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NO-CHAIR-DESIGN: Using Chairs to Squat Public Spaces.

The name of the video is explicit. The concept is simple and affective. In this case chairs are used as infrastructure to construct social space. These chairs are infraffiti (infra-graffiti) design made with the intent of reclaiming public spaces.

A chair in the right spot of the room can help people socialize (Sofas work even better for this). The same socializing occurs when chairs are placed outdoors. With this kinds of chairs you can convert any site into an easy going “beach lounge”. Design wise the chairs presented on the video are pretty cool. They resemble a soft lounge chairs while being robust in construct. They emanate an easygoing attitude.

The Chair bombing act by DoTank: Brooklyn has caught on and inspired others to do the same. It has also evolved into a digital culture project when a website design company went on to make a decent amount of similar chairs and ditch them to public sites (http://punkave.com/build-a-chair). Each chair was marked with a qr-code and people can follow their movements online. Kind of the same way as Book Crossing (http://www.bookcrossing.com/) does.

Funny how these kind of “tactical urbanism” projects emerge around the globe relatively at the same time. I noticed that both projects rely on the expertize of “real designers”.. The DoTank design is made by Shelton Davis from http://www.repurposedgoods.com and the P’unk Ave events where made possible with “Pallet Chair Lo – Chair” by http://www.studiomama.com/

If you happen to be around in Helsinki next week please look this workshop up!

Swingers Club for Mature Chairs!

Turntable, urban farming center run by Dodo in mid-Pasila is looking for chairs that are suitable for outdoor usage. The chairs will be used at the Turntable cafe and it´s happenings, which opens this spring. Forget about plastic chairs and sitting down for work – we are looking for your wooden chairs! You can donate chairs on the site on the time that suits you best during week 15 or on the fay 14.4.

Turntable together with Ore.e.Refineries is organising a chair workshop where the chairs will be fixed to meet outdoor usage requirements and chairs and benches will be made of waste wood. People joining the workshop have the opportunity to learn the usage of hand operated power-tools and about the surface treatment of wood. The workshop does not cost a penny and is run by Ore.e Refineries staff, known from the awe-inspiring “NO-CHAIR-DESIGN” Campaign.

If you do not wish to donate your favorite chair – You may use this opportunity to fix it and take it back at the end of the day. First 15 fit in the workshop, make sure to register by sending an email: pasila@kaupunkiviljely.fi

Open Doors Workshop
14.4. 10-17
Donations are collected:
(vk15 9.4-14.4)

Tips for people donating chairs: Avoid chairs which, have complicated hindges (office chairs etc). or are overlayed with textiles.
Tips for partisipants: Bring you protection gear… umh… I mean
earmuffs and eye protection.. Sunglasses will do nicely.

www.kaantopoyta.fi
Map: http://kaantopoyta.fi/yhteystiedot/
Ore.e Refineries: http://oree.storijapan.net/NCD-C/

Contact:
Turntable: — (not on tumbrl)
Workshop: 050 57 29743

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Request for Media Artist / Pyyntö mediataiteilijoille

Request: Let’s develop technologies or protocols which turn data-projectors, media players etc. off – When there are NO visitors in the gallery/museum/art space. Let’s make it a convention.. When the space is empty e the projectors (and other electric tech) should be put in standby-mode or turned off.

We have learned to turn off lights when we exit a room – But the aura of artworks makes it hard for us to think how this could practice be achieved in our art spaces-  Current practices are downright silly and is opposed to the nature of media-art technologies. They are most often made to be used.

Energy is wasted when data-projectors run when there is no one watching. Even the best exhibitions have times when the space is empty. The best solution would be that gallerists etc. turn the videos on when visitors arrive (video on demand) but an arduino/motion sensor gadget would be a sexy solution. I’m willing to invest in the development of sustainable gallery etiquette or the development of technical tools to fix this issue.

Here is an inspirational example: MIM  Self-Sustainable party container in KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn (june 2010) https://vimeo.com/17560328

Pyyntö: Luodaan yhdessä laitteisto, joka katkaisee VIDEOTYKEISTÄ ja mediasoittimista virran automaattisesti kun galleriassa/museossa/tms. ei ole paikalla vieraita. (Tai luodaan joku käytäntö, jonka mukaisesti gallerian/tms. valvoja käynnistää toistimet ja tykit vieraan saapuessa). Monissa taidetiloissa on että tila on päivittäin pitkiä pätkiä tyhjillään. Jopa tunteja. Dataprojektoreilla ja monitoreilla esitettävää taidetta kuitenkin pidetään päällä taukoamatta. Projektoreiden käyttöiästä (tapauksesta riippuen) voi kadota yli puolet kun teos näkyy vaikka sitä ei kukaan katso.

Olemme oppineet sammuttamaan valot lähtiessä huoneesta mutta taidetiloissa on piinttynyt koskemattomuuden myytti, jonka velvoittamana videoita jne. on näytettävä tilassa vaikka kukaan ei olisi katsomassa. Maalaukset ja veistokset eivät kulu hukkaan kun niitä ei katso mutta teknologia kuluu. On mediataide välineiden luonnon vastaista käyttää näitä ilman katsojaa. Ainoana poikkeuksena satelliitit. Tässä piirrustukset ja valmistusohjeet (http://opensat.cc/). Toisaalta taidetilat eivät ole ulkoavaruuteen ammuttuja laitteita, joiden on annettava kiertää radallaan koskematta. Ne ovat sosiaalisia tiloja, joita käytetään.

Mediataiteen luukuttaminen on pöhkö käytäntö niin laitteiston käyttöiän kuin energiankulutuksen kannalta. Siihen ole käytännössä varaa. Vastaava juolahtanut mieleen jo monille mutta ei ole vielä tehty yhteistä hanketta, jolla näitä käytäntöjä tai liikkeentunnistimiin tms. pohjaavia teknologioita ongelman ratkaisemiseksi olisi tehty. Olen valmis investoimaan tähän esitystekniikkaan. Käytönnössä joku arduino/videotykki/mediatoistin ratkaisu on varmaan myyvin – Mutta mulle kyllä kelpaisi, että näyttölaitteiden pyörittäminen olisi galleristin vastuulla.