East Lansing Sunday Soup

Article in the State News on East Lansing Sunday Soup!

Proposals can be sent to [email protected]. 

For more information, please click here. Artists wishing to submit a proposal, please click here. If you have any other questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Thank you!

For more information, please click here. Artists wishing to submit a proposal, please click here. If you have any other questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Thank you!

Live Stock is an exploration into the development of open-source agricultural controllers through the creation of living interactive animatronic inflatable hanging sculptures. The form of piece is inspired by glow in the dark worms found in caves of South America. It is a hanging irrigated armature supporting the growth inside of a led impregnated plastic skin allowing the propagated wheatgrass protection from potential human pathogens, through filtered pressurization. The LEDs will pinpoint the portion of the visible spectrum utilized in the photosynthesis of both chlorophyl a and chlorophyl b. The (agricultural plastic) skin of the living sculptures will also be equipped with three motion sensors, that will allow the sculptures to react to the viewer. The sculptures will respond to the viewer in three ways. First the sensors which will be interfaced to the open-source microprocessor platform Arduino, allowing them to control three stepping motors; one stepping motor to each sensor. Each stepping motor will control two cables; one attached to the inner armature and one attached to the outer skin. The motor and cable system will allow the hanging wormlike sculpture to recoil from the viewer. The second level of anthropomorphic behavior will be in the LEDs. The LEDs in the plastic skin of the creature will blink and undulate in response to the viewers presence. The third level of response to the viewer is the irrigation system. The pieces will only receive water when a viewer is present. The combination of behavioral traits displayed in the living sculptures will make them appear simultaneously apprehensive of the viewer (demonstrated by their recoiling from the viewer and defensive flashing of their lights) and dependent on the viewer for water. On the top of the sculptures (above the viewers head) will be the controllers (brains) and actuators (stepping motors) as well as the fans inflating the skin with air forced through a filter. The filter will keep the area around the wheatgrass clean and free of human pathogens. The sculptures will be designed to be harvested weekly and replanted with pre-sprouted mats of wheatgrass that will be sewn onto the armature in 16” segments. At the weekly harvesting the wheatgrass is to be juiced and fed to the viewer.

For more information, please click here. Artists wishing to submit a proposal, please click here. If you have any other questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Thank you!

For more information, please click here. Artists wishing to submit a proposal, please click here. If you have any other questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Thank you!

Awesome little video by Mackenzie Mohr of Entirely East Lansing.

(Photos courtesy of Mackenzie Mohr.)

For more information, please click here. Artists wishing to submit a proposal, please click here. If you have any other questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Thank you!

Sometimes supporting the arts can seem like a job that only the wealthiest or most connected members of society can participate in. Thanks to the new East Lansing Sunday Soup series at (Scene) Metrospace, everyone with five dollars and an interest in the arts can help fund the great ideas of local artists.