I love working with emerging technologies.But one of the problems you face in working with a medium that is constantly changing is that sooner than later your work ceases to be. It becomes outdated, falls apart, or the things necessary to maintain it become unavailable. While ideally I’d like to be a proper archivist of my own work, it’s just not something I’ve been able to maintain in the midst of my other activities. This is one reason among many that I am completely thrilled to announce that the Museum of Modern Art’s Architecture & Design Acquisition Committee has approved the addition of Botanicalls to the MoMA permanent collection!
This means that after the Talk to Me exhibition closes, Botanicalls will join the likes of Eames chairs the BIC pen, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Starry Night. It’s a huge honor and we’d like to thank the acquisition committee, as well as the many collaborators who have helped Botanicalls along the way, a few of whom include: Gabe Barcia-Colombo, Andrew Schneider, Limor Fried, Phil Torrone, Nathan Seidle, Jim Lindblom, Tom Igoe, Red Burns, Dan O’Sullivan, Danny Rozin, Clay Shirky, Josh London, Eric Beug, Jimmy Garver, K Otterness, JooYoun Paek, Chris Paretti, John Frazier and many others.
This is a project that has been underway since 2006 with 3 collaborators who have become some of my closest friends. Here’s some memories from along the way:
Last summer (while I was wearing my ITP Camp Director hat) John Dimatos & I were interview by Rick Karr about our beloved ITP/NYU for the new video series “NYC 2.0″.
I’m entering a phase where I want to work big and hanging out with friends who create projects on a larger scale serves as great inspiration. Last May I had the awesome opportunity to volunteer on John Rose‘s newest project – the Harvest Pyramid. This 40-foot tall structure was specially designed as a venue for Harvest Festival, one of the most enjoyable events I’ve been to in Ontario.
Below is a time-lapse video of the build. You may recognize the woman working at the top towards the end. Those rock climbing skills sure do come in handy! You can read more about the design process on John’s website.
While running ITP Camp this summer I had the opportunity to have a fabulous conversation with Antonius Wiriadjaja – current ITP student and guest blogger for art:21. The result was “Kate Hartman Talks to Herself � and the Art21 Blog“, by far the most pleasant and comprehensive interview I’ve done to date. If you’d like to know what I’ve been up to recently it’s worth checking out!
While it’s fantastic to continually do things you never would have dreamed of as a kid, it’s also nice to do things that you have. From now until November 7th three of my pieces will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of the Talk to Me exhibition curated by Paola Antonelli. Here is the official description of the show:
Talk to Me explores the communication between people and things. The exhibition focuses on objects that involve a direct interaction, such as interfaces, information systems, visualization design, and communication devices, and on projects that establish an emotional, sensual, or intellectual connection with their users. Examples range from a few iconic products of the late 1960s to several projects currently in development�including computer and machine interfaces, websites, video games, devices and tools, furniture and physical products, and extending to installations and whole environments.
A little over two years ago I responded to a job posting for “Assistant or Associate Professor in Wearable/Mobile Technology and Interfaces”. While OCAD had a strong history of teaching fibre, jewelry making, industrial design, and mobile development, wearable technology was an area just starting to be explored. Two years later I’m happy to report that we’ve successful launched two new courses (1 & 2) as well as an undergraduate minor in this field of study. Yesterday the Toronto Star published a great article on some of these recent developments:
Congrats to my fantastic students and thanks to Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew for visiting our class and for opening up our conversations to a broader audience!
So I’m back from the whirlwind adventure they call TED where I had the unique opportunity to present a 9-minute talk to a room of nearly 1,500 brilliant people. It was an inspiring and transformative experience to say the least!
TED is an event dedicated to “ideas worth spreading”. But sorting through one’s own ideas can be challenging and sometimes daunting. In the process of putting together this talk I received amazing advice, support, and feedback. I owe buckets of gratitude to the following people:
Carrie Schulz, Kati London, Rob Faludi, and Clay Shirky – cherished friends and colleagues from my NYC crew whose provided priceless words of wisdom along the way
Gabe Sawhney, Suzanne Stein, Emma Westecott, Ann Poochareon and Mark Argo – the generous Torontonians who listened patiently and helped ease my nerves in the months leading up to the event
John Rose, Ted Redelmeider, Jason Bellenger, Tony Wong – my climbing partners who constantly push me to seek new heights
James Kachan – for swooping in with his photo ninja skills
Stephen Marion – for timely feedback & hand-holding the night before my final rehearsal
Bill & Judy Hartman – my remarkable parents who manage to always support my crazy projects and life pursuits
Brady Forrest – who organized the Ignite session at FOO camp, the talk which led to my TED invite
June Cohen – Executive Producer of TED Media, for her open mind and spirit, for curating a fantastic session, and of course for inviting me to speak at TED’11
Chris Anderson – TED’s Curator and fearless leader, for some great bits of advice and for running such a kick-ass event
Beatrice Coron, Sarah Kay, Shey Humphrey, Jason Mraz – for being completely awesome. I could not imagine sharing that stage with a more inspired and insightful group of people.
Beyond individuals, there’s always the influence of the communities and institutions that provide safe havens for different aspects of our development. Many of the projects shown in my talk were created as a result of my many incarnations at ITP/NYU. A huge thank you to that community, and especially to Red Burns, Dan O’Sullivan, and Tom Igoe for their encouragement and influence over the years. And of course a shout out to OCAD University, the institution that swung me across the border and into the role of Assistant Professor at the tender age of 28. I would be in a much different place right now without this opportunity.
SLIDE CREDITS:
My work is inspired and driven by people. Whether they be collaborators, participants, or documentarians, they influence and embody the things I make and the stories I tell. Here are the people involved in the images, videos, and projects included in my slides:
Besides myself, my devices were also kindly modeled/demonstrated/performed by Preston Noon, Steven Jackson, Alice Planas, Gabe Barcia-Colombo, John Schimmel, Corey Menscher, Joo Youn Paek.
Photography credits go to Michael Dory (Earbender & Discommunicator), Sai Sriskandarajah (Wearable Wall), and Theo Humphries (glacier image).
Botanicalls is an ongoing project done in collaboration with Rob Faludi and Kati London. It was also originally conceived of and developed in collaboration with Rebecca Bray.
The glacier project is deeply inspired by conversations and travels with my friend and colleague Angus Leech. I look forward to continuing these as the project unfolds.
While I love travelling far & wide, it’s also nice to get to know a bit more about my surroundings in the fine province of Ontario. I had the lovely opportunity to give an artist talk at University of Windsor’s School of Visual Arts’ Visiting Artist Lecture Series. The invite came care of Jennifer Willet, one of the many fabulous people I met at last year’s Interactive Screen conference in Banff. Jennifer is bio artist and director of the INCUBATOR lab at University of Windsor, a “hybrid laboratory at the intersection of art science and ecology”.
