This blog was originally written for and published on the SparkFun Electronics site.
Recently, SparkFun sponsored an art exhibit at the Museum of Boulder. “Convivial Machines” is open from now until February 6. The artists are local students, scientists, engineers, and creatives that are part of the Boulder Experiments in Art and Technology (B.E.A.T.) meetup. “Convivial Machines” aims to emphasize the tension between the benefits that technology offers with its negative traits such as distraction, disruption, and environmental impact. The exhibit has a “light side” and “dark side” (literally) and has facilitated projects in which people collaborate and connect with each other, technology, and nature. It features interactive digital art, kinetic sculpture, music machines, and much more.
Fantastical Tape Loop, Cha Cha & Jiffer Harriman, 2021 - photos by Priyanka Makin
One piece in the show is a collaborative music arcade built by Sean Winters, Chase Stewart, Jiffer Harriman, Torin Hopkins, Eric Atencio, and Spencer Arrasmith. “Galaga’s Ghost” allows viewers to participate and collaborate in generating music and visuals in a vintage arcade-style format.
Galaga's Ghost, Sean Winters, Chase Stewart, Jiffer Harriman, Torin Hopkins, Eric Atencio, & Spencer Arrasmith, 2021 - photos by Priyanka Makin
“Bioluminescent Touch” by Mirela Alistar and Netta Ofer highlights living dinoflagellates. Viewers are invited to interact with the algae and see them illuminate creating a connection and intimacy between people and the microorganisms.
Here are a few more snippets from the exhibit:
Bytes of Humanity, Gail Folwell, 2021
Musical Dot Orchestra, Matt Moore, 2021
Listening Lanterns, Jiffer Harriman with special thanks to the B.E.A.T. Interactive LED Workshop participants, 2021
The B.E.A.T. meetup founded by Jiffer Harriman fosters explorations at the intersection of the arts with technology and science. The goal of the group is to share work, find collaborations in the community, and get inspired. Pre-pandemic, Jiffer hosted various open mics and technology workshops around the city, but the Zoom open mics during the pandemic kept me sane and engaged with people. This gathering of artists and technologists offers quite a bit of overlap between the CU Boulder crowd and, more specifically, people involved in the ATLAS Institute.
Interactive LED Workshop at the Museum of Boulder, 2021
Jiffer is a creative technologist, musician, and educator based in Boulder. He runs the B.E.A.T. meetup and curated the “Convivial Machines” show. He teaches and develops courses for ATLAS and creates interactive systems for music, sound, and visual arts. He does software, PCB, and embedded system design -- exactly like what we do here at SparkFun! He put a lot of work and thought into this exhibit that served as a creative opportunity and an avenue for human connection amidst a pandemic. If you’re a local, you should visit the Museum of Boulder and see this one-of-a-kind exhibit.