Utc2017

Unravel the Code VI - The Face Of Things

The face is a valuable feature—in corporeal terms, but also as extracted data. In an age where facial recognition and machine learning are being designed into everyday objects, new forms of interactions are being written over our face. What will it mean when our ‘things’ begin to identify who we are, speculate on how we are feeling, what we desire, and grant or deny access based on what face that we present? Could these developments lead to a more compelling way to craft materials, objects, or environments with empathy? Or will we face a discord when our hybrid things only magnify existing patterns of bias?

On the Face of Things is the 6th Unravel the Code International Workshop where Unravel the Code students of the Maryland Institute College of Art meet face to face with Digital Craft students of the Willem De Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Through a three day exchange and 12 hour prototyping marathon, the students craft ideas and make materials that interface with the face.

About the Collaborating Progams

MICA http://unrvl.net

WDKA Digital Craft

Participating Students

MICA Students

1. Chase - cbody@mica.edu
2. Claire - ccho02@mica.edu
3. Jihae - jchoe@mica.edu
4. Wan-Ting - wkao@mica.edu
5. Stefon - skelly05@mica.edu
6. Catherine - ckhamnouane@mica.edu
7. So-Hee - skim17@mica.edu
8. Jenna Lane - jklein01@mica.edu
9. Dione - dlee04@mica.edu
10. Yunzi - yliu03@mica.edu
11. Emary - eparisi@mica.edu
12. Rachel - rrusk@mica.edu
13. Durba - dsamanta@mica.edu
14. Puti Nilam - nsari@mica.edu
15. Sydney - ssiehtakata@mica.edu
16. Daniel - dspurgin@mica.edu
17. Luying - lxu01@mica.edu
18. Huijun - hzhu02@mica.edu
19. Miles - mbarnett01@mica.edu
20. Taylor - tpestorius@mica.edu
21. Margeaux - mabeyta@mica.edu

Participating Faculty

MICA

1. Alan Grover, awgrover@msen.com, technical assistant volunteer
2. Ryan Hoover, rhoover@mica.edu, instructor
3. Annet Couwenberg, acouwenb@mica.edu, instructor

WDKA

1. Tim Knapen, tim@indianen.be, digital craft practice mentor
2. Jon Stam, jon@commonplace.nl, digital craft research mentor
3. ....the rest to be confirmed

Workshop Projects

Group 1 - Anthropomaterials

What if a crafted material could show its true face and react in reciprocity to yours? This group of students explore how to animate the inanimate to and how materials might move to human emotions.

Participants

MICA Students (sign up below)

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WDKA Students (sign up below)

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Group 2 - Keeping Up Appearances

What if materials and objects impose social standards from their users? This set of students explore the issues of presentation culture in a world of pre-programmed interactions.

Participants

MICA Students (sign up below)

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WDKA Students (sign up below)

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Group 3 - Discriminant by Nature

What would it mean if more things could accept or reject you based on the image it sees. This group of students explore identification from the object’s point of view.

Participants

MICA Students (sign up below)

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WDKA Students (sign up below)

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Group 4 - It’s Complicated

What if you and objects formed deeper relationships by learning how to deal with each other? This group of students explore the concept of user unfriendly human computer interaction.

==MICA Students (sign up below) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

WDKA Students (sign up below) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Schedule (subject to change)

Awkward FaceTime

5/10 - 11/10	Bits of Rotterdam Jon 11:56, 4 October 2017 (CEST) bits of Baltimore Jon 11:56, 4 October 2017 (CEST) through the magic of the internet
(time and date student arranged)	MICA and WDKA minor students try to sustain a 5 min awkward conversation, knowing that it will make the week much smoother knowing at least one partner student on a face to face basis. See below for pairing. There is a strict format for this talk, which can be found here.

Hamstéééééren. Gewon bij Albert Heijn

Monday 24/10	Markthal Entrance (R'Dam Blaak Station)
12:00 sharp	WDKA students greet MICA students prior to grabbing some take away 'euroknallers' at the Albert Heijn. Or something from the Markthal itself (voor de fijnproevers). Please make sure the Mica presentations are delivered to Boris (preferably on a single usb stick) before wandering off to grab lunch!

Meet, Greet, Show, Tell

Monday 24/10	Blaak 10 Foyer
12:30-12:45	MC Boris welcomes everyone and initiates a name call WDKA minor and 3rd year student
12:45 – 14:00	MICA 3 min / 5 slide presentations (see below for format)
14:00 – 14:15	Coffee Break - MICA/Minor pairs join up with a 3rd year student for informal chat
14:15 – 14:45	Arthur and Meike walk the group through the mini radio/radiation exhibition
14:45 – 16:00	Simon and Yoana briefs everyone on the Unravel Radio Marathon
16:00 – 18:00	Mini Excursion - WDKA students take their MICA partner to a favourite spot in the City. Stan will check the exhibitions rooster and try to organise a opt in visit to a nearby gallery/museum from 16:00-17:00.
18:00	Zes uur, etenstijd! (Everyone is free to eat wherever they wish, but if there are group wishes, ask Stijn to recommend and reserve.
After Hours....	Bitterball'n? Ask Stijn. He knows.

The Face of Things Marathon

25/10	Interaction Station (2nd Floor Wijnhaven)
9:30 – 10:00	Recapping workshop challenge / division into groups Inter-galatic communication The Internet Radio of Things Post-Radio Aesthetics Pirate Radio
10:00 – 18:00	Building transmitters, receivers, and producing powerful content
12:ish	Regroup with your project members and grab lunch (tip: there is an outside market on Tuesday)
18:00	Communal Kapsalon (We'll be taking orders for Rotterdam's take on Poutine (classic or veggie) for any takers. (Approx. 5 euros)
19:00-19:30	Regrouping, bringing parts together and sending the signals
19:30-20:00	Real or Imaginary Radio? - moment of truth
After Hours....	Wie springt op de borreltafel?

Exhibit and Document

25/10	Blaak 10 Foyer & Basement Exhibition Space
9:00 – 11:00	Photo/video documentations of results
11:00 – 12:00	Walk through of results to WDKA managers/coodinators

FaceTime Format

MICA and Digital Craft Minor students plan a 5 min Skype/Hangout/Facetime meeting to discuss the following:

1. share a love/hate about your current program (of course no bad talking about UTC ;)
2. share an anecdote on radio (your secret extra-sensory electromagnetic perception, what the car radio's double function was when you four, or the time killed it on NPR's sunday puzzle)
3. share a memorable photograph of your past that fits under the title “ the moment I knew what I wanted to do”.

The purpose of this pre-meeting is to have the first exchange to be on a peer to peer basis and break the ice before the marathon begins.

Documentation Tasks

Daily Documentation

Day 1
Foto Documentation:Nora
Short write up (paragraph over meet and great/activities):

Day 2:
Foto Documentation:Kars
Short write up (paragraph over marathon):

Day 3: Exhibition presentation
Foto Documentation:Lars/Judith/Emma/Koen
Short write up (small paragraph over results):

Group Documentation

Inter-galatic communication
Foto Documentation:
Short write up within project:

The Internet Radio of Things
Foto Documentation:
Short write up within project:

Post-Radio Aesthetics
Foto Documentation:
Short write up within project:

Pirate Radio
Foto Documentation:
Short write up within project: