EXITRIP HACKING WORKSHOP

How much can you do with 40¢?

Apparently a whole lot when you're Lea Bertucci and Ed Bear. This Brooklyn-based artist/engineer team got creative with a now-obsolete piece of technology, the iTrip. Back in 2005, the 1st generation iTrip was a semi-popular FM radio transmitter created for an Apple Nano iPod that is no longer manufactured.

The iTrip's guts

Lea and Ed have found a way to use this once $49.99 (now they can be found on eBay for a mere 40¢) piece of technology for creative and thoughtful artworks. "An express goal of this project is to empower artists with diverse technical and creative backgrounds to create works using radio," share Lea and Ed. "This constitutes a social experiment and community building exercise that documents creative responses to a common tool. How can we, as artists, thinkers, hackers and designers break the cycle of electronic waste that is perpetuated by planned obsolescence and bad design?"

Join us on Saturday, April 16, 2011, from 1:00-4:00pm for a special ExiTrip workshop to learn how to make your very own hacked low power transmitter. Not only will you learn how to hack an iTrip (yup, you'll be using a soldering iron), you'll get to take it home with you and brag to all your friends.

How to Hack the iTrip from Lea.

Mattress Factory
Saturday, April 16, 2011
1:00-4:00PM
$15 ...and you keep your hacked iTrip
(Space is very limited, so register online now.)

Is This Art? -- The Backstory

You may have heard through the grapevine of the interwebs yesterday that we released an iPhone application called "Is This Art?". Within minutes of going public on Twitter, and with the help of some awesome people like MoMA, the Walker Art Center, the Warhol, David Carr and Paddy Johnson among a tidal wave of others, it was easy to tell that people were excited about it. For the general scoop, check out this piece by WNYC Culture or this post by our collaborator on this project, C-Monster.

But what I'd like to do here, is discuss in deeper detail the why behind this project. As a museum of contemporary installation art with an artist residency program that exhibits mostly new site-specific works, the Mattress Factory has earned a reputation for pushing artistic boundaries by allowing the artists we work with to explore complete artistic freedom during their time here at the museum. Our goal as an organization is to make the artists' vision a reality. Period.

And with that comes artwork that provokes thought and poses questions. Damien Hirst grew flies in our gallery for several months. Yumi Kori flooded our basement with water. Sarah Oppenheimer cut a large hole through our 4th floor gallery floor. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say, "This is art? My kid could do that," I'd be a rich guy. But if I also had a nickel for every time someone has said that our James Turrell pieces have influenced the way they perceive the world or how Greer Lankton's It's all about ME, Not You has brought them to tears, I'd also have some pretty heavy pockets. And back in November an exchange on Twitter with Nina Simon got us thinking about how we, as a small art space in Pittsburgh, could start a wider dialog about the concept of art itself.

So shortly after Nina's tweet, I started chatting with Carolina Miranda (a.k.a. C-Monster) about the idea of an "Is This Art?" iPhone app. We knew if this project was going to be effective it would have to be funny, and Carolina is one of the wittiest, most on-point art & culture bloggers out there. When she agreed to write the art crit for the app, we knew we were onto something. All that was left was to develop the app, but again, as a small art space in Pittsburgh, we have no software developers on staff.

Enter Deeplocal. I can't say enough about these guys and gals. We've worked with them in the past on some things and our organizations have a similar worldview about art & technology. I truly believe Deeplocal is a special kind of company. They just make things happen. From my initial text message to David Evans pitching the project they were 100% up for it. The rest is history. We hope you enjoy the app and the website, but more than that, we hope this project gets people talking about art -- what art is, what art can be, how art influences people and why art is important. As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to hit up the comments below or track me down on Twitter.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

PodCamp Pittsburgh 4

One of the most unfortunate occurances for me last year was being out of town during PodCamp Pittsburgh 3, which took place in October of 2008. Well, lucky for me (and hopefully you!) PodCamp Pittsburgh 4 is coming up in a just few short weeks (October 10 + 11). For those of you thinking, "Pod-what?," PodCamp is a FREE community UnConference, run by and for people who create, enjoy, or are interested in learning more about social media.

This year’s PodCamp Pittsburgh is bringing an exciting crew of social and new media makers to our city. Topics range from beginner-level to advanced, and cover a wide variety of learning sessions for writers, bloggers, vloggers, web developers, web designers, podcasters, business owners, job seekers and anyone interested in learning more.

