Ampera Electric Dreams: Vauxhall Technology Week

About

Technology Week is inspired by the launch of the electric car, the Vauxhall Ampera. The future of technology is imagination, so the week is based around experimental, interactive design technology, seeking to examine what happens when the rules are broken down. The Week is curated by Beatrice Galilee. Beatrice was European curator of Shenzhen Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2009, curator of the Biennale of Design in Korea in 2011 and in 2013 she will be Chief Curator of the Biennale of Architecture in Lisbon. She also lectures at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. The events aim to take apart the rules and show you how to re-design, re-imagine and re-invent the future — featuring: ”¢ A nightly lighting show with video installation artist Quayola curated by Nuit Blanche, bringing London to light after dark ”¢ An interactive, kinetic robot that can read circuits and translate colour into sound by designer and sound artist Yuri Suzuki ”¢ A discussion with Jason Bruges Studio and Troika who have produced numerous immersive and spectacular installations around the world ”¢ DNA Hacking with Tuur van Balen including a demonstration on how to DNA-hack yoghurt, creating a truly one-of-a-kind dish ”¢ Performance artist Choy Ka Fai demonstrates the potentials of digital muscle memory by choreographing a piece which uses electrical pulses to stimulate the nerves and create movement Guests can also treat themselves to Homeslice pizza, proseco on tap and slushy margheritas at the Filling Station bar! #VXAmperaSeason / @Vauxhall / @TheKXFS SCHEDULE: Tuesday 21st August ”¢ 6 — 10pm: Nuit Blanche take over KXFS The week opens with Nuit Blanche New York. Usually bringing New York to light after dark with public art and site-specific installations, NBNY's creative director Ken Farmer has curated a selection of works by Melodie Mousset and Martynka Wawrzyniak transforming the King's Cross Filling Station. Video installation artist Quayola will be presenting ‘Strata #1'. Wednesday 22nd August ”¢ 2 — 4pm: Yuri Suzuki - Colour Chaser Designer and Sound Artist Yuri Suzuki invites an audience to join him, whilst he reveals the sensational realms of sound, colour, design and technology. Using his kinetic robot that can read circuits and translate colour into sound, members of the audience are invited to get involved in this experimentation in synaesthesia and watch Suzuki's robot make music from their own colourful circuit creations. ”¢ 6 - 8pm: Tech Talks - Jason Bruges Studio + Troika, chaired by Beatrice Galilee Over the past decade the London-based interactive design and architecture practices Jason Bruges Studio and Troika have been producing numerous immersive and spectacular installations worldwide. Come and see them talk about past projects, discuss what new spectacles are happening across design and technology today, and speculate on where this hybrid-creative industry is heading in the future. ”¢ 8 - 10pm: Strata #1 - Quayola Thursday 23rd August ”¢ 2 - 4pm: DNA Hacking with Tuur van Balen DNA-hacking yoghurt cooking show. Thursday brings with it a twist on all things natural. After producing a concept for a bacteria which would allow pigeons to defecate soap, Tuur van Balen introduces the world of DNA hacking in this two hour workshop.The Belgian designer works across the worlds of design and synthetic biology to challenge the role that technology plays in our lives. With a set of specially devised cooking instruments van Balen will invite people to get their hands wet with his DIY approach to biotechnology. His twist on a cooking show will demonstrate how to DNA-hack yoghurt, creating a truly one-of-a-kind dish. ”¢ 6 - 8pm: Tech Talks - Thomas Maincent & Studio Needs Must Designer and founder of Studio Needs Must, Juan Montero, is interested in observing how humans behave and then interfering with this relationship. His latest work, Hacking Hope is a film that questions the way that we surround ourselves with technologies in and around the home. Montero will be talking about his practice, which spans interactive design, film, and photography. Devised by the Belgian designer Thomas Maincent, Spider Farm aims to manufacture and cultivate the silk produced by the Madagascan silk spider. Maincent uses nature's design as the ultimate resource and applies it to the human world in a series of ingenious ways in this ambitious project. ”¢ 8 - 10pm: Strata #1 - Quayola Friday 24th August ”¢ 2 - 4pm: Open Structures - Thomas Lommee & Friends The way that we ‘design' design is changing. Friday's sessions introduce the exciting possibilities of open source and collaborative design, beginning with designer Thomas Lommee of Intrastructures. Thomas Lommee will be on hand to explain his OpenStructures project. OpenStructures uses collaboration and networks to enable people to co-design products. Come and talk to him about how we can open out the design process, so everyone can design for everyone else. ”¢ 6 — 8pm: Tech Talks - Thomas Lommee, WikiHouse + Sitraka Rakotoniaina, chaired by architecture and design critic of the Guardian Oliver Wainwright WikiHouse describes itself as ‘an open source construction kit'. In the spirit of enabling everyone to be able to promote and realise their designs, WikiHouse is a site that allows people to download and ‘print' out their own houses using the latest in manufacturing technologies. WikiHouse's Alastair Parvin talks about open source design and what WikiHouse are doing. Sitraka Rakotoniaina builds objects and installations that challenge our perception of space, technology and design. Rakotoniaina is part of a generation of young designers, who refer to themselves as speculative designers, designing with the future in mind. Hear him talk about how design is changing for the future. ”¢ 8 - 10pm: Strata #1 - Quayola Saturday 25th August ”¢ 2 - 4pm: Lunchtime Tech Talk - Choy Ka Fai + Studio Homunculus, chaired by Beatrice Galilee Studio Homunculus was founded by Joong Han Lee whose approach to design places human beings at the centre of the design process. His 2011 project Haptic Inteligentsia allows the user to explore what it feels like to touch and feel a virtual object. Listen to Joong talk about his work and the psychology of design. Before his performance Choy Ka Fai will join us in our lunchtime session to talk about his projects, influences and working at the intersection between art, design and technology. ”¢ 6 — 8pm: Performance - Choy Ka Fai Choy Ka Fai is an artist, performance maker and speculative designer. For Electric Futures Ka Fai will be holding one of his lecture performances demonstrating the potentials of digital muscle memory. By studying the way that the body can be manipulated through dance Ka Fai will work with a dancer to provide a spectacular show for a live audience. ”¢ 8 - 10pm: Strata #1 - Quayola Sunday 26th August ”¢ Tech Talks - Technology Will Save Us, chaired by design writer Anna Bates with a live Sugru demonstration and hacking Never will we hear the words ‘computer says no!' again thanks to educators Technology Will Save Us. The designers come and share their story about how they are providing a platform for us to learn how to re-skill, fix and create technologies and gadgets that we are surrounded by everyday. Sugru is not just the new wonder product — it is a wonder story about a designer who wanted us to be able to revise the objects we have, instead of always making new ones from scratch. Sugru will be presenting a selection of videos to describe what Sugru does best and there will be a stall on site so people can see Sugru in action!