People doing strange things with electricity (Toronto Franchise)
David McCallum - Warbike
VJ Nokami - Descension
Cameron Browning - The Glove
David McCallum is currently the Associate Editor of Musicworks Magazine. He recently completed an M.Sc. in Art and Technology at Chalmers Technical University in Göteborg, Sweden. His work focuses on improvised laptop music, DIY electronics, and silliness wherever possible. Groups and projects have included the Live Electroacoustic Research Kitchen, Flexing Swine, I/O Media, and the United Empire Loyalist Orchestra musical improv groups; The Attack of the PANTs DIY electronics outreach workshop; and You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato: a study in the sonic properties of genetically modified potatoes.
http://sintheta.blogware.com/blogThe Warbike is a mobile sonification of WiFi networks. Urban spaces contain an invisible crisscrossing grid of computer communications. The Warbike makes these invisible networks audible, creating a personal soundtrack for the rider based on qualities of the networks and network traffic through which they are biking. The ride highlights aspects not only of network pervasiveness, but also the overlapping of public and private space, the invisible psychogeography of spaces, and the illusion of data security.
Eric Filion aka Nokami, graphic designer is in the visual media and communications environnement. He participates in several visual artistic performances as media designer. Eric was part of the Neoist movement, and collaborates regularly in international artistic visual presentations in Europe (AVITUK, Optronica, Arts Electronica), USA (SHARE, AVITRetreat, Center art project) in Asia (CeC, Mobile road cinema thailand, Thailand New media Arts) and in Canada (InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre, Momentfactory, SAT, Champs Libre).
His artistic approach is clearly influenced by his numerous travels on several continents. The canvas of the images he expresses tend to reflect human emotions based on cultural values where ancient traditions meet with the present, to clash and become in harmony in the now.
http://www.nokami.comCity landscape interactive video
Architects of buildings can "invent" almost any forms they want, but landscape architects must start with an existing landscape, however much they may alter it thereafter. In the Descension Project, I used the characteristics of the found landscape to establish the scope and scale of the man-made transformations. This required a detailed scientific assessment of the basic land forms and climatic conditions.
Our givens were the generally sky tower, subway, industrial space, sidewalks, and urban architecture. Only with a thorough understanding of the City could a sustainable landscape program be crafted.
An abstract artwork of city landscape both impressionist and contemplative. Descension does not have a real beginning, middle or either an end. It's up to each individual to imagine the video as he pleases and to re arrange any scenes in a desired sequence to achieve its best visual structure.
Meditation about human relationships and individual identity.
The video tends to prove that human relationships are build over the perception of others, opposed to the perception of our distinct identity.
http://www.nokami.com/htm_en/03_14.htmRecognized internationally for the design of everthing from newsstand magazines to physical computing interfaces, Cameron brings a unique, cross-disciplinary flair to his new media art and design. He has won a number of design awards from institutions including the Society of Publication Designers, Advertising & Design Club of Canada and Applied Arts Magazine.
http://www.5cameron.comA 3D interactive network visualization tool that leverages a custom-designed, wearable interface to navigate the interconnected information in three dimensions.
.....
Dorkbot-Toronto is always free and open to the public.
For more information, email dorkbottoronto@dorkbot.org