SPAMpoetry is a series of knitted works containing visual poetry from collected spam.

The process consists of 2 main parts:

1. generating poetry from collected SPAM

2. modifying an electronic knitting machine in order to give SPAMpoetry a knitted form.

Concerning the concept, we are interested in bringing together digital culture and traditional handicraft. To be more specific, the idea is to experiment with the form and meaning of SPAM. We turn SPAM into a romantic, funny or even sarcastic poetry and present it in unusual tangible form as knitted garment. To be more specific, we call final result dysfunctional wearable, because it reminds a sweater but is not really a one. Like SPAM, our dysfunctional wearable does not have a purpose. Talking about the form of artworks, one is able to recognize sweater parts in unusual position and size.

Coming back to SPAM, it is generated automatically nowadays. Hence, we aim to apply the same technique for recycling it, generating poetry from SPAM algorithmically, converting into a pattern and uploading to the knitting machine. Of course, the process of knitting is done manually. Thus, we create a contrast between rapid and overwhelming digital world and slow, careful knitting process.

Why we speak about SPAM? First, SPAM generation, distribution, and reception consume a significant amount of energy that is wasted basically. Hence, with our project we aim to draw attention to this fact and find a meaning and usage for SPAM.

The Flux of Sea (2011) The Flux of Sea is an art project exploring the traffic of local sea. We are applying AIS radar for catching radio waves that ships are constantly sending. Hence, we are able to listen to the communication between the boats and the harbor. The truth is, sea contains lots of data that we are not aware of.
Therefore, we use these data for the real-time score composition purpose, and thus, offer a novel sonic experience to the audience. The sound piece is in a constant flux, unique, and unpredictable. Moreover, the work goes beyond chance-based composition by reflecting on the current traffic of the sea.
In addition to sound piece, the communication between boats has been converted into generative image and silk printed afterwards.

Popcorn for Cycling (2011) is exactly what the name says: only if one cycles enough to a power popcorn machine, he/she will get popcorn!
The artwork is extremely participative and social! Because only active cycling will lead to reward and minimum of 2 bikes are able to power the machine. Thus, it makes audience think and feel energy that is needed to produce popcorn.
Concerning realization, we have recycled used car alternators that are producing energy when cycling.

The project together with Mar Canet Sola.

The project together with Mar Canet Sola.

The project together with Mar Canet Sola.

Concerning audience participation, we asked the visitors of the exhibition to play with us or against each other, and thus participate in the process and understand the rules.

The Rhythm of City(2011) is an art piece that points out an innovative and artistic way for applying geo-located social data as a score. At the same time, the data represents a city’s pace of life. The goal is to metaphorically describe locations by extracting geo-tagged content and translating it into the rhythm of a physical metronome in real time. In short, a metronome represents a city. The installation consists of 10 modified metronomes whose rhythms correspond to the selected cities’ digital pace of life. The audience is given a chance to discover and experience an alternative way of perceiving different locations through a continuous performance of 10 metronomes. Our concerns are about the malleability of the digital world to the physical one, and the interpretation of social data for artistic purposes.

The project together with Mar Canet Sola.

Materials: objects, wooden construction, servomotors, wires, Arduino, computer.
Dimension:The installation consists of 10 modified metronomes that are performing every 15min. Internet connection is required.
Space: min 20m2 required

Exhibited at Enter5(Ciant, Prague, Czech Republic)
VAD Festival(Girona, Spain)
LAB30(Augsburg, Germany)
Elektronika Festival(Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

Abstraction Contraption (The Edge, State Library of Queensland, Australia)

Molluscs(2010) belongs to a series of behavior-based organic sculptures. Molluscs are able to crawl around and identify obstacles. Moreover, they are interconnected, and thus, are affecting each others movement.
Materials: latex-emulsion, curtains, wool, electronic toys, rope.
Dimension: ~60cm x 50cm x 40cmH
Space: min 10m2 required

Exhibited at LiveHerring11(Saarijärvi Museum, Finland)

Echinodermata(2010) is a series of behavior-based organic sculptures that are able to breathe. Through breathing, which is one of the main signs of live, we are relating Echinodermata to nature. However, we are not trying to hide the technology nor we are aiming to copy existing life. On the contrary, we are amplifying the characteristics of technology and translating into a peculiar behavior of Echnidermata. In short, we are relating to biological form and systems in an original way, and thus, creating a new system of life. We call this form of life hyper-artificial life!
Moreover, Echinodermata are audience sensitive: the breathing of sculptures is more irregular when lots of movement is around.

Materials: latex-emulsion, cable clips, wool, inflatable structures, compressors, solenoid valves, Arduino, relays, other electronics.

Dimension: ~50cm x 50cm x 40cmH

The project together with Mar Canet Sola.

Exhibited at LiveHerring11(Saarijärvi Museum, Finland)

- JUSTmadrid Art Fair (14-16.02.2012 Madrid, Spain)
- Natures. Hyper-life and Micro-relations (13.03-13.04.2012 MOB, Barcelona, Spain)

My aim is to re-think nature and the urban environment around us. To be more specific, I am creating a new form of symbiosis. My inspiration comes from nature and its regulatory systems of co-existence and interaction that is known as symbiosis. For me the beauty of symbiosis within biology is processes where two organisms act as one yet still exist as separate species, such as a host and a graft. Thus, SONIMA acts as a graft and uses a tree as a host.

Exhibited at Espacioenter 2010
Exhibited at LiveHerring11(Saarijärvi Museum, Finland)

- JUSTmadrid Art Fair (14-16.02.2012 Madrid, Spain)
- Natures. Hyper-life and Micro-relations (13.03-13.04.2012 MOB, Barcelona, Spain)

Shopping in 1 Minute(2010) is an artgame that is playfully criticizing the increasing desire of society for consumption. Our inspiration for creating the artgame came from the craziness of people during the sales period: long lines in front of supermarkets, stone-age-style behavior, lots of useless products, etc.

