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 Since 2007 Zane Berzina is a Main Researcher on the 'E-Static Shadows' project at the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles. The pilot project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council intends to explore the speculative arena of electrostatic and its possible readings in relation to human interactions within physical space in order to advance the design knowledge of interactive environments. In modern domestic and industrial environments static energy is usually regarded as a nuisance or hazard responsible for electrostatic shocks, process problems and industrial fires. This research aims to concentrate on its potentially positive uses and benefits for the development of new interactive environmental design strategies, addressing the playful and essentially regenerative potential of static electricity. The aim is to investigate how electrostatic energy in our built environments could either be effectively utilised or play a part in the development of active, responsive and interactive textile systems which would be capable of detecting, translating and displaying this energy into dynamic audio-visual patterns. This project studies the possible translations of electrostatic energy into other types of energy such as light, sound and motion using specially engineered intelligent textile systems as mediators and displays for these processes. It is intended that new interactive textile systems which are capable of sensing static electricity and translate it into audio-visual patterns on the surface of the fabric will be developed. Ideally, these translations embedded in the soft medium of cloth shall provoke a higher awareness of the potential of electrostatic fields surrounding our habitat and initiate playful interactions between the viewer(s) and the space. This will provide opportunities for new speculations regarding the role of static electricity within a built environment. Main collaborators of the project are Jackson Tan, Designer from the in square lab, London and the Textile Research Institute Thuringia-Vogtland in Germany. Other Collaborators are Dr Tim Blackwell, Researcher and Lecturer in Computing, Goldsmiths College and a member of Goldsmiths Digital Studios as well as Dr Natalie Stingelin-Stutzmann, Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London, Department of Materials. It is planned that the research project will be publicly disseminated at the Dana Centre, Science Museum London in 2009. The group of international researchers, practitioners and scientists is supervised by Prof. Janis Jefferies, Director of the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles, Goldsmiths College and led by Dr Zane Berzina, Research Fellow at CHRRCT and Main Researcher on the project. in square lab Textile Research Institute Thuringia-Vogtland Computing, Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths Digital Studios Queen Mary University of London, Department of Materials Dana Centre, Science Museum London back |
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