Art_X@Rensselaer

MESTIZO ROBOTICS

Art_X@Rensselaer is looking for a small group of curious and self-motivated art and HASS, cognitive science and engineering students (junior, senior and/or graduate)  and interested faculty to participate in a novel initiative coordinated by the School of Architecture, HASS and EMPAC.

We are interested on students with a basic knowledge of and/or interest in the following areas:

• ROBOTICS
• MECHATRONICS
• SENSING
• SIGNAL PROCESSING
• ROBOTIC ART
• TELEMATIC & RESPONSIVE ART

Students will participate in the development of an artistic academic project comprised of an interconnected spherical robotic community dispersed and developed by different research units throughout the Americas. The Nano Lab / Universidade Federal of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and the Electronic & Media Arts / Universidad Tres de Febrero (Buenos Aires, Argentina) have confirmed their participation, others may be added soon.

The overarching interest linking the different research groups across the continent is the exploration of the notion of “technological mestizaje.” Mestizaje is understood here as phenomenon with a non-harmonic resolution, but a “heterogeneous juxtaposition aiming toward hybridity” (G. Yudice). The term ‘mestizo technology’ is used to frame the discussion on how technology is embodied, appropriated, transformed and assimilated in unexpected forms in different development contexts.

Inspired by the Mayan creationist myth of the Popol Vuh, Gustavo Crembil and Paula Gaetano Adi (1) proposed  this territorial installation comprised of a community of autonomous robotic spheres “made out of mud.” The project advocates for the integration of high and low technology, materials, processes, and cultures; and claims a tactical approach to fabrication and thinking in which western methods, expertises, and colonial technologies collide, and are absorbed with existing traditions and local knowledges.

One cluster of 3 or 4 robotic spheres will be developed and installed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) under the framework of the ART_X@Rensselaer, an “art across the curriculum initiative” aimed to promote innovative educational and research interchanges among the institute’s diverse academic units.

This Fall 2015, artist Nao Bustamante (RPI/HASS Arts) will join Crembil and Gaetano Adi  to articulate this project as a design & build studio course as part of Art_X@Rensselaer. Students from architecture, HASS, and engineering will critic, design and build an installation to be deployed and interconnected across the American continent. 

The project will be developed under the umbrella of dedicated advanced design studio at Rensselaer’s School of Architecture coordinated under which different curricular tiers will co-exist (see next) to allow the participation of students of different schools who will work together and co-develop the project with architecture students. Interested RPI students, please contact Prof. Crembil at .

Student Participation:

The project will be developed under the umbrella of dedicated advanced design studio at Rensselaer’s School of Architecture coordinated by Prof. Gustavo Crembil, under which different curricular tiers will co-exist to allow the participation of students of different schools who will work together and co-develop the project with architecture students.

Non-architecture students will have the following curricular options to sign up:

ARCH 4968.01: MESTIZO ROBOTICS [3 CREDITS OPTION]

Design-and-build workshop focused on developing a robotic art installation mixing high and low technologies. Research to include: robotics, mechatronics, sensing, signal processing, telematic and responsive art. Mondays and Thursdays 4-6pm.

ARTS-4968-01 & ARCH 4969.01: MESTIZO ROBOTICS [2 CREDITS OPTION]

Seminar dedicated to exploring and expanding the notion of “mestizo technology” and its theoretical implications. Faculty: Nao Bustamante and Gustavo Crembil. Mondays 4-6pm.

Architecture students will signup under the following studio option:

ARCH 4250/4260.xx: MESTIZO ROBOTICS [6 CREDITS]

Advanced Arch Design (vertical) studio. Only arch students are eligible to register under this curricular format. Studio presentation and selection:  Monday August 31st, 2:30pm, Greene Gallery.

Faculty Participation:

Interested RPI faculty may participate under the following formats:

• Associated:
  • Available as consultant to students participating in the project
  • Lecture / present one or twice about their own work / research in relation to the project.
  • Participate in critical pinups and all reviews.
• Consultant:
  • Available as consultant to the students or lecture on subject related to the project.
  • Participate in reviews (midterm and final).
• Supporter:
  • Promote project and recommend students.
  • Participate in reviews (midterm and final).

Please contact Prof. Gustavo Crembil () if you have any contacts.

Notes:

[1] Paula Gaetano Adi taught at eMAC / RPI and worked at EMPAC. Currently a faculty at Rhode Island School of Design, she will be a regular guest critic of these courses.