Thus, we are inviting audience to train for the next sales period. A player has to scan as many products as possible during a minute. As a reward each player will receive a ticket with bonus points according to his score.

The project was developed in collaboration with Mar Canet Sola.
Exhibited at DIY exhibition in Frankfrut and Berlin Communication Museums
Exhibited at Kiblix 2010(Kibla Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia).
Exhibited at Ars Electronica2010 Campus exhibition.

Augmented Photography(2010) when it is spoken about interactive or augmented photography then immediately one has in mind the representation of photos in digital format (on computer or phone screen, projection, etc) that are manipulated through software or any other code. Yes, the interactive pictures can react on our touch, voice, weather, or whatever. But those interactive photos are still just pixels.

My artwork – Augmented Photography – is not about pixels. It is about re-thinking printed photography. Current artwork is more than a framed picture – it has its behavior and it is able to react on observers.

I am adding liveliness to a doll on the picture through eye movements. If none is looking at the picture the doll’s eyes are closed. Only time-to-time, she is waking up and asking for attention. When the photograph is approached, the doll on the picture opens her eyes and starts to blink to a viewer or just stare on him/her for a while. Hence, the artwork has different behaviors that could be explored by observing the picture for a while.

Exhibited at Kiblix 2010(Kibla Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia).
Exhibited at UAMO 2010 (Munchen, Germany).
Exhibited at White Night Skopje 2010 (Skopje, Macedonia).
Exhibited at Ars Electronica2010 Campus exhibition.

Appears in the book called Reframing Photography. Theory and Practice by Rebekah Modrak and Bill Anthes (published by Routledge).

More about process of development>>

My name is 192.168.159.16(2009) is a metaphorical visualization of nowadays-human beings.  In my point of view we are not bounded to one body anymore. We are extended through networks to infinity. The location does not matter, what matters is connection. Thus, at this point I totally agree with Mitchell “disconnection would be amputation. I link therefore, I am.” We are becoming gradually fully equipped and totally dependent on technology cyberorgs.

The installation consists of 4 dolls in each a speaker inside, 4 relays, arduino, a computer, and a modem. We are using Processing, TTS (text to speech), and Arduino. The independent and at the same time isolated network is created. IP addresses are continuously renewed and sent to a random doll. Thus only one doll is speaking at a time (4 speakers are controlled by 4 relays through arduino).

Project developed in collaboration with Mar Canet Sola.

Exhibited at Espacioenter 2010.
Exhibited at White Night Skopje 2010 (Skopje, Macedonia).
23rd Stuttgarter Filmwinter 20.-30.01.2010 (Stuttgart, Germany)
received a jury prize for media art installation at 23rd Stuttgarter Filmwinter!
Exhibited at Fantasmarama group exhibition in Linz, Austria (September 09)

Experiment Arctic(2009) is a new media art installation, which talks about global warming and its consequences. The current artwork differs from the other works of this field by it temporality. A piece of ice that placed on the special table is let to melt in order to visualize the real situation that is happening in Arctic Sea. The water from melting ice controls videos that are projected on the top of ice and table. Visuals are about global warming, shrinking ice in the North Pole, and correspond to different water levels. Thus, the work aims to shake our consciousness and experiment with a new and temporal medium like ice.
The swinging hairdryers are another part of installation. The dryers are used as a metaphor for our consumption-oriented society. During the installation the hairdryers are constantly on, and thus, making the ice to melt faster. However, in the room is the red button. If it is constantly pressed, the hairdryers are off. It means by taking a really physically act one can contribute to slowing down the melting process.

In collaboration with Andrej Boleslavsky, Kanno So, and Mar Canet Sola
Supported by Asia-Europe Foundation

“Experiment Arctic” was exhibited at Cellsbutton#3 (01.-08.08.09) in Yogiyakarta, at The Royal Interface Cultures Masquerade Ball during Ars Electronica (03.-08.09.09) in Linz, Austria.

“Magic Forest”(in German „Zauberwald“, 2008) is a mobile pervasive game developed in the framework of master thesis (“Introducing Mobile Media into Social Work with at-risk Children”). The game was just one part of the introducing project. After the “Magic Forest” children were encouraged to come up with their own game concept and later supported to realize it technically.
Concerning technical part, it was used Moles for Kids and MiniMolesRS software, and mobile phones.
When it comes to structural part, the children were playing in four groups, they had to find several locations, complete the tasks, work as a team and at the end find the treasure. So the game was story based, instructions and the story were presented as audio files, and images from different maps provided.
According to the fact that “Magic Forest” is based on social organization goals regarding the at-risk children, the game was played in the forest in order to prevent extra destruction and achieve better concentration. Moreover, play in teams improved collaboration, and pervasive mobile game had a positive effect on self-esteem and physical activity. And even more, I believe through the game youth got augmented experience in the forest.
In the end I would like to add that such mobile exploration and observation could be used a method regarding the social work with the children.

The presentation concerning the topic can be found here

Game-play: a crazy guy, who escaped from a mental hospital, has to run across the streets of the city, searching, retrieving and recognizing sounds in a race that will take him either to his freedom, or back to the mental institution.
The doctors need to follow the fugitive’s track based on the pictures they receive and trap him before he finds his common sense and thus, becomes cured.

Technology: two Sony Vaio UX180P Micro-PCs (UMPCs) which run the Windows Vista and provide built-in camera support were used. A compact flash RFID reader interface card was attached to each UMPC.
After reading a RFID card a crazy guy is able to take a picture. The picture is automatically uploaded to Flickr and sent to the doctors.

The paper concerning the ECHOES game can be found here.