Mentors:
Stella Veciana (DE)
Dan Norton (GB)

The REVALUING MEMORY workshop gives local artists and scientists the opportunity to use various interaction techniques to develop connected art practices. The workshop is based around the simple creative behaviours of selecting and mixing to build a mesh of connectivity around an exhibition and event focused on “the (co)existence of bios and techne”.

Each participant brings to the workshop a work of art, that is, or is represented by an object no bigger than a potato. During the one-day event, participants will share their knowledge and develop skills and resources to collaborate with each other for a joint sustainable art network in Maribor. The collaborative outcomes of the workshop will generate a Raablabs art installation for the MFRU-KILIX festival.

The workshop offers an insight into the creation of the project, which will be presented as a performance on Thursday, 7 November 2013 at 8 pm.
In their experimental and lab work, the authors deal with specific scientific functionality problems of nanomaterials, artificial nanodevices, micro fluids, magnetic fluids, ferrofluids and live science applications on the level of microsystems, researching the possibilities for their transformation into the macro level.
The workshop is conceived in the form of a DIWO open lab. The authors and participants will be preparing a liquid ferrofluid.
Anyone interested is welcome to join in on Friday, 8 November 2013 at 11 am.
Duration: 2 – 3 hours.

Along with development of computer technologies, digital tools and their distribution, the language of interactive media – videogames – has also made progress.

Gaming Lounge offers an insight into the “Let’s play” gaming subculture and into the world of independent (indie) games; for in the background of increased interest in computer games, a simultaneous revolution of digital distribution has also taken place, enabling the democratization of games’ development.

Enjoy yourself and play awarded videogames, such as Minecraft and Journey – computer game of the year 2012, in a relaxed atmosphere of the MFRU-KIBLIX Gaming Lounge.

The project has been designed for the Intermedia Arts course, under the mentorship of prof. Dušan Zidar as the subject holder. The group is composed of Danica Rženičnik, Urška Skaza, Tina Zidanšek and Simon Tržan; the latter has created a CNC machine which presents the basis of assessment.

The CNC machine is designed as a “green” printer; instead of an ink, it uses a mixture of soil, water and grass seeds, thus enabling the motives being printed out to grow green in time with proper care.

http://tiskajzeleno.wix.com/tiskaj-zeleno

GREEN print encompasses:

Urška Skaza is finishing her studies of Fine Arts Pedagogics at the University of Maribor. In her free time, she dedicates herself to painting on canvas.

Tina Zidanšek has already participated at some exhibitions and contests and is in her final year of Fine Arts Pedagogics studies at the Faculty of Education Maribor.

Danica Rženičnik is about to finish her studies of Fine Arts Pedagogics at the University of Maribor. She is a member of ZPM –Friends of Youth Association Mozirje, which organizes fine arts workshops for children on a monthly basis. She is also active in the Lepa Njiva cultural association.

Maja Petek is finishing studies of Fine Arts Pedagogics at Maribor’s University. She has presented her works, namely Open Space Exhibition and Privacy in a Space, at the meeting of Youth for Progress of Maribor as well as at the Eureka – Innovation of Youth Contest. Both of her projects received an award.

Simon Tržan graduated at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Maribor, at the Department of Automatics. He took part in competition Young researchers for the development of Šaleška valley and in Robot2004 and Robot2010 Contests, where he took first place on both occasions.

Ljudmila, Ljubljana based laboratory for science and art, showcases its workshop activities and art production with an “on-spot” workshop of creating DIY electronic instruments.

Three sets of kits from which various instruments can be made exploit electrical changes during different interactions: when in contact with water, when touched, through a body contact and also as a reaction to light. Kits are: Touch Tone – responds to touch, MicroNoise – responds to light and Teremini – reacts to vicinity.

Žiga Kranjec is an author and a computer programmer, involved in the development of open code systems since the late Eighties. During his studies, he worked at The Jožef Stefan Institute’s Super Computer Center as a member of the team responsible for setting up the Mat’kurja network hub. Since then, he co-works with Ljudmila on a variety of programming and intermedia projects. He is a member of the Makrolab.

