Bricolabs @ Pixelache 2007
two rings connecting then calling the genius
Notes from Bricolabs workshop at Main D'Oevres, St.Ouen - Paris 2007
Mal au Pixel, theme: Democracy or Die.
Denis Jaromil Rojo: If no privacy then no democracy. We must be the critical other. Our code of respect is to challenge ourselves with our ideas.
Where: Mains des Oeuvres, Rue Charles Garnier. The Rue leading up to the venue is le Rue Blanqui.
Who: Participants: Denis Jaromil Rojo, Venzha Christiawan, Rob van Kranenburg, Jean-Noël Montaigné, Benoit Campo, Aude Ghilbert, Wassily Kosinetz, Maël Primet, Marie-Anna Tsagouris, Marion Louisgrand, Joe Holmberg, Veronika Benova, Kamon Ayeva
Interests: GPL, open source developments, ethic sat the level of code, computer science, signal accessing/image processing, selflearning, open source concepts, meubles/ metalles artisanale, dakar, cybercafés in africa, public notion of public space, open source development for public space, philosophy behind social practices, seeds for change.
Rob van Kranenburg
A brief intro to bricolabs:
- from Brazil as next step of the pontos de culturas, open source content, sofware and hardware gambiarra
- from the growing notions of security and transparency of top down ambient intelligence (rfid, smart cameras, biometrics) coupled with a policy of fear and distrust; bricolabs as bottom up ambient intelligence
- from a need to feel again more positive and empowering about technologies
- from the recognition that these are global trends and there are only local solutions informed by these global trends; bricolabs as a transnational operation
Denis Jaromil Rojo
Reverse engineering and recycling as major bricolabs practice alongside/before developing new own hardware:
- check on what is aleady there, focus not only on cultural but also on engineering protocols and practices of large companies ( buying prototypes and haltng their development)
- acknowledge that there is no sense of progress in only one spot, development is everywhere, also technological development should be seen in local directions. The key to ensure honesty of operators across networks is found in the example of the free software foundation: a web of trust of pragmatic people sharing an ethic and then active also on lobbying levels.
Venzha Christiawan
Bricolabs parctices are already very real in the indonesian context where the government puts out how to's on radar and wireless boosters:
The situation in Indonesia is very complex, both open and closed software schemes are proposed and supported. However there are some very interesting hardware developments going on. LIPI the governemental agency for research and development has produced a cheap sea and air a radar at one tenth of the general price condition together with the Howto to make it and a very accessible and illustrative manual to boost wifi range for free access, called ndeso (no brand). Both in Indonesia an Brazil there are pleas to open op 2.4ghz as a free zone.
In Indonesia currently there is very little open source, little hacking experience inside the schools or university. Young people set up mediaspaces, honf (venzha in jogjakarta), ruangrupa (ade in jakarta), common room ( gustaff harriman in bandung). These are all in Java, small island, but hthe biggest in mediacentres. There is no transfer knowledge within the academy, nor interdisciplinary practices. In fact, on of the roles of HONF ( House of Natural Fibre) is to play the bridge between these different places and practices ( for example honf brings together people in biotechnology, bioethics, tatto artists). For us the story of why and how of global media art is important, we need it to trigger the local creative community, also because our own practices get reread in these histories and played back to a local audience that only then may realize what it is we are trying to do.