And what a great surprise to learn a few weeks ago that I'll be presenting two sessions, "myG20: Bringing Anarchists and Business Professionals Together Since 2009" on Day 1 and "Friendship 2.0: Community Building for Non-Profits" on Day 2. Check out the amazingly awesome two-day schedule in its entirety HERE.

Also, big props to @Sorgatron and @allthingsnoisy for coming over and shooting this video spotlight highlighting some of the new media projects we have cooking here at the MF:



So what are you waiting for? Hop to it. Registration is FREE and easy. I hope to see you there!

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Do-It-Yourself QR Codes: A 4-Step Guide

Approximately one year ago, the Mattress Factory began experimenting with QR (or Quick Response) codes and this past April the museum became the first in the United States to utilize the technology on-site as a visitor engagement tool. More on that HERE. Our use of QR Codes in the galleries has been getting some attention (1,2), and I've fielded numerous inquiries from artists and arts organizations wishing to utilize this technology in their practice or operations.

One can only presume that, as 2D barcode technology continues to evolve and becomes more accessible to more people, more artists and arts orgs will want to utilize it. And on the heels of that interest comes people and companies that will attempt to capitalize from providing clients with an essentially open (read: FREE) technology. So, in an attempt to save our fellow artists a boat-load of money, we decided to publish a step-by-step guide for those who wish to experiment with QR code technology. No consulting firm needed. Please keep in mind that this is only how we here at the MF implemented the codes. If you think there are better ways, or workarounds, please share in the comments to the post.

STEP 1: Upload Killer Content (IMPORTANT!!)
Give people or visitors a reason to open the codes. The codes we place throughout the galleries contain link to mobile browser optimized (JI - 9/15/09) rich multi-media content that provides context or backstory to the artworks we exhibit. We upload video files to YouTube, behind-the-scenes still images to Flickr, and informative text-based PDF files, all of which are supported by QR code technology accessible via most mobile platforms (JI - 9/15/09). Universal codes that access a stagnant website may prove to be less interesting to your audience.

STEP 2: Generate the Codes
Once you have developed the content you wish to share with your audience, it's time to make the codes. We use a very simple web generator provided by Kaywa. This generator is nice because it provides output & resolution options. If you're creating a print piece, you can select the extra large file output which optimizes quite nicely for signage.

Because the density of information contained within a code can effect its readability, we shorten all URLs with http://bit.ly. This may seem like a frivolous extra step, but it greatly impacts the ease with which our codes are read. Below are two codes that open the same URL. The URL embedded in the less dense code on the right has been shortened making this code easier and more consistently read.



STEP 3: Place or Hang Codes In Desired Locations
Once we generate our codes, we design the signage and collateral materials that will hold them. Codes can be displayed and read in hardcopy or electronic (screen) format. The only obstacle we've experienced has been customizing the size of the codes. Ideally, we'd like the codes to be smaller (i.e. 3/4" x 3/4"), but the smallest we've been able to go with consistent readability has been 1.5" x 1.5". As QR technology and hardware progresses, I anticipate the ability to reduce code sizes will emerge in the near future.


Mattress Factory gallery card containing a QR code.

STEP 4: Introduce the QR Codes to Users in a Non-Intimidating Way
Let's face it. The unknown scares people. And new technology has a way of intimidating potential users. We knew going into this that it was imperative to present the codes to visitors through technology they were already familiar with. We started by hanging several "This is a QR Code" signs in the museum lobby and elevator. These signs contain a short description about what the codes are.

We knew visitors would have more questions about the codes that would be impossible to answer through signage, so we created a simple text message (SMS) info relay. Through TextMarks, an inexpensive and easy SMS shortcode provider, visitors who send the keyword QRCODE to TextMarks' shortcode receive an immediate reply containing two links. The first link directs the user's mobile phone browser to a site that detects what type of phone they're using, provides more information, and a FREE download of the appropriate code reading application.

The 2nd link directs iPhone users to App Store, where they can download the most current FREE version of the BeeTagg Multicode Reader. There are numerous barcode reading applications available on most mobile platforms, but we recommend BeeTagg because of it's universality across the spectrum. In fact, factory-installed readers are now common on many phones including Nokia devices and the G1 Android. This SMS information relay has proved to be a vital piece to our QR code puzzle and has served those visitors curious about the technology greatly.

