GMU:Speculative Atmospheres

Description:

How can we sharpen our perception and look at the seemingly familiar from a new perspective?

In the module "Speculative Atmospheres" we will explore the ever-changing states of our environment. We will operate by means of our own senses as well as with the filters, magnifying glasses and distorting mirrors of technical systems.

We will experiment with Arduino, Processing and various sensors to convert environmental phenomena into electrical voltages and numerical values. Through visualizations, sounds or kinetic objects, we will generate new sensory experiences from the collected data.

Our class will partly take place in the "Park an der Ilm“ in Weimar. Here we will take walks, train our perception, test ideas and develop prototypes. The park as a hybrid ecosystem will be our experimental laboratory, our speculative atmosphere.

The module will be a mix of technical, "creative" and theoretical components. The aim is to not only work together on our technological capabilities, but also to critically look at the topics/positions/ideas we are dealing with.

Topics:

Technology:

• Getting started with Arduino
• Connecting and reading different sensors
• Getting familiar with different output possibilities
• Basic visualizations with Processing
• Establishing a ping-pong connection between Arduino and Processing
• translating sensor data into movements, drawings, sounds…

Art & Thinking:

• Contemporary (media) art positions that relate to the subject matter
• Different ways to observe processes and dependencies in our surroundings
• Strategies in working with sensor technologies and input/output systems
• Feedback mechanisms, cybernetic circuits
• Relations between humans – technology – „nature“/environment
• Relations between the physical and the digital
• // DIY: make your own sensor
• // Anthroprocene - discourse

Literature:

• Make: Getting Started with Arduino, EAN 9781449363314
• Arduino Cookbook, O’REILLY, German/English, ISBN Print: 978-3-86899-353-0
• Das Sensor Buch, O’REILLY, ´German, ISBN 978-3-95561-902-2
• Make: Sensors, ISBN: 9781449368104
• Make: Getting Started with Processing, MIT Press, ISBN: 9781457187087
• Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers, ISBN: 9780262028288
• Arduino Tutorials 1: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
• Arduino Tutorials 2: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfYfK0tzHZTpNFrc_NDKfTA
• Processing Tutorials 1: https://processing.org/tutorials/
• Processing Tutorials 2: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvjgXvBlbQiydffZU7m1_aw

Material fee / personal equipment:

• there will be a material fee of max. 30€ for basic things like Arduinos, breadboards, wires, …
• Links to the equipment needed will be sent via e-mail.
• Our module will partly take place outside, bringing your own laptop is required.

Language:
→ The module will be held in English, unless all participants are speaking German.

Skill level:
→ No prior knowledge of electronics/programming is required.

Criteria for passing:

• document exercises on the wiki, present them for the rest of the class
• experiment, attend the classes and develop your own prototype relating to the topic

Application:

• The application deadline will be on April 6, 2021
• Please send an e-Mail with the subject „Application Speculative Atmospheres“ to XXX
• Your e-mail should contain the following info:

1. Full name and matriculation number
2. course of study, BA/MA
3. Your e-mail address
4. A small PDF containing previous works
5. Your motivation for joining the module

disclaimer:

The electronic components we are going to get our hands on in this class have often been produced in faraway countries. Their production processes, designed to be as inexpensive as possible, have a notable impact on our ecosystem. In this respect, it may seem contradictory to resort to such tools while exploring our environment as a "shared habitat“ in solidarity. Nevertheless, it is a very important part of our current learning process to get a better understanding of „how things work“, in order to explore new perspectives on our surroundings. Not only in the environmental, but also in the technological sense. The message of this note is in no way meant to keep you away from having fun with electronic experiments. It should much rather encourage you to develop a creative and playful, but yet responsible and preferably sustainable approach to your tools. If you have any questions, thoughts, or further comments about this, I am very happy to discuss them together in our classes!

Participants: