FoAM - family in residence

Rocket Boat Day #1

maja — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:31:06 +0000

Start: 2011-07-02 00:00 GMT+2

Rocketboat Day promises a blend of backyard naval architecture and rocket science.

Rocketboat Day 1 is to be a participatory event where people build little boats, power them with rocket engines and race them to see which one gets the furthest. The inaugural event will take place on a nice, calm bit of water somewhere in Brussels. Let's find out what happens when you attach a C6 model rocket engine to a boat made out of anything you can get your hands on. The cool breeze off the water will blow the sweet acrid smoke across your face like a lovers caress.

If you would like to join us. send an email to info@fo.am for details

Rocketboat Day is an evolution of the established tradition of Rocketcar Day. See the last one at http://rcd12.rocketcarday.com

RBD1 is the concluding event of the Simpsons' Family in Residence (http://x4.fo.am/simpsons/) and a part of Resilients project (http://x4.fo.am/resilients).

Resilients Family in Residence

maja — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:22:46 +0000

FoAM's first Resilients family in residence are the Simpsons (Mark, Lea, Scarlet & Delilah), occupying FoAM in Brussels for two weeks in June and July 2011.

A resilient culture of the future could include children in the working lives of adults. For the duration of the residency, we look at how are FoAM’s daily activities influenced by the continuous presence of two little girls in the studio in Brussels.

Their mother, Lea is investigating diverse cultural libraries around the world and will descend on FoAM’s library as well. With Lea's guidance, FoAM's library should become more resilient as well as more open and shareable.

The pater familias, Mark Simpson, explores a possible post-space-age cultural mobility, where artists (as the societal lab-rats) could be transported in rocked-powered vehicles. We will begin by having the artists design prototype rocket boats & unleash them on the Kanal in front of FoAM’s studio.

The family will go out with a bang, concluding their residency with the Rocket Boat Day: http://x4.fo.am/rbd

This residency is a part of the Resilients Project: http://x4.fo.am/resilients/

Family in Residence: Davies - Crosby - Davies

maja — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:40:44 +0000

In 2010 FoAM expanded the residency programme to include people of all ages. The first experiment was having a "Family in Residence" (FIR), welcoming Alex Davies, Alexandra Crosby and their young son Luka Davies for a three month long residency at FoAM in Brussels. The experience was extremely positive and we concluded that it is an experiment worth continuing.

FoAM's burgeoning intergenerational residency programme, combined with Alex and Ali's experiment in parenting has produced some interesting results. Alex investigates mixed reality artworks, that have lately included combining physical mechanisms with digital content. This technique lead to the construction of a 'Robotic Au Pair' for Luka as one of the outcomes of the residency. 'Robaupair' is a bricolage experiment in hands-free parenting. It has also been a way to reconsider the challenges of family as a creative adventure, as much as a set of duties.

The residency ended in a research gathering where the family demonstrated their Robotic Au-Pair, shared their experiences with other creative parents, and included the 'Dumpling Hour', now nearly a tradition instituted by Alex, that is likely to continue for the years to come.

http://x4.fo.am/robaupair

Alex Davies is a Sydney artist, until recently based in Austria working with Time’s Up (http://www.timesup.org). Alex was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from the College of Fine Arts, University of N.S.W (2001), where he is now a PhD Candidate. His current practice is based around the development of evolving audio-visual installations in which individuals and dynamic environmental factors shift the conditions of a controlled space. http://schizophonia.com/

Alexandra Crosby is a writer, researcher and designer. She recently edited an anthology, /re:Publik, Indonesia-Australia Creative Adventures/, and is a founding member of feminist noise bands Sok Bakso and Total Ibu. She is now completing a phD on creative approaches to environmental issues in Java. She also works for EngageMedia. http://www.alimander.com/ http://www.engagemedia.org/

Luka Davies came to FoAM when he was three weeks old. Despite much encouragement and practice on the FoAM kitchen bench, by the time he left in February 2010, he couldn't quite crawl yet. He did, however, dribble and babble prolifically.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alimander/sets/72157622615947811/