User:Door

Digital Craft - Doortje Hogesteeger - 0931128

PRACTICE: Critical Making exercise:

Make a Youtube comment disobedient using fabric/wearable.

Youtube is a worldwide interactive platform for creators. Anyone having an account is able to put content online and comment on content. Interaction with creators becomes easy accessible instead of watching tv or Netflix where you can’t interact with the creators through the same platform.

Every youtube comment has a purpose to express something, a fact, an opinion, positive/negative or random thought. But what if the comment because neutral, does it still serve a purpose?

HOW TO MAKE IT DISOBEDIENT? → let’s remove the interaction for both viewer and creator

visualization: Youtube is the medium and the comments are positive or negative but won’t be connecting with eachother, using Velcro we’ve created useless content because it won’t stick to the comment section. Your comments becomes is useless because interaction is removed from the content.

The wearable represents the interface of Youtube The person is the content and the comments are useless

Therefor: The content is also zipped in (straitjackcet) and cannot get out, so the message of the video becomes obsolete because perceived interaction is not fulfilled.

Youtube = game over

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PRACTICE: Cybernetic prosthetic:

Biological systems operate on a mechanism of inputs and outputs, each caused by and causing a certain event. A feedback loop is a biological occurrence wherein the output of a system amplifies the system (positive feedback) or inhibits the system (negative feedback). Feedback loops are important because they allow living organisms to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the mechanism that enables us to keep our internal environment relatively constant – not too hot, or too cold, not too hungry or tired.

If it stays constant it’s called a negative feedback loop if it changes it’s called a positive feedback loop. By positive you create a new equilibrium.

FEEDBACK LOOP OF CHRONIC AND ACUTE STRESS

The beginning of a Negative feedback loop is Acute Stress. Fight or flight. The Stimulus is the beginning of the feedback loop. The Stimulus event that occurs, the stressor (ex. seeing a lion, balloon popping). The next step is the receptor. The receptor responds to the stimulus. The organs that are inculded in the receptor is your eyes, cortex, and the amygdala. The amygdala is how you are emotionally behaving and it identifies the treat. Then it leads you to the control center. The control center is the brain also known as the hypothalamus. The Hypothalamus controls all your hormones. The Brain sends a message through the nervous system (down the spin) as how to reply to the situation. The effectors come in two. One of the effector is the adrenal gland, which releases addrinaline. That is a hormone also known as epinephrine. The second effector is the pituitary gland. That is also a hormone that is also known as Cortisol. After all the hormones have been released the body goes back to Homeostasis (normal).

The beginning of a Positive feedback loop is the same as a Negative one. It starts with the stimulus. The stimulus is the stressor. After it continues to the receptor which is the eyes, cortext, and the amygdala. The amygdala notifies the control center also known as the brain or hypothalamus. The control center tells the Effectors what to do using the spinal cord. Next is the effectors. There are two effectors. The first is the adrenal gland that produces adrenaline. The second affector is the pituitary gland. That releases Cortisol. Unlike Acute stress/negative feedback loop, once it is finished your body doesn't really go back to normal. and go to homeostasis. Instead the cycle keeps going.

But what if we interfere this cycle of chronic stress. What if we put a break on this system? Instead of FIGHT OR FLIGHT we THINK and have CONTROL.

What if we wear a glove that eases us. Gives us vibrations/warmth and strength so you go back to the same equilibrium. People with a lot of stress and anxiety use ASMR to calm themselves. There are weighed blankets available to make you feel secure again. But in current society you’re not always able to lay underneath a blanket or watch a video to calm your nerves. What if your body feels your panic already before you can and offers you vibrations and warmth.

(AMSR RESEARCH EXPLAINED IN DETAIL IN PDF RESEARCH DOCUMENT). File:ASMR - research.pdf

What makes people calm? Triggers, sensations, sounds and visuals and touch. What triggers you is extremely personal so we choose to combine the most used triggers.

