
Photos by: Katja Goljat
//For now, this entry is being edited continuously, adjusting itself to the PIFcraft timetable and following encounters within the community. Current versions are noted in the square brackets at the end of the title.
First PIFcraft log entry will focus on writings, dialogues and participants’ projects which can (for starters, at least) be summed up in the following set: off-grid, low-tech, self-host.
//A report will follow on Bernhard Rasinger‘s intro workshop on energy awareness and solar power. One of his PIFprojects is setting up an off-grid solar-powered network for the camp.
Listen to the Energy Awareness workshop jingle ft. Karel Gott & Darinka‘s Fang das Licht:
For the past 11 years, the village of Soča (located in the Triglav National Park) has been providing PIFcampers with infrastructure, space and natural phenomena. Although the week-long communities that form each camp connect with the environment, try their best to take care of it, and generally just immensely appreciate it, there’s no denying that bringing 50+ extra persons (not to mention all of the sound- and light-emitting devices) to a village of 140 inhabitants, is a shock. There are several ways to monitor (and then find ways to diminish) our impact, such as calculating power consumption, understanding which (re)sources the energy is coming from, and setting up off-grid systems that are more in tune with their surroundings.
Bernhard started monitoring PIFcamp’s power consumption last year. Here are some of his findings:
//How can we reduce these? But also: how does that compare with the kilowatt hours we use in our ordinary lives? And what are the experiences of those of us living off-grid?
Next installments:
Part 2: Low-tech
Part 3: Self-host
What we’re reading, researching, listening to:
– (re)programming – Strategies for Self-Regeneration (free) | authors: Marta Peirano and guests, edited by: Janez Fakin Janša, published by: Aksioma (Ljubljana, 2022)
– Artists Running Data Centers (CC-BY-SA 4.0) | edited by: Davide Bevilacqua, published by: sevus.at (Linz, 2024)
– Low-tech Magazine | about the mag
– Permacomputing | community
– Solar Protocol: Exploring Energy-Centered Design | authors: Tega Brain, Alex Nathanson, Benedetta Piantella (LIMITS ’22, 2022)
– A Feminist Server Manifesto (Peer Production License) | about
– Distributed Web of Care | about
We’ll continue adding items to the above list as we go. If you have a suggestion, let us know on PIFcamp grounds or send an e-mail to katja[at]ljudmila[dot]org.
Sinfonía Biótica is an inter-species creative ecosystem. An investigation into the physical and electromagnetic bodies of other organisms, plants and fungi. A network of sensors connected to a database that monitors environmental data and its relationship with the vital signs of organisms.
An open community of people interested in learning more about other forms of life and in developing artistic projects with this information with the aim of raising awareness about the complexity and importance of respecting and caring for these organisms.
All this information feeds into Sinfonía biótica VR, a virtual reality experience in which human beings and non-animal organisms -such as plants and fungi- collaborate in the creation of an interactive audiovisual piece.
Each of these organisms within the symphony, based on the data generated by their electrical impulses, movements and sounds, will interpret a part of the bio data sound composition. The movements and interactions of the performer will be added to the unique and unrepeatable collaborative piece as another instrument.
Sinfonía biótica is a project based on multiple types of information collected from different living beings. On the one hand, we record the physical bodies of the tree and its environment using photogrammetry
techniques and radiance fields. On the other hand, we collect data from the electrical impulses of the plants and soon also from their environment (temperature, humidity, electroconductivity). We treat this data in a way that allows us to represent both the physical appearance and part of their inner workings to create the digital personality of each one of them.
PHYSICAL BODIES
On one hand, we digitise the physical body of organisms using photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting techniques. After processing and cleaning, we can use these point clouds in Blender, Unreal Engine with the LumaAI plugin or TouchDesigner.
ELECTRICAL DATA FROM PLANTS
Biodata – Symbioware
It is an open-source hardware technological device, designed by Sam Cusumano, from Electricity for Progress, based on Arduino ESP-32 that allows us to amplify the electrical signals of living beings.
By connecting its electrodes to plants or fungi, we can receive fluctuations in their electrical impulses and convert them into sounds, projections, changes in lights, etc.
