Crafting

DIY, DIWO, Craft-Nouveau, Open Source, Copyleft, Social entrepreneurship, Participatory culture, Informal learning

FoAM exercises a proactive, 'DIY' (do-it-yourself) approach to life; we take matters into our own hands, rather than waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Instead, we learn by doing. We have pieced together our education and constructed our collaborative setting, which meanders between different intellectual, economic and political models. We gather creative expression and cultural values where they are least expected - in science and engineering, traditional crafts, play and games, or the chores of everyday life - cooking, bathing, or gardening. No human endeavour is ‘above’, nor ‘below’ us; we like intellectual challenges as much as getting our hands dirty. After reaching the limits of our competence, we are not afraid to ask for help from others. In other cases, we offer our own skills and experience. In both cases, exercising our abilities to 'DIWO' (do-it-with-others). Openness and sharing are crucial aptitudes in a DIWO culture. We share different things in different ways at FoAM. All our media and technologies follow ‘open source’, or ‘copyleft’ principles. We encourage a healthy public domain and engage in participatory design with various community groups.

Through workshops and consulting, we transfer our knowledge and skills to fellow ‘do-it-yourselvers’. Through lectures and seminars, we feed people’s minds with invaluable knowledge, ranging from how to design alternate realities, to changing unsustainable behaviours using reality therapy. Our online and onsite doors are always ajar, for researchers (or the merely curious) to bury themselves in our libraries. We work together with an increasing number of people and communities, towards an open and pro-active, transl-local culture. In our vision of the future, anyone could become a crafts-person, living and working in a community of supportive peers. The renewed appreciation of crafts embraces both the age old traditions and emerging technologies, fusing them into a unique blend of past and future. Practising these crafts requires an alternative economy, one not based on mass production, or proprietary technologies. It relies on tightly knit communities, on abundance of information (or bandwidth) and the guerilla-like strategies of appearance and disappearance. This culture has the ability to hack at the rotting bits of the grand narratives of the 20th century until we are left with the world we can be proud of.

related activities

.x-med-k.

.x-med-k. is a series of workshops and seminars investigating the changing faces of the fleeting field of 'experimental media arts'. From 2004 to 2008, three Brussels based organisations (FoAM, nadine, OKNO) joined forces to design and implement this heterogeneous series, for artists, designers and technologists interested in the experimental use of digital media, new materials and technologies.

tension

Self-sustaining, lightweight structures for temporary, mobile and wearable architectures.

Mission to the Moon

We are very proud to present our new site, displaying current and future missions, technical info and nice pictures. http://www.missiontothemoon.nl/

splinterfields

Splinterfields is an initiative of several Brussels based organizations active within the fields of technological and media arts (Constant, FoAM, nadine and OKNO) to foster collaborative, agile and flexible learning. The programme of workshops, study-groups and field-tests is open to artists, designers, technologists and other generalists curious to explore tools and mindware for experiments in contemporary culture and daily life.

HapStar

About

Haplotype Networks and Minimum Spanning Networks are commonly used for representing associations between sequences. HapStar is a tool for viewing both types of networks, and is designed to directly use the output data generated from Arlequin. HapStar is unique in that it automatically lays out the network for optimal visualisation, and provides the option to calculate a Minimum Spanning Network from a list of alternative connections. HapStar provides a user-friendly interface, and publication-ready figures can be exported simply.

related events

Experimental Drawing

2008-01-16 00:19 Europe/London
2008-01-18 11:19 Europe/London

Experimental drawing workshop as part of the MA Textile Futures course. 16-18 January 2008, Central St Martins College of Arts and Design, London, UK.

Dressware

2004-05-17 00:00 Europe/Brussels
2004-08-17 00:00 Europe/Brussels

17 May - 17 August 2004: Dressware project

The SleepingBagDress prototype by Ana Rewakowicz involves a creation of multipurpose inflatable dress that through inflation can change and adapt to different situations and environments. Following the legacy of Archigram and Michael Webb's Suitaloon and Cushicle, Ana's concept evolves around the idea of clothing as portable architecture and brings our individual needs to the basic, everyday experience of survival and "you never know WEAR?" situations.

RED#NET solutions to practical and fantastical needs

2004-06-29 08:54 Europe/Brussels
2004-07-08 08:54 Europe/Brussels

29 June - 08 July 2004: RED#NET solutions to practical and fantastical needs

by Kayle Brandon and Heath Bunting http://irational.org/

RED#NET is a multi-functional, permeable, portable surface that reroutes and reapplies public space. Constructing systems that support and restrict flow via the horizontal and vertical axis.

Tension workshop

2004-06-28 09:10 Europe/Brussels
2004-07-04 09:00 Europe/Brussels

28 June - 04 July 2004 : Tension workshop

14 artists and technologists from Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden and Canada

The participants spent a week in the FoAM lab in Brussels working on prototypes, models and full scale structures that use the force of tension to sustain their shape and structural integrity, such as inflatables, nets and tensegrity structures.

f0amfr0th07: inflatable meeting room

2004-12-04 02:00 Europe/Brussels

From the pneumatic turmoil of the tension workshop a shiny airtight meeting room suited for anyone from ordinary folks to inflated executives, is part of a show at Looking Glass. The silvery plastic film houses the bodies and heads of three people at a time for an intimate meeting in the shared chamber. This triangular starfish evolved out of the experiments of Linda Karlsson. Her inflated costumes started to swallow-up more and more people, duos and eventually trios.

Luminous Green Open Lab 2007

2007-05-05 17:00 Europe/Brussels
2007-05-05 23:59 Europe/Brussels

On Saturday the 5th of May 2007, at 5PM, we opened the doors of our lab to everyone who wanted to have a final taste of the first Luminous Green series.

PhoEf Workshop

2008-05-29 14:00 Canada/Central
2008-05-29 18:00 Canada/Central

Lead by Bart Vandeput, the PhoEf participants explored the interdependent relationships between people, photovoltaics and light as a primary resource. Also the opportunities and limits of low levels of electricity will be investigated.

LG - Time's Up

2008-10-23 09:00 GMT+2
2008-10-25 23:00 GMT+2

A Luminous Green satellite event, organised by Time's Up and the Guild for Reality Integrators and Generators:

Dates: 23rd | 24th | 25th October 2008

Luminous Green is an attempt to become more aware of our own ecological and human responsibilities. A moment’s pause, deceleration and self-reflection are a common core.

Fluxus xxxxx_micro_research workshop

2009-07-04 10:00 Europe/Berlin
2009-07-04 22:00 Europe/Berlin

Fluxus - Scheme livecoding, animation, games and plants

In this workshop you will find out about the emerging art form of livecoding and learn how to write simple scripts to create animations in 3D space. After an introduction to the scheme programming language and how to use it to build shapes and animate them, you will be let loose on prototype game code for groworld - a game still in production which takes elements from guerilla gardening, permaculture and plant growth.

Further details can be found at http://www.1010.co.uk/org/workshop.html

groworld workshop at sommercamp+workstation

2009-08-10 05:06 Europe/Berlin
2009-08-16 05:06 Europe/Berlin

The simulation-led workshop cluster presents constructive approaches to measurement, description and modelling of real world systems ranging across urban and ecological interventions. The world can be described by way of maps, diagrams, fiction, circuits and software. Desciptions, or representations, take on their own life as autopoetic systems, creating complex ecologies; describing becomes constructing (growing your own world).

40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moonlanding

2009-07-21 00:00 GMT+2

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon, the Foamlab astronaut team will be re-enacting this historic event at the Space Expo centre that belongs to the ESA (European Space Agency) in Noordwijk. The event possibly will be shown by live-stream video to Museum Boerhave, Lange St. Agnietenstraat 10 in Leiden, The Netherlands.

http://www.missiontothemoon.nl/

Bend, sew, touch, feel, read

2009-07-25 10:00 GMT+2
2009-07-26 18:00 GMT+2

http://www.kobakant.at

To explore the possibilities of bringing electronics closer to bodies and plants we are organizing a workshop with the artists Hannah Perner-Wilson and Mika Satomi in which you will learn how to use textiles and electronics to interact with humans and plants.

Animation and Livecoding workshop

2009-09-22 18:00 GMT+1
2009-09-22 22:30 GMT+1

Animation and Livecoding through Fluxus with Dave Griffiths and Evan Raskob

http://openlabworkshops.org/workshop-puredyne-and-fluxus-22-sept-2009/

The Future of the Lab

2009-11-30 13:15 GMT+2
2009-12-02 13:15 GMT+2

"The Future of the Lab will provide opportunities for discussion and engagement with a diverse range of professionals on three layers: expert meetings for invited international guests from art and technology labs across Europe and beyond, as well as a number of Dutch labs; an afternoon bringing in local, regional and national participants from a diversity of sectors; and a programme for the general public on Monday, November 30.

Corrupted C#n#m#

2009-11-20 00:00 US/Eastern
2009-12-20 00:00 US/Eastern

Corrupted C#n#m# is Angelo Vermeulen's new solo exhibition in the US after his Biomodd [ATH1] project at the Aesthetic Technologies Lab in Athens, Ohio in 2007. Corrupted C#n#m# is an experimental cinema project that explores the physicality of digital media, and draws upon the phenomena of data corruption and data forensics. It's an artistic inquiry into the notion of the material 'body’ in both the digital and the biological realm. Video images stored on different types of digital media are manipulated and disrupted through various biological processes.

gRig at Pecha Kucha

2009-11-06 20:00 Europe/Brussels
2009-11-06 23:00 Europe/Brussels

A group of 6 representatives from FoAM and nadine present the Guild for Reality Integrators and Generators, its people & activities and announces the birth of Resilients.

http://pechakucha.architempo.net/

Research Gathering with Alex, Ali and Luka

2010-02-12 16:00 Europe/Brussels
2010-02-12 20:00 Europe/Brussels

Please join FoAM's first family in residence, Alex, Ali and Luka, for a farewell afternoon tea.

They will be presenting the prototype of their robotic au pair (Robaupair) and sharing some ideas on the creative possibilities of parenthood.

Summary of the residency findings: http://lib.fo.am/research_report_ali_alex

Splinterfields : re/touches

2010-12-17 14:00 Europe/Brussels
2010-12-19 00:00 Europe/Brussels

workshop organised by Constant

In the weekend of the 17th-19th of December we will look at the act of repairing. We focus on textile and clothing, looking how something is woven, stitched together, consisting of threads and layers, and how these structures break, wear and tear with a body inside.

The Friday afternoon from 14 to 17h Abla who works as a volunteer in the Vaartkapoen repair and retouche atelier (http://www.vaartkapoen.be/socecnaai.htm) will show us the work they do. She will also show a technique for repairing.

Research Gathering with Kiran Gangadharan - Decode

2011-03-04 18:00 Europe/Brussels
2011-03-04 20:00 Europe/Brussels

During this research gathering Kiran Gangadharan -who has an engineering and design background- will present a round-up of Project Decode. The gathering covers an outline of the project’s main goals and research approach through various studies, conceptual design and iterations and the collaboration with dancers and artists.

Kiran started his residency at FoAM on January 1st, 2011, continuing his research on 'growth'. The new node in his ongoing research is "Movementors", in which he relates to growth and form through the metaphor of movement.

related publications

Open-ended processes, open space technologies and open laboratories.

Publication Type:

Book Chapter

Source:

Coding Cultures, d/Lux Media Arts, Sydney (2007)

URL:

http://www.dlux.org.au/codingcultures/CodingCulturesHandbook.pdf

related articles

Previous Public Events 2007

Current Events | calendar

200711 research gathering with Boo Chapple on Rat's Tales and Bodies of Water. 30 November 2007, 12:00 - 18:00, FoAM Lab, Koolmijnenkaai 30-34, B-1080 Brussels, Belgium.

