“Sonifying frequencies” Vol. 2

The open-source electromagnetic spectrum listening device workshop is happening again!

Elektrosluch Mini City is a DIY kit of Elektrosluch, an open-source device for electromagnetic listening. It allows one to discover sonic worlds of electromagnetic fields, surrounding our every step. Just plug your headphones & explore. Concept & electronics were developed by Jonáš Gruska.

Elektrosluch Mini kit is easy to assemble ans it’s a very good start to pick up your basic soldering skills and start reading a schematic. Bernhard Rasinger will guide you through the workshop. Be sure to bring headphones with a TRS connector!

The Sound of Rocks: Speculating on Future Geologies

Martina M. Yáñez’s project is an ongoing research endeavor, diving deep into the connections between art, our planet, and the more-than-human elements that shape our world. In her work, she explores the intricate links between sound, rocks, time, and memory.

Central to the project is a speculation: imagining a rock created not by nature, but by artificial means. How would such a “geological dislocation” a rock fundamentally out of place in terms of its origin force us to rethink history and nature itself?

For Martina, sound plays a crucial role. She sees it as a way to both speculatively translate the materiality of rocks and to uncover their hidden histories, delving into the intricate connections binding sound, geological formations, the passage of time, and collective memory.

During her time at the camp, a geological-inspired study will take center stage. She plans to scan the shape and sound of diverse rocks, carefully chosen from different geological eras and formations. These scans won’t just be raw data; they’ll merge into what Martina calls an archive of future geologies. Essentially, she’s proposing the creation of a multimodal archive of fictional sedimentation, a speculative exercise where alternative pasts and geological futures blend together, inviting us to imagine new narratives for our planet.

Vytautas Bikauskas: WEBPIT 3.0 to 4.0

The WEBPIT project by Vytautas Bikauskas explores the creative possibilities of wireless (WLAN) and portable networks that operate off-grid. Its latest version, WEBPIT 3.0, is a portable system featuring a crank generator, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a microcontroller. This system creates a WLAN and hosts a local server, allowing users to connect and read HTML poetry for as long as someone is manually cranking the generator.

When showing the work to others, Vytautas noticed that users frequently broke the generator. This experience (while repairing) prompted him to reflect on the importance of designing with failure and maintenance in mind. Therefore, he plans to run a workshop focused on making repair kit prototypes and broadening the discussion on the significance and necessity of repair practices in media art. He also aims to draw attention to the sometimes neglected questions of power access and consumption, especially for on-grid media works. Finally, he intends to further experiment with interactive poetry designed for minimal resources and implementable on an ESP32 microcontroller.

More-than-human entanglements

How can designers and artists meaningfully engage with more-than-human contexts? How
do we avoid superficial conclusions and instead uncover situated relationships? How might
we navigate the intricate entanglements of humans, non-human organisms, materials,
technologies, and other phenomena without getting lost?

Tamara Lašič Jurković is an interdisciplinary designer, researcher, and teaching assistant. She works at the intersection of design theory, regeneration, and posthumanist perspectives. At PIFcamp, she will collaborate with Lovro Vehovar, a biologist, herbalist, and certified permaculture planner, to further develop a method for entanglement mapping. This method helps identify human and non-human entities within a specific context, analyze their interrelations, and visualize them. Such detailed mapping enables the discovery of challenges and opportunities for design and artistic interventions that would be overlooked by conventional design research methods.

Building on Arturo Escobar’s concept of relationality, Bruno Latour’s Actor-network theory
and the principles of permaculture, Tamara and Lovro will explore the surroundings of PIFcamp, experiment with different approaches for investigating the more-than-human interrelations and hopefully
gather some inspiring insights for future projects!

Meteorite: A DIY Tool for Sound and IoT by Stefano Manconi

Meteorite is a DIY prototype designed for exploring the possibilities of networks and IoT applications within sound, music, and new media art practices.

The prototype is based around the ESP8266, an inexpensive SoC (Systen-on-a-Chip) with built-in WiFi which costs about the price of a coffee and can be programmed through the friendly Arduino environment. By collecting codes, schematics and well-documented examples, the goal is to design a device which can be used by artists, students and makers to develop their creations.

During PIFcamp, Stefano will focus on refining the user interface and experimenting with applications involving sensors and environmental data. The project’s outcomes will also contribute to his Master’s degree.

Project by Stefano Manconi
Photo by Chiara Carredda

Application for 11th PIFcamp are open!

Open call for the 11th edition of PIFcamp is out! You can find all the information on how to apply in the APPLY HERE section.

Catch the early bird price by applying until March 16th. Open call will be open until 13th of April.

Applications are extended until 18 April!

Since we are making slight changes in the participation, we kindly ask you to read the description on the webpage or in the form.

We are looking forward to your applications!

Open Saturday 2024 & PIFcamp celebration

SEE YOU TONIGHT AT KLUŽE! 🎉🎉🎉 PIFcamp Celebration! 🎉🎉🎉
An evening of AV performances celebrating 10 years of PIFcamp!

Open Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 8.30 PM
Kluže Fortress, Bovec

You are invited to the grand finale of the 10th PIFcamp edition, which will conclude at Kluže Fortress on the night of August 3rd. Join us as we celebrate a decade of your favourite hacker camp in a festive birthday atmosphere and enjoy an evening of audiovisual performances featuring modular synthesis sounds, live coding, and vibrant laser projections!

Performers:
Alex McLean & Lizzie Wilson (UK), Live Coding with Time
Pierce Warnecke & Matthew Biederman (US/CA): Sonopeutic Smooth Sailing, AV performance
LazerMeduza (AT/CZ), Modular Synths & Lasers
Shekuza (SI), Modular Synths Live & Turbulente (MX/ES), Visuals/ Live Coding

Free admission.

In case of rain, the event will be cancelled.

The so-called Open Saturday, an informal closing of PIFcamp, will be held at the main venue (Soča 25, Bovec), starting at around 1 PM. The gathering in a relaxed atmosphere is dedicated to internal presentations of projects developed by participants throughout the week in a form of all-day free workshops, presentations, lectures, and tastings! The detailed program will be announced later (or may not be). Regardless, you are welcome to drop by Soča before heading to Kluže!

More info: pifcamp@ljudmila.org

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Production: Zavod Projekt Atol, Društvo Ljudmila & ISOLABS. 
With the support of the Ministry of Culture RS and the Municipality of Ljubljana. The event is part of the official programme of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica – Gorizia. PIFcamp is part of the Rewilding Cultures project, co-financed by the European Union’s Creative Europe program and the Ministry of Public Administration RS.

Dance, body expression and live coding

Dancer and choreographer Jorge Guevara, driven by a desire to bridge the gap between coding (tech) and embodied practices (dance), will introduce his collaborative project utilizing Hydra j.s., a live-coding platform for visual art, in conjunction with dance and body expression. He has been crafting this fusion together with Naoto Hieda. The unique setting of PIFcamp provides an ideal space for them to explore the interplay of code and corporeality, seeking connections with nature and collaborating with fellow enthusiasts. During the camp, they will use the opportunity to experiment with a new workshop setup they are preparing for their upcoming performance.

The workshop is based on a twofold approach:

  1. Hydra Introduction (1-2 hours): Dive into coding with Hydra, creating abstract images and “body filters” using our user-friendly web interface. No coding experience required.
  2. Embodied Practice (1-2 hours): Explore embodying objects and connecting with nature through performative practices. We may bring in laptops too, and try the code from the previous workshop, which will happen organically.

These sessions offer a seamless blend of technical (live coding) and body practices, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves and the natural world.

The workshop will wrap up with a feedback session, offering a chance for reflection and sharing experiences. The input of the participants will be invaluable for their coding-corporeal practice, which includes the performance at Kino Šiška in Ljubljana on 30 August 2024.

Photo: Urška Boljkovac/Kino Šiška

With support of Flanders.