Tech Project
Description of the challenges faced by the Tech Project
The basis of DEAN's research is the conception of an active system able to interact with a person in IMO mode: Interaction Man Object. The objective is to conceive disruptions in the customization as well as in the configuration and reconfigurability of the objects, when they are made and when they are used. The researchers associate an environmental focus with a minimalist approach, and with recycling. To reach their goal, they need to conceive a new « e-material » system, where the « rules » for interacting will allow a usage that is as free as possible. To do this, the electronic systems will have to be in contact or even inside the material, because the system will be moved and « placed » where the user wants. The team considers that in order to reach this IMO mode, defining the features and the design of the electronic modules will be key for the applications and usages. DEAN Project will be the demonstration of it all.
Brief description of technology
The first technological part is the material of the « e-material » that the artist will be able to make his own to create new usages. He will then work in collaboration with the polymer experts of CEA. The reflections on the usages with the artist will help introducing complementary functions, to hybridize the core plastic polymer (for example, introducing thermo-chrome materials, see Image 2). This team work will be enforced by the presence of an intern Engineer in Physics and Chemistry from the CEA LITEN lab. The second part is the « e » of the « e-material ». On this part, the artist will be in complete immersion in the CEA LETI lab. This lab that conceives chips also conceives and gives an orientation to the stimulations or commands which are directly interacting with the material (on the surface, or inside the material). More precisely, tests and studies on thermic, acoustics and the micro-waves will be held to conceive a new chip (RF) and the network. This will enable the artist to make the material his own, as well as the interactions with the electronic components, in order to conceive the new usages through the IHO (IMO) concept: Interaction Man Object. To validate the reflections and the hypotheses who will be brought up, concept proofs will be made with the help of the labs and a « FabLab » structure. Collaboration between expert and artist will see an outcome on the EXPERIMENTA 2020 fair, where the creation will be exhibited.
What the project is looking to gain from the collaboration and what kind of artist would be suitable
In DEAN Project, we want to explore with artist the way humans can conceive and live their environment differently. This is exactly why we developed this « e-material ». This approach gives us freedom on the field of creativity, etc. as well as in everyday life and its societal challenges, such as material saving, energy saving, pollution, etc. In complete immersion in our teams, the artist will bring us, apart from his imagination and creativity: - A vision and anticipation of usages of « real life » who will be key in the foundation of the start-up, Reversys - His or her ideas for an artistic realization along the projects (that will be presented in EXPERIMENTA) - The way artist can help drive change in human behavior and bring new paradigms, through their work on imagination and cultural values. The detour by the artistic artwork will help reach the audience in a different manner. EXPERIMENTA 2020 will be a prime moment for the exchange between the artists and scientists involved in the project and different communities and sensibilities. - His eye on all the artistic fields or the exchanges on the notion of « e-material » As scientists, in DEAN Project, we « visualize » different connections to the artistic fields. This is how we had the idea of a new exchange and an enlargement of our perspective, to create and expose together a new concept of e-Arts.
Resources available to the artist
The artist will work in the Atelier Arts & Sciences during the whole project (one of CEA’s three open labs, together with Ideas Laboratory and Alps Design Lab) He or she will collaborate directly with the teams of experts of the CEA LETI and CEA LITEN, with the support of the team of Atelier Arts Sciences to facilitate this collaboration and organize the public presentation of its results at EXPERIMENTA 2020. The artist will also have a direct access to the labs to be able to test the material and conceive the systems of stimulations/electronic commands. He or she will test the different prototypes of the e-material.