Tina Dolinšek is finishing Cultural Studies at the University of Ljubljana. She writes for cultural redaction of Slovenian “Radio Student”, covering the topic of intermedia arts; she also collaborates with the newspaper Tribuna and with the portal Culture.si. Since 2013, she is in charge of educational and artistic activities at Ljudmila, where she has been working for the past two years. She is a member of the “Theremidi Orchestra”.

Luka Frelih is a computer program developer and an artist; a hacker with particular appreciation for free software and a website designer. He is a founding member of Ljudmila – Ljubljana Digital Media Lab, as well as the current president of the Ljudmila Society s and of The M3C Network. As a co-author, he likewise works on the project Creative Commons Slovenia. In addition, he is a member of the Theremidi Orchestra, Makrolab, ASCII Art Ensemble and of pioneering net.art community projects: 7-11, Refresh, Remote-C. He has programmed an instant ASCII camera, net.art generator and more than one web-based mapping interface for mobile, radio connected GPS agents.

RoboCupJunior is a worldwide robotic competition for pupils of primary and secondary schools. RoboCupJunior Dance is one of the challenges of the competition which, with a task set up openly, provides numerous possibilities for creative expression.

Team’s task consists of preparing a short robotic dance or theater performance; for a dance performance, grading criteria applied are innovativeness and synchronization of movement between robots and team members, whereas in a theater performance, innovativeness, as well as the manner of storytelling and presentation of action are crucial. Another important factor is the technical grade for the complexity of a robot’s construction.

http://www.robobum.uni-mb.si
http://www.rcj.robocupjunior.org

Suzana Uran, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – FERI, Institute for Robotics, Laboratory for cognitive systems in mechatronics.  Her main interests are in the fields of robotics and controllers for robot mechanisms and theoretical and experimental study of dynamics and cinematics of robot systems and a robot force controller.

Researchers: Žiga Tilli, Aleks Bezjak, Evald Vrbančič, Aljaž Zorko

Mentors: Boštjan Rihtar and Arne Korsika, FERI

The project wishes to acquaint pupils in a different way to phenomena of colors and relations between them. Inside a dome, pupils should be feeling embraced by warm or cold colors, able to create a complementary color contrast by themselves and watch a color wheel or a rainbow. By adding elements, they can play with color composition and spatial perspective.

The dome is managed by the program Shark, while a projection with Fisheye is conducted inside a projection dome.

This workshop is foremostly intended for girls, interested in the world of robotics. During a three-day workshop, you will be setting up a robot for driving around the labyrinth autonomously.
On the first day, a mentor will present a general theory of robotics, functioning and types of robots, the history of robotics, as well as specific characteristics and procedures for constructing a workshop robot.
Second day’s scope is building a robot hands-on: from composition to animation. On the third day, you will be testing previously made robots in labyrinths and take them home.

First Lego League is an international multidisciplinary research educational program with emphasis on robotics. FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.
Teams (9–16 years) are searching for innovative solutions in the framework of a research task covering a chosen topic. This year’s theme is “Nature’s Wrath. How to prepare, react and recover promptly when faced with natural disasters?”
The robotic section of the program consists of participants constructing an autonomous robot for problem solving in the FLL field.
FLL program in Slovenia is organized and conducted by the Super Glavce institution.

http://www.fll.si

Natalija Premužič is a co-founder of the Super Glavce Institution (2012) and the program and competition leader within the project FIRST ®LEGO® League (FLL) in Slovenia (since 2011); she organizes events for children and families (since 2008), is an enthusiast and an activist (since the day she was born). Following her studies of Pedagogics and Sociology at Ljubljana’s Faculty of Arts, Natalija spent the next twelve years working in the economic sector; in 2009, however, she opted for an individual career path and has returned to the sphere of education.

ŠC Ptuj, Elektro in računalniška šola students: Šešo Aljaž, Tadej Vidovič, Niko Ivezič, Tomaž Šešerko

A workshop and a film are representing ICT technology’s assistance in spreading the knowledge of technical field. They are intended for primary school pupils as an aid for Robotics in Engineering and Robotics in Electronics courses.

Lego systems composed of Lego Bricks for building robots will be used during the workshop, with the fundamental part being a graphically or textually programmed minicomputer with incorporated sensors, enabling the robot to detect environment.

A presentation of the project Flying eye – application of technique in painting – helicopter.