Scrapyard Challenge art project workshop, SangsangMadang, Hongdae Nov 27-29

I took part in the Scrapyard Challenge workshop at SangSangMadang Gallery held in Seoul on November 27, 28 & 29, 2008.

The Scrapyard Challenge Workshops are intensive workshops where participants build simple electronic projects (both digital and analog inputs) out of found or discarded "junk" (old electronics, clothing, furniture, outdated computer equipment, appliances, turntables, monitors, gadgets, etc..)

The MIDI Scrapyard version includes a mini workshop where participants build simple drawing robots or "DrawBots" with small, inexpensive motors, batteries, and drawing markers that can also be connected to Serial or MIDI interface. You can see my 'drawbot' in the photo below:





















I called it a 'cowbot' because it was made out of a plastic milk bottle!
There is a video of the drawbot in action below:


At the end of the day or evening, the workshop participants have a small performance, concert, or fashion show where they demonstrate and present their creations together as a group. No electronics skills or any experience with technology is necessary to participate in the workshops.

I created a musical hat made from an old metal sieve that played different 4 notes as pieces of scrap metal hanging from pipe cleaners bounced on its surface,

and I also made an electronic "castanet" out of an old cell phone.


Here's video of the final performance jam:






These workshops have been run all around the world by New York artists Jonah Brucker Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki. See the website www.scrapyardchallenge.com.