How does it work?
– Small changes in electrical conductivity are measured between electrodes and fed into a programmable microcontroller.
– The changes are detected by calculations of means and standard deviations that light up LEDs and produce MIDI notes and control changes.
– The circuit used to detect biological galvanic conductance is based on a 555 timer configured as an astable multivibrator, similar to a simple lie detector.
The exploration and practice of Biodata Sonification can allow a student, musician, scientist or florist to listen to the secret life of plants, and understand how their tools work!
More information:
https://sinfoniabiotica.xyz
https://molinolab.org
https:/b1tdreamer.xyz
Rainy Thursday was followed by a rainy Friday. PIFtopia thankfully avoided the more serious storms, but owing to the extreme conditions in several regions across Slovenia, the decision had to be made to call off the Open Saturday. The wrap-up of PIFcamp was nevertheless breathing down the PIFparticipants’ necks. So, despite the relentless rain, we witnessed the usual Friday levels of diligence.
Laurent, whom we have already written about in this year’s PIFlog, decided to start his presentation right after breakfast. He presented his setup, which combines dance and coded music in his performances, to those who hadn’t yet marveled at his (really special!) live coding interface. Free from all PIFproject commitments, he was able to attend workshops, presentations, and jams throughout Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, Maya Minder‘s plans to research and produce a bacterial field guide were interrupted by the rainy weather during the week, so she has arranged a presentation of one of her past projects under the canopy – a workshop on making power cells from microbes, which she is developing and running in collaboration with Miranda Moss. Kraut Source Energy is well documented on the Hackteria wiki, where you can also download the instructions for producing energy from various stinky substances like sauerkraut, urine, or mud.
Already before lunch, we noticed certain indications that noise would dominate Friday as far as sound is concerned. Dan Xu invited the PIFlars to build kraakdoos, noise-making experimental instruments developed by Michel Waisvisz in the 1970s at Amsterdam’s STEIM, under the slogan “Let’s make some noizzzeee”.
The crackle box, as the name of this simple instrument translates from Dutch, is played simply by touching it, which neatly connects Dana’s workshop with the activity that was (still) going on under the tent in the meantime. Participants in Rob’s workshop continued to build instruments from the Networked Touch series. More on this in the report from Saturday’s events.
After a spot-on lunch (fish and potato salad), a few of the curious gathered for Nejc‘s presentation on creating animations with artificial intelligence. Nejc presented his practice and shared a number of other interesting facts, such as his fascination with solar punk, while also briefing the audience on his project in progress, a short experimental generative animated film with the working title First We Must Listen to the Trees, in which he explores social situations in relation to the environment and the ecosystem, as well as coexistent and sustainable ways of living.
Before it got dark in the PIFcamp, we enjoyed two more artist talks on the terrace: first, the audience was entertained by Jani Pirnat, who is a curator at Ljubljana’s Vžigalica Gallery outside of PIFtopia, and also one of our favourite Slovenian contemporary artists at our week-long gatherings in Soča. Jani presented his two previous PIFprojects, Peasant Resistance and Rock’n’roll. While the former tasted internet fame for a few days, the latter – a cement mixer transformed into a disco ball with a rolling stone inside – only amused PIFlars so far. But judging by the audience’s reaction, it is likely that it will also be presented to an outside public soon.
Next, Michael Candy, this year’s PIFresident, presented previous projects and delighted the audience with infectious joy for building robots and stories from previous artistic residencies. We caught a video of Ether Antenna, a work created during a residency at the Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN). This narrative short film, beautifully edited to music by Pauline Anne Strom, is based on Buddhist tales, with robots, of course, performing all parts. Ah, yes, and there’s a PIFlog recommendation, too: if you’re in Ljubljana in September, don’t miss Michael’s installation as part of the autumn extension of the Lighting Guerrilla festival.
Friday night was spent mostly draining the canopies and tent wings, but of course not without additional soundscapes that complemented and occasionally overpowered the raindrops – from the noise jams to the terrace party, there’s room for everyone at PIFtopia.