If you have any questions, or better yet, want to purchase a shiny new model for your museum contact me at paul@orselli.net or via the POW! website.
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For my most recent exhibition project, "The Animated Artwork of Laura Vaccaro Seeger" at the Nassau County Museum of Art, I had a need for a simple lenticular sign.
(Lenticulars graphics involve images, that when viewed from different angles, produce 3D or animated effects, like the image above. You've probably seen postcards, trading cards, or even Cracker Jack prizes that use lenticular images.)
As with many specialized print products, it was difficult to find a company willing to produce just one or two items at a reasonable price (and quickly as well!)
Fortunately I was able to work with the fine folks at RWC Digital in Fort Worth, Texas. They were easy to work with and delivered on time at a very reasonable price.
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Artist Markus Kison has created a "performative installation" entitled "touched echo" on top of the city walls of Dresden, Germany.
While today's scenic overlook is beautiful, Dresden was also part of a terrible bombing raid in World War II. As a way to get visitors to the city to contemplate the events of the past, the artist has attached sound conducting devices to existing metal railwork. Iconic signs on the rail direct visitors to place their elbows on the rail, and their hands on their ears in a contemplative pose looking down at the river and buildings that were part of the bombing raids.
Sounds of bombers and explosions are conducted through visitors' bones to their ears. Unless you participate in Kison's piece, the area is silent. This is a clever and thoughtful piece of environmental art with an obvious historic twist.
There are extensive photos, and technical descriptions, of "touched echo" at the artist's website.
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I've been doing some design work for the Children's Museum of Indianapolis on topics related to water and the environment for their upcoming exhibition on modern Egypt.
I thought I'd share information about two organizations that are developing simple, even elegant, design solutions to solve literally life-and-death problems related to water use in developing countries.
The first is KickStart, a non-profit organization that develops and markets new technologies in Africa. I was especially impressed by their "micro-irrigation" technologies --- essentially simple, durable, easy to maintain people-powered pumps. Some of their designs are called "Money Maker" pumps to indicate that from a small initial investment rural economies can grow through increased farm profits and local jobs.
The second organization is PlayPumps International. As you can see from the video above, they have created water pumps that are powered by children at play. The PlayPumps are installed near schools, and double as a water pump for a local community as well as a merry-go-round for children.
The PPI approach is great on several levels: first, using kid-power frees up villagers (primarily young girls and women) from spending several hours every day on collecting safe water from remote locations. Secondly, the educational opportunities for girls increase since they now have time to go to school instead of getting water. Lastly, PlayPumps International has been creative and entrepreneurial in getting sponsors (and even mounting advertising on units!) in order to expedite the process of providing pumps and installation for interested communities.
Museums can support the work of PlayPumps and KickStart by showing off their technology, thereby making visitors aware of the work of such organizations (like the wonderful exhibition, "Design For the Other 90%" organized by the Cooper-Hewitt.) But perhaps, more importantly, museums can inspire visitors to consider the broader issues related to the intersection between sustainable design and basic environmental issues by making them aware of the need for such technologies in the first place.
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As co-chair of the Creating Exhibitions Program Committee, I'd like to encourage all ExhibiTricks readers to check out the recently released info about the 2009 Creating Exhibitions Symposium hosted by the Liberty Science Center.
You can also download the Call For Proposals form via the website as well.
If you have any questions or need more info, please feel free to contact me directly.
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