This modifiable pie chart stencil sure is going to come in handy in the New Science Centre. I think we’ll try to attach a fan-like sheild to the moving arm to increase the contrast between the two parts of the chart.

Thanks for the awesome design Golan Levin // STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.

http://infosthetics.com/archives/2011/06/infovis_graffiti_spray_painting_infographics_in_the_wild.html

-dana

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We have been planning these awesome art pieces that mark the entries for E&I. There are 3 doors and there are 3 art pieces. At the first one visitors turn a crank to generate a small amount of electricity which lights some LEDs. The LEDs are behind a thin sheet of wood veneer so when they glow you see the title Energy & Innovation appear. (Like this clock.)

The second one is a wall of Thermochromic Ink. When visitors run their hands over the wall the ink heats up and the title is revealed. (Like this book cover.)

The third piece is a wall of interlocking gears. Each gear has a letter printed in it. Visitors turn a crank and when they turn it enough times, all of the gears line up to spell the title of the exhibition. Nice, right?

Maybe other members of the team saw this when we thought of the idea, but I hadn’t. Dan assures me it will still look cool in E&I even if it’s also on a Levi’s billboard in Manhattan. I know he’s right but I am still annoyed ‘cause Stephan Sagmiester has already thought of every cool idea possible and executed it in a really great way. Damn you, Sagmeister! Stop taking all the good ideas!

-dana

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I was so inspired by Arthur Ganson’s gear building techniques that I’ve become obsessed with bending gears. All of last week and over the weekend I created a pile of parts for visitors to play with.

On Tuesday I showed people how to create their own gears using the jig I’d made. We used heat shrink tubing and glue to assemble them. People were kind of into this but as Stacey noticed it requires a lot of spatial ability to complete. Honestly, I think staff enjoyed this part of the pilot more than anyone else.

Here’s Vlad building a gear.

On Wednesday I decided to see if people would be into assembling kinetic sculptures. Instead of asking people to build their own parts, I provided people with pile of pre-made gears and cams as well as tools to modify them. This worked so much better than the previous day and people made such amazing things! Even though the contraptions are make-shift and wobbly they have a certain charm.

Here is the worm gear powered contraption one grade-four girl assembled. I helped her with some of the wire bending but she really built this on her own. I was so impressed!

Last night at the Variety Show, in between bands I demonstrated gear building for an audience. They were pretty mesmerized by the fire.

-dana

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I’ve been researching the way Arthur Ganson makes gears for the wind-up kinetics pilot I’m working on this week. I came across a TED Talk where Ganson beautifully describes his art, being obsessed with making things move and how it feels to build things with his hands.

http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_ganson_makes_moving_sculpture.html

It makes me proud to be a maker. Check it out.

-dana!

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