SOLUTION: We've added an extra feature and designed a new body organ. An organ to take the stress from the inside to the outside of the body. The glove represents the old school bodily features, and the cooling element (white element on gove) functions as an automatic reaction to one of the symptoms of stress --> sweaty hands. Your body temperature is a huge indicator for a change in psychical energy. With our device it differentiates the old reaction from the new.

The stress organ that is placed on the body functions as an indicator as well as calming down yourself. The feedback loop is within the vibration of the ring that is connected to the stress organ. The external vibration and inside feeling of stress get’s noticed by the stress organ and gives you feedback through external vibration. So you know when you need to adjust your behaviour to experience less acute stress in the future.

Pictures of the prototype

https://youtu.be/kIPmRSy2lbo --> video of external vibration

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PRACTICE: From devices to systems:

To find our device we went to Piekfijn and stumbled on a beautiful old machine. First we didn’t know what it was and bargained it to 5 euros instead of 10. At first we thought it was a register, but wee discovered it was an old calculator from aprox the sixties/seventies. Still working and printing well and connected to 220 volt.

When technology became implemented in our daily lives we made a lot of different products with different functions. Over time we started experimenting with technology. All these objects became smaller and evolved into one supercomputer where all these products became combined. Now we only need one computer to calculate, get our mail, find our way and store our memories.

The product we chose was an old calculator from the 1960’s till 1970’s. The first hand-calculator (without electronics) was made in 1642. From there on this calculator stays the same until 1974 when the first patent for an electronic calculator was issued. The calculator is linked economically to everything that has to do with money. For example; predictions about profits, salary,pension and insurances. Economic and political are intertwined, because the hierarchy of our political systems does not exist without money. Campaign and election, but also when leading a country. If Trumphadn’t calculated his budget, he would never have won the election. Ecological problems are being solved with the help of calculator, for example to measure how much admission output we could make to still have livable air. Especially now that we are in the height of the problems caused by climate change, it is important to calculate the water levels. But also calculate when a tsunami is going to hit a city and how much damage it is going to do.

The feedback loop of the calculator is that we can show all the problems we have and create. By calculating your overweight, ecological footprint or who has the most votes we check constantly check our own destruction. The input is all the data we produce, this data comes in the form of problems and issues of our own making. And then we try to solve these problems, by letting the world know we have these problems, and need to create a new formula. To give an example of a broken feedback system we use the example of the previous American election, everybody thought that Hillary would win. She won the ‘popular vote’ but lost the elections. With the result of the media telling us that Hillary would probably win, by showing us the calculations based on opinions formed on social media. The algorithms gave American voters false pretenses. We think that we need to be led only by actual numbers instead of opinions of numbers. This is to make sure we get the correct feedback, and have a real effect on problems. We need interpret the calculations ourselves instead of letting the mediamake the translation.

Calculator from the outside:

Calculator from the inside:

keyboard button connections

underneath keyboard button connections

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Map of components

IDEA: When we were taking the calculator apart we got obsessed by the sound of de receipt and display. For filming the process we accidentally recorded in slomo and got an ASMR feeling. What if you could just watch the calculator conduct equations through an arduino. So you won’t need the keyboard at all and just watch it count and count and count. https://youtu.be/IeMWZEsw8Ro --> slomo of calculator inside

To work for the first time with an arduino was quite difficult, we got help from beam and yoana from interaction station. First we had to figure out how to manage the keys without keyboard and which numbers were connected so we could make a connection to the arduino.

END: https://youtu.be/1os1gU5NPHQ --> VIDEO OF calculator remoteless doing calculations.

ARDUINO CODE:

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PRACTICE: Cartography of Complex Systems & the Anthropocene:

visual mapping:

TEXT:

Deforesting and destruction of animal kingdom.

In the time of hunters and gatherers humans and animals live together in peace. Humans hunted for animals, because they were food. We did not only use their meat, every part of the animal was used for housing, clothes and tools. Humans did not take more than they needed.

After some time we start to establish in one place, where farmers are under the power of kings. This is a time of gathering land and kings often had armies that fought to get bigger regions and more power. This was also the start of taming big amounts of wild horses, so that the soldiers could move faster. Soldiers were dependent on their horses, and the armies with the biggest and best horses were often the ones who won.

