache.ac- Yeastogram Workshop

ANIMA – Yeastogram Video 

pavillon35.polycinease.com

Herbarium Taste: Informational Food Design

Herbarium Taste: Informational Food Design

Posted on by Kbaumlier

What does the inside of an artichoke look like?  What nutrients does it have, and what is the best way to cook it? Valentina Raffaelli created a project to present answers to questions like these, in his design project called Herbarium Taste.

In the posters that he created, you see technical drawings of a food combined with information that provides information about the health benefits and “technical info that you can taste.”

On the artichoke poster, called Carciofo the text reads,

“Artichoke contains bitter principles as cynarin and sesquiterpene-lactones. These compounds inhibit cholesterol synthesis and have overall cholesterol reduction in the blood.  Fresh artichoke is an excellent source of vitamin folic acid. Scientific studies have proven that adequate levels of folates in the diet during early pregnancy, help prevent neural tube defects in the newborn baby.

It is one of the vegetable sources for vitamin K that has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain.  It is also rich in B-complex group of vitamins that are essential for optimum cellular metabolic functions.
Further, artichoke is rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper and iron are required in the production of red blood cells.”

The project was combined with a series of pop-up events where visitors could read the poster and also smell, taste, and eat the featured food.   On Raffaelli’s website, an update has been posted that the project will be made into a book, published by Corraini.

 

Image Sources and Links:

 http://herbariumtaste.com/

Valentina Raffaelli – website

 

The Food Pyramid Storage – Shelf System

The Food Pyramid Storage – Shelf System

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Most of us store our fruits and vegetables in our refrigerator.  But is the optimal temperature for each of them? The design team FridayProject of Luca Boscardin and Valentina Raffaelli created a bookshelf that is a food storage system called the Food Pyramid, which gives structure and storage to food.

The storage system is based on the food pyramid.  Storage spaces are designed to give more space to the things that we are to eat more, and less to the foods that we are told to eat less of.  The piece is made out of painted steel, and has wooden drawers for bread pasta and cereals; dark drawers for the potatoes and onions; a terracotta box for vegetables; and shelves with space for eggs, herbs, and spices.

You can see more pictures of the shelf system in action on FridayProject’s website.

Images and Links:

www.fridayproject.it

Food Pyramid Information

The Cuddly – A Large Teddy Bear Out in Public

The Cuddly – A Large Teddy Bear Out in Public

Posted on by Kbaumlier

In Warsaw Poland, there is a large number of historic public monuments that recognize past events of the last century.  Some of the monuments recognize wartime experiences, while others bring up social and political issues.

Artist Iza Rtukowska of the Forms and Shapes Foundation decided to create a sculpture that could be placed near Polish monuments, in order to “denunk them” and encourage interaction and dialogue.  Her work The Cuddly is a giant teddy bear that has been placed near monuments and other public places, and invites others to interact and play in its presence.

The huge teddy bear is made of fabric and foam, and has been placed in various locations in Poland, and is scheduled to be placed in other locations.  You can see Video of the making of the piece, and read more about the project on The The Forms and Shapes Foundation Website.

Links:

The Forms and Shapes Foundation

Video of the making of The Cuddly

 

Massively Multi-Player Thumb Wrestling Makes You Feel Good

Massively Multi-Player Thumb Wrestling Makes You Feel Good

Posted on by Kbaumlier

I recently saw a new TED talk by Jane McGonigal where she had the audience play her favorite game – Massively Multiplayer tThumb-Wrestling. In the opening of her talk, she promises the audience that if they play this game for one minute, they will experience 10 positive emotions that include creativiety, contentment, joy, relief, love, surpise, and excitement.

The game is an expansion of thumb wrestling.  The principle of thumb-wrestling is simple. Two players take each others right hand and entangle their fingers – except the thumbs – forming a fist. The players then try to catch and freeze the opponent’s thumb.

To play the game Massivley-Player style, players form a group and play with 3 or four people.  You also can play two games at once, being part of a group with your left hand, and other group with your write.  As the number of players is unlimited, global thumb-wrestling may emerge through self-sustaining peer-to-peer networks and ad-hoc socializing.

In her talk, you watch as she asks each member of the audience to play, and they stand up and connect in to multi-player thumb circles, forming a large connected formation, where the whole audience playing the gmae.

In her talk, McGonigal talked about games and challenges “When we play a game, we tackle tough challenges with more creativity, more determination, more optimism, and we’re more likely to reach out to others for help.”

McGongigal has been doing research about games and emotions, and this talk supports her interest in interactions that create oxytotin in our brain, which makes us feel happy and also connected to others. In her talk she talked about emotions and said, “If you can manage to experience three positive emotions for every one negative emotion … you dramatically improve your health and your ability to successfully tackle any problem you’re facing.”

The Massively Multiplayer Thumb-Wrestling game was introduced in 2004 by the group monochrom which is based in Austria.

To experience the game, go find 3 friends and ask them to play or check out the video on TED.com.

 

Images and Links:

Jane Mcgonigal – TED Talk 

monochrom.at- Massively Multiplayer Thumb-Wrestling