Previous Pulic Events 2006

Current Events | calendar

None of the above. Open Lab, research gathering, performances, screenings, presentations, business as usual. 09-16 December 2006, Recyclart, Brussels, Belgium
http://www.altitude1000.be/festival2006/foam.php

Previous Pulic Events 2005

Current Events | calendar

Alive or dead?, bite size lectures by biologically inspired artists Angelo Vermeulen and Catherine Watling. 01 December 2005, 20:00, FoAM Lab, Koolmijnenkaai 30-34, B-1080 Brussels, Belgium

software: realtime animation, Master class and open lab lead by Dave Griffiths and Nik Gaffney. 13-17 December 2005, FoAM Lab, Koolmijnenkaai 30-34, B-1080 Brussels, Belgium
http://x4.fo.am/xmedk/

Previous Pulic Events 2004

Current Events | calendar

lunch-time lectures: choice, Danica Kuzmanovic on Psychological needs, behaviours and communicative co-existence, 17 December 2004, FoAM Lab, Brussels, Belgium

TRG open lab 02, presenting the latest developments in the TRG media systems and the results of the responsive environments workshop, November-December 2004, FoAM Lab, Brussels, Belgium
http://x4.fo.am/trg/

Previous Pulic Events 2003

Current Events | calendar

evolve: Minutiae, exhibition of Catherine Walting on evolution of micro organisms on microscopic and holographic media, 18-21 December 2003, /foam/tmp/ on Kanaal 20, Brussels, Belgium
http://f0.am/evolve/

f0amfr0th04: KREV de-auguration of the Temporary Embassy 13 December 2003, /foam/tmp/ on Kanaal 20, Brussels, Belgium
http://f0.am/fr0th/

Previous Pulic Events 2002

Current Events | calendar

WEAR ME, txOom presentation, Future Physical Network Exchange, 05 - 08 December 2002, Norwich, UK
http://www.futurephysical.org

txOom, responsive environment, 30 November - 08 December 2002, Great Yarmouth, UK
http://x4.fo.am/txoom

txOom public education project, txOom audience research, 25-29 November 2002, Great Yarmouth, UK
http://x4.fo.am/txoom

Previous Pulic Events 2001

Current Events | calendar

Creative Research @ FoAM , RADICAL Conference, December 2001, Paris, France
http://www.get-radical.net/
[slides]

Le corps et son autre, CIVA, November 2001, Brussels, Belgium
http://www.imal.org/cobrac-workshop/

FoAM , Ways of Working Study Day, November 2001, London, UK

Previous Pulic Events 2000

Current Events | calendar

Transforma[c]tion, FOAM presentation at the Starlab Event, December 2000, Brussels, Belgium

Future Moves - Time Tracking workshop, Dutch Electronic Arts Festival, November 2000, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
http://www.v2.nl/deaf/

T-Garden, Medi@terra Art Gallery, November 2000, Athens, Greece
http://www.fournos-culture.gr/festival/2000/Medi2000.html

Maki Ueda: Scentology

I research scents and the sense of smell. My challenge is to use them as a medium in art. In the exhibition context I create a spatial expressions with the scents, I give workshops pm extracting the scents (I extract the scents literary from anything: from food to the cloth, flowers to the ink), and I develop unique 'perfumes' with my extracts, not for to be worn, but to be smelled. I use basic chemistry and cooking techniques in my mini-laboratory for extracting the scents.

More information: http://scent-lab.blogspot.com/

Tale of Tales: Visual programming for artists

How do artists want to create software? What environments already exist? What new directions are needed?

Tale of Tales will explore these questions in a dedicated workshop.
http://tale-of-tales.com/

related pages

The Libarynth

The ever-growing Libarynth is exactly what its name implies – a hybrid between a library and a labyrinth, a maze of pages in various stages of completion. FoAM's collaborators and friends use the Libarynth as their research diary, sketch-book, or activity log. Some pages are valuable references, on a variety of topics; from visual programming, to inflatables and even vegetarian-friendly restaurants around the world. Others are fully-fledged research reports, or concept documents.

Groworld Games

During 2008 and 2009 a small group of groworlders including members of FoAM and invited participants Tale of Tales and Six to Start worked on designs and prototypes for games that would strengthen the connection between plants and people.

Resilients

Resilients are people of all ages preparing for uncertain futures, by experimenting with resilient forms living & working as a form of artistic practice. The Resilients project collects, creates, shares & supports these emergent practices, while grounding them in historic cultural roots.