QR CODE WRAP-UP
So this is what worked for us. I'm interested to hear if other organizations find this information useful and beneficial. For further reading about QR codes in a museum setting, check out how the Powerhouse Museum in Australia has been using them. If you have further questions or a tip that might help others to implement innovative use of QR codes, feel free to leave a comment. If you'd like to hit me up off-line, shoot over an email or track me down on Twitter.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Thanks Twitter Posse! Have a FREE Garden Party Ticket!

I think it's safe to say that we owe a big THANK YOU to our extremely awesome base of online supporters for all their help during the past year. Just off the top of my head, this project, this project, this project, and especially this project would not have been as successful as they were had it not been for the awesomeness of the MF Twitter Posse and the MF FaceBook Mob. So as a small token of appreciation, we came up with a cool way to say thank you to some of our most loyal MF online supporters.



Many of you know about the MF's Urban Garden Party. You know that it's the must-attend, anything goes event of the summer where 1,000+ art lovers come out to have a once-a-year experience while enjoying the finest food and drink Pittsburgh has to offer. You also know that tickets aren't cheap ($90) because it's an important fundraiser for the museum. Through this one event, we earn approximately 10% of our annual operating budget. And this year's event is shaping up to be something special, complete with top-secret performances and unbelievable surprises.

So here's the deal. Sometime next week we're opening a block of 25 FREE Garden Party tickets which will be available to our Twitter Posse at a secret URL on a first come, first served basis. The secret URL will be leaked on our Twitter stream sometime during the week of 6/1 - 6/5. The first 25 to register get into the event FREE. That's it. No strings...100% royal treatment.

You can join the MF Twitter Posse HERE to receive the URL in real-time as it's released.

We'll also publish links to the 25 winners' Twitter streams here on the MF blog in advance of the event, so those who are unable to attend or live out of town can follow along with attendees' live Tweets and Twitpics.

Finally, and again, one more thank you to those of you who, during the last year, have helped the MF cause by re-tweeting, sharing links, posting e-flyers and attending events. We appreciate everything you've done and continue to do.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Thaddeus Mosley GigaPan

The Thaddeus Mosley exhibition has been open for about a week and one of the most popular elements of the show for many visitors is the GigaPan of Thad's home we're projecting in the third-floor gallery. Opposite some of Thad's smaller-scale sculptures, visitors can approach an interactive computer terminal and operate, manipulate and investigate an extremely detailed image of Thad's remarkable home located just a few blocks away from the museum here on Pittsburgh's North Side.

For those new to the technology, Gigapan is a collaborative project between Google, Carnegie Mellon University and NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division's Robotics Group. In essence, a robotic platform is attached to a digital camera. The robotic mechanism allows a user to take a photograph, then it will re-aim the camera with great precision, to take another photograph. After taking many photos, GigaPan software stitches all the pictures into a gigapixel image that can then be explored by zooming into the image's great detail.

The GigaPan of Thad's home we have projected in the galleries is embedded below. Feel free to explore and tag this image. To launch in a full-screen viewer, CLICK HERE.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

QR Codes : A Visitor's Resource Guide

The symbol you see to the left is a QR code. QR codes can be read by smartphones and tablets using a simple scanning application, which prompts the device to open a web link in a matter of seconds.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of printed materials we produce, we've placed several QR codes throughout the museum. Each code will direct you to online resources with more information about the objects on view. Some codes link directly to our website or provide short messages about artwork in the galleries; others access video of artists talking about the piece or installing the work.

We want you to get the most out of your visit to the Mattress Factory, so visit your provider's app store to download a QR scanner today. If you do not have access to a QR scanner please see the information desk for supplemental materials, or visit the museum's website when you are near a computer.


A title card containing a QR code.

Greening the MF - Episode 1 : QR Codes in the Galleries

Throughout the month of April, I'm visiting with other MF staffers to talk about their everyday efforts to green the Mattress Factory. In this first episode, I chat with Jeffrey Inscho about the roll-out of QR codes in the galleries, an initiative intended to reduce the amount of printed gallery cards the museum produces and distributes. Up next in the Greening of the Mattress Factory series, I sit down with Barbara Luderowski to talk about the retro-fitting of museum properties and environmental aspects of new MF construction.



If you can't see the embedded video above, CLICK HERE to open a new window.

UPDATE (4/3/2009) - QR Codes: A Visitor Resource Guide

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POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay