Tired machines, exhausted, worn out and carelessly discarded on the garbage dumps of our consumer paradises find their way into a new, cultivated afterlife. They play the first violins, flutes and basses of a post-apocalyptic ensemble, the Tired Machines Orchestra.
This course is for anyone who feels sorry for technical devices on the margins of society; for hardware hackers, tinkerers, musicians, DIY electronic enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to become one. Plunder your basements and bring your unloved or broken cassette players, kitchen appliances, printers, hair dryers or fans, disassemble them and turn them into soundful musical instruments.
This is a hands-on course. We will explore fundamentals of DIY-electronics, sensing, and microcontroller programming; look at upcycling, destruction, transformation, and recovery processes; and examine sustainable strategies in media art. As part of the seminar, we will go on a field trip to a local electronics recycling company. There we will learn about the process of disposing and recycling e-waste and go on the hunt for materials to experiment with.
Tired Machines Orchestra is a block module that will take place over two weekends (October 20-22, November 3-5). Prototypes are to be developed independently in between our meetings. Requirements: Punctuality, regular attendance and a fascination for electronics, sound experiments and tinkering. Open to all disciplines, no prior knowledge necessary.
The finale of the course will be a collective concert.
Applications via Email to christian.doeller@uni-weimar.de, sibject „Anmeldung Tired Machines Orchestra“, including a short motivation letter (3-4 sentences) until Octiber 15.