When we started to establish cities, we took in bigger amounts of space. We also needed more food and clothes. This started to affect our surroundings. Forest needed to disappear to make place for harvest. We started to develop tools to get this work done faster and in bigger numbers. Horses and cows were used to this hard work. These tools are the first sign of technology influencing the world of animals.

After establishing our cities we started to expand. The human race was set on building cities all around the world. In need to build ships, houses and other amenities forest were cut down whenever we needed it.

When the human race had spread across the world, we go into a time of industrialization. This means that we start developing technology that gives us the pleasures of modern day life. Not only because of a necessity. The human population started growing because living conditions got better. As the use of technology progressed we started to be more careless about the wellbeing of our animals and nature.

Industrialization coupled with technological advancement has continued to affect the environment in a negative way. Industrial benefits resulting from technological adaptation in major activities has indirectly contributed towards higher living standards though bad part on technology manifest more. This is evidenced by increasing international discussions and consultations through conferences and meetings. A major theme in such meetings is on environmental violations resulting from technology. Complaints and issues associated with effects of technology are arising globally (Ausubel & Sladovich,1999) Nature became a way to find resources and not functions and environment anymore. This was a transformation that happened fast without restrictions. Only later in time organizations and governments started interfere. Greedy humans and better technologies without restrictions had a devastating affect on the animal population. The initiators opted for the western Amazon region in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador because it is vulnerable to logging, illegal gold mines, oil and gas extraction and dam projects. Indigenous communities oppose the damage, but lack the means to be effective.

In this day and age we start to appreciate our animals and forest, and their plans to combine the knowledge of native communities and modern technology so that we can keep an eye on nature all around the globe. Through satellite data, drones and smartphones people can keep track of illegal deforesting and with this evidence force governments and judges to actively dismantle these types of organizations.

The Amazon project utilizes existing interactive forest monitoring systems such as Global Forest Watch and Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD). Using satellite data, these map the world's forests with resolutions of 30 by 30 meters and (with the latest radar satellite) even 5 by 5 meters. As soon as any logging or road construction is signaled, the system automatically sends e-mail alerts to connected users.

That is a bit difficult when those users live in a rainforest without Internet. Deforestation alerts will therefore be downloaded in neighboring cities and distributed via USB sticks. Local foresters can download the data with a special app on their mobile phone. Then they set off to map evidence offline with video, drones and GPS data. That data is then uploaded back into the system in the same way.

In the future technology is going to help preserve nature and not help destroy it.

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YEAR 2

ARTIFACT:

Nautilusbeker, 1590, unknown Boijmans van Beuningen reason: shininess and the shape reminded me of a soccer victory cup Zilver > Edelmetaal > Metaal > Anorganisch materiaal

Parelmoer > Schelp > Dierlijk materiaal > Organisch materiaal

Parel > Dierlijk materiaal > Organisch materiaal

Halfedelsteen > Natuursteen > Steen > Mineralen en gesteenten > Anorganisch materiaal

Nautilusschelp > Schelp > Dierlijk materiaal > Organisch materiaal

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RESEARCH DOCUMENTS:

associations: File:Associaties-door.pdf

abduction of Europe: File:Europe story.pdf

nautiluscup in 's-hertogenbosch File:Hertogenbosch-door.pdf

further research: File:Nautilusbeker-research-klein.pdf

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QUESTIONS FROM JON:

relevant to the work

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work from around the same time

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100 years or more prior

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within the last 2 years

nautilus used as tattoo design amongst youngsters

boat communities named after nautilus

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key words - wealth - show off - functionless - nature vs human

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lies

- Dit bijzondere verzamelobject werd ook gebruikt om pas geboren babies te laten dopen.

- De man met de grootste nautulisbeker werd geacht de speech aan tafel te doen

- Door het kweken van de nautilus inktvis zijn er veel namaak bekers in omloop

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quotes

- Dit bijzondere verzamelobject verenigt in feite de naturalia (objecten uit de natuur) en de artificialia (door mensen vervaardigde objecten),die in de 17de-eeuwse rariteitenkabinetten bijeenwerden gebracht.

