7:00pm
Jun 28 2023
location:
Noisebridge
272 Capp St.
San Francisco, CA
Map
Directions for getting in
First LIVE F2F DBSF Meeting since COVID!
DONATIONS MUCH APPRECIATED $10-$25 sliding scale. All proceeds go to our hosts NOISEBRIDGE
Thank you to DB Crew: MC Jon Foote and James Young
Kal Spelletich and Jonathan Foote - Pouring Voice into a Laser Beam
Humans have used light to transmit information ever since the first signal fire. We continue that long tradition by sending the human voice over a laser beam. These light beams will traverse the length of the exhibition space, and (at least theoretically), astronomical distances. Echoing historical signalling systems like the Edelcrantz lantern via semaphore, we use the latest technology to support the basic human need for connection. One-bit "MQS" modulation can encode audio using a sigma-delta pulse width modulation; different color lasers can be used to multiplex audio data in a nod to Hedy Lamarr and George Antheils' novel frequency hopping communication scheme. In an era where omnipresent fiber optic communication transmits gigabytes of propaganda and AI-generated garbage every second, and the telecommunication conglomerates sell your mobile phone data to the highest bidder, it is a novel form of communication to hear the simple sound of a human voice over a beam of light.Kal Spelletich explores the interface of humans and robots, using technology to put people back in touch with real-life experiences. His work is interactive, requiring participants to enter or operate his pieces, often against their instincts of self-preservation. He probes the boundaries between fear, control and exhilaration. He has exhibited at The Catharine Clark Gallery, Gallery Maeght and the De Young Museum, all in San Francisco, SFMOMA, and all over the world.
Jonathan Foote is a San Francisco based hardware hacker and tinkerer. He has built everything from surgical robots to 30-foot tall hydraulic kinetic artworks. Jonathan was Fulbright Fellow, an Artist in Residence at Autodesk Pier 9, and (together with Kal Spelletich), a Fellow at Stochastic Labs in Berkely CA.
Anja Ulfeldt - Charged Environments - Electricity, Connectivity and Community
Anja Ulfeldt is an artist, educator, and curator with a hybrid practice that floats between interactive installation, performance, and unconventional art facilitation with a focus on the current and future state of human infrastructure as it relates to the body. Through haptic interaction, her work considers technology- both simple and advanced- as it relates to ideas around stability, mobility and personal agency. Stemming from an underlying fascination with invention, Ulfeldt's work looks at the ephemeral nature of resources and infrastructure that feed, house and nurture our bodies directly. This includes simple technology such as plumbing, refrigeration and climate control as well as less tangible resources such as time, creative space, and community. Anja is a lecturer at Stanford University in the areas of Sculpture and Emerging Technology. She has exhibited in the Bay Area at SLAC National Laboratory, Pro Arts Gallery, Kala Art Institute, SOMArts, Root Division, the San Mateo Maker Faire, and in venues in New York, London, Salzburg and Berlin. Ulfeldt's work has been collected by the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, Esplora National Interactive Science Centre in Malta, and Recology San Francisco. She has been an artist-in-residence at Headland Center for the Arts, I-Park Foundation, Recology San Francisco, the Exploratorium Museum, Lost & Foundry Oakland, Stochastic Labs and currently Lucid Arts Foundation.
Noisebridge AI Fiber group (Matt, Anthea, Emeline, Julian, Michelle, TJ, Dana, Ellie) - AI Dreamwaving: A Collaborative Exploration of AI and Textile Development
The Noisebridge AI Fiber group is a small group working out of Noisebridge Hackerspace in the mission, creating textiles using AI and electronics alongside traditional sewing, knitting, and embroidery practices.They are interested in exploring the overlaps and intersections that can be discovered by connecting emerging high tech tools with fiber art practices that are often framed as feminized domestic crafts. The hackerspace itself is a part of our practice; here we get to interact with many different machines, as well as people who are interested in everything from artificial intelligence to circuit hacking to embroidery and quilting. Each project starts by working with AI models to generate designs, and then we work out of the sewing room to translate these designs into physical objects using a programmable embroidery machine and sewing machines. We’re also experimenting with motion sensors that can trigger LEDs that light up the final textiles and interact with passers-by. As we stitch together different technologies and creative practices in surprising ways, we hope this can open up new questions about the relations between digital technologies, human sociality, and traditional textile practices.
Physical materials used:
Cotton fabric and batting, polyester and cotton thread, wood, LEDs, Arduinos/ESP32
Machines used:
embroidery machine, sewing machine, macbooks, PC, laser cutter
Software & AI:
Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, Inkscape, Inkstitch, Singer Futura Quartet software
Yasmin Mawaz-Khan - Magical Mythical Maker Spaces: a brief look at where it all started and where its all going A magical place that seems more myth than reality, Ace Junkyard was the place to go if you were a maker in the 90s and early 00s. More than just a source of materials, it was a clubhouse for misfits, an underground event venue and artist aggregator. But the best part about this place was the magical fairy who ran it, Bill ‘the junkman’ Kennedy. It was because of his vision and love for creativity that Ace Junkyard will go down in the annals of history as a cultural icon of the San Francisco industrial arts scene. Sadly, the junkyard, like so many other maker spaces, has gone the way of the dodo. This begs the question: what will our maker landscape look like if all our resources disappear?
Ace in the Hole is a documentary about Bill the junkman, Ace Junkyard, and all the incredible culture and innovation that came from this golden moment in time. It’s also about the loss of spaces where people can gather and create, and how that affects our society.
Ace in the Hole invites viewers to think about the cost of rapid economic progress, the impact that has on our communities, cultural and social diversity, and how we can work together as a society to address these issues.
Yasmin Mawaz-Khan is a storyteller, maker and visual artist with a diverse background. Born in Los Angeles to an Iranian mother and a Pakistani father, she's lived, studied and worked in Iran, Pakistan, and the United States. Yasmin currently lives in San Francisco and works as a digital media producer, and an installation and visual artist with a goal to push creative boundaries through any medium. She produces content for a variety of clients including: Apple, Levi's, Disney/Pixar, and SKYY Vodka. She designs and fabricates giant interactive flaming sculptures with the Flaming Lotus Girls. She is an active member of the Gray Area Artist Incubator Program and has shown work in galleries, museums, and festivals both locally and globally. She is inspired by the process of creation, collaborating with people and seeing a project from concept to completion. Her influences include the community she lives in, good food, and her passion for exploring new concepts and methods of representation.