- De breekbaarheid van schelpen liet gebruik als drinkgerei niet toe, tenzij bij speciale gelegenheden. Het waren statussymbolen,die uiting moesten geven aan de rijkdom en maatschappelijke positie van de eigenaar en de bewondering moesten opwekken van gasten.

- Ik vraag me namelijk al maanden af, sinds ik het schilderij voor het eerst zag: hoe zou dat nu drinken, uit zo’n schelp? Dat moet toch enorm raar zijn? Gulpt de wijn dan niet over je kleren, als je maar ietsje onvoorzichtig bent? En hoe komt een wijn in zo’n schelp uit? Schijnt bij rode wijn de kleur door? Hoe proeft en ruikt de wijn als je uit een nautilusschelp drinkt?

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COPY:

For the copy i was quite struggling, because of the richness of stories within the object and difficult materials to work with i challenged myself to recreate the cup and experiment with different parts of shininess. Here are some photos of the experiments

clay and polish

shampoo in plastic, with good lighting shines like diamond

shiny fabric molted into cup shape

clay polish and silver markers

glue gun, shiny fabric in between and molted into shape

silicon with hairspray for shinyness

kippengaas met shiny fabric intertwined

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APPROPRIATION:

flag sketching

For my appropriation I choose to design a well known object for a contemporary collection of curiosities. Create an object without a proper function but known in all societies. For example what shows your wealth? A straw roofing, designer bags to small to carry anything in it, raincoats but not waterproof etc. I created a flag, including a famous instagram feed and number of followers. In my generation this is a way to show your “wealth” but has in my opinion no true value. The persons obsession is camouflage so he made his own contemporary collection of curiosities. The flag feels like a first draft and in coming quarters I like to dive deeper into my research question. The word: COLLECTION OF CURIOSITIES triggered me and want to develop the project with deeper meaning and include new forms of technology.

expositie

proces

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NEXT STEP APPROPRIATION:

The flag is an interesting object but it felt like I had just met the expectations of the course. I didn't feel personeel enough yet. The word collection of curiosities stuck with me. So i thought what if I start after this course my own collection of curiosities. For my 21st birthday i received a golden Burberry trenchcoat. After receiving this coat. I developed a fascination for gold. The coat very shiny and a statement piece. To start examining i made photos of the coat. I would like to research the brand material and meaning. After combining outcomes and research I would love to make a video for my portfolio. These are ideas but without this course i wouldnt have come up with this concept.

pictures of the coat: also included in my exhibition.

STATEMENT WHAT'S MY CRAFT:

Craft in dictionary means: an activity involving skill in making things by hand.

My craft lies in combining future scenarios with older crafts. My “lifestyle transformation design” background taught me how to make changes and create awareness within societies. My point of view is mostly a struggle, annoyance, or develops a countermovement of issues happening. Doesn’t need to be in social context it could as well be personal frustration.

I want to develop projects that tingles the viewer, combine old and new stories and connect things that should not belong together. To accomplish these concepts I like to combine, use mixed media and collage to visualize/sketch my ideas. I love my city Rotterdam as inspiration as well as online medium pinterest. For example in my project: The future of cheating I crafted my own jewelry. Looking at futuristic designs form movies and research shape of faces and fingers. The concept: cheating becomes a transparent issue instead a concern behind closed doors. I designed “the new wedding ring” a combination of smart (sensors included) jewelry and intimate feelings of your partner towards another robot or human being. You are constantly in contact with your other half. This example shows a close relationship between human and technology in a future scenario.

I still need to develop my skills in actually working with my hands and get hands on with materials. I’m quite fond of clay, glue and fabrics to create but need to develop my wood and metal skills. It’s important for me to stay diverse. Constantly being aware of changes around me and how to adapt them into my work.

Both digital and analogue landscapes intrigue me. I need one to create another and vice versa. For example black mirror is a serie who uses old and new techniques to visualize a future perspective. Due to massive research and creating innovative pieces as production designer/ art direction truly inspires me. The way that they portray recognizable items with extremely scary futuristic concept and products is my goal in digital craft. Combining daily old objects, knowing their true value and translate or appropriate them to unknown items, that make people reconsider, disguise or change their behavior.

For upcoming projects I would like to discover the medium film. Expand research in film and see how old tricks (crafts) are still used in current films and how to appropriate and develop future visioned films.

Digital craft challenged me to actually start, do, and dive into a subject but kept the balance between theory, research and hands on practice. This is something I want to explore further in my practice. I’m used to think in future concepts within lifestyle but I need to improve in translating stories/concepts to actual designs. A part of this includes dare to make choices. I think the word CHOICES is the most relevant word of the course. If I had chosen a concept or one matrial early on, i could have had a better and focust result of the copy. Within digital crafts I feel I have more autonomous freedom but still structure and guidance. However digital craft still has the lifestyle connection of human/body and technology.

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REFLECTION DOCUMENT:

First 3 weeks: Autonomous – Digital Craft

This practice gave us the possibility to learn about existing artifacts and use research to approach their copy and appropriation, transformations.

We had to choose an artifact from the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum. I choose my artifact in a critical way. An object which spoke to me but I didn’t know anything about to challenge me in research and creative phase. Normally I pick my own fascinations and start with safety. I wanted to use autonomous practice to broaden my interests en get lost the unknown. Well, I managed to get lost…(in a good way)

My chosen artifact is the Nautilis beaker (1590). A piece showed in collections of curiosities during the 17th century showing off wealth and status. Only used in extremely special events. The rich materials and shape got my attention. At first I loved the shininess and rich details. The shape reminded me of a victory cup, related to soccer. I developed my research question: In current society how do we show our victories/wealth?

It was hard to make a decision about the copy. The practice learned me to analyze more closely. The artifact has 5 different materials and every part told a different story. I’m not used to develop objects or experiment with materials. For the copy part I experimented with shiny materials and try to recreate the shape of the bowl. For my appropriation I choose to design a well known object for a contemporary collection of curiosities. Create an object without a proper function but known in all societies and used in special occasions. I created a flag, including a famous instagram feed(technology) and number of followers. In my generation this is a way to show your “wealth” but has in my opinion no true value. This persons obsession is camouflage so he made his own contemporary collection of curiosities(craft). The flag still feels like a first draft and in coming quarters I like to dive deeper into my research question. The result could have been more shocking.

Inspirations Digital craft uses a wiki. I thought well another medium, which is a maze, but the wiki actually really helped me in the end to develop my insights of digital craft and how to approach the “assignment” by viewing research of other students. I got really inspired by the comparison of popular images in the movie “versions – Oliver Laric” it showed digital to physical and contemporary to old. Something I want to incorporate for visual research in future.

What I’ve learned Autonomous challenged me in every way. I’m used to stay for a long period in research and concept phase within lifestyle but with a lot more feedback moments. This practice forced me to start making directly. I’ve learned to not be afraid for materials. For the copy I could have done more experiments. During Studium Generale I was really impressed by the appropriation of the chair. My mind kept spinning about how to transform the nautilusbeaker. I’ve learned that I first have to understand the authorship of the piece before I can make it my own.

DATA DESIGN VS DIGITAL CRAFT Data design inspired me to dive deeper into data as research method and really adds to my lifestyle forecasts to support my visions. I really appreciated the structure of the workshops but I missed the spark. Data is a start but not my initial focus.

I CHOOSE: Digital craft challenged me to actually start, do, and dive into a subject but kept the balance between theory, research and hands on practice. This is something I want to explore further in my practice. I’m used to think in future concepts within lifestyle but I need to improve in translating stories/concepts to actual designs. A part of this includes dare to make choices. Within digital crafts I feel I have more autonomous freedom but still structure and guidance. However digital craft still has the lifestyle connection of human/body and technology.