I have advised a master’s thesis project for my former TA, Kyungmi Kim for about two years and she has finally completed both her wearable project and thesis. (also passed the thesis review at the end of December)
“Conversation” is a set of dresses that communicates with each other visually (in this case, in different color of LEDs and blinks.) The artist tried to visualize the process of conversation and how the listener can be influenced by the talker. If the wearers are within a certain distance from each other (friendly space,) they can influence each other by talking to each other. The dress of the listening wearer’s color changed to the color of the talking wearer in this case. This represents inner changes and spiritual communion achieved by their conversation and is being visualized .
Blue tooth network, IR distance sensor, Arduino and R
The artists has earned BFA and MFA from Digital Media Design dept of Hongik University, Jochiwon Campus, College of Design and Media.
Patrick’s interview with designer and artist Younghui Kim will be broadcast this month on his Extraordinary Lives radio show.
Kim is recognised as one of the most original and creative figures in the world of digital media, with her work winning numerous awards and gaining extensive media coverage. This work combines the latest developments in technology with leading-edge fashion and product design.
In the show she charts her career, showcases some of her work and shares the secrets of her success in this most competitive of industries.
The hour-long show will be broadcast on 10 Radio at Friday 17 September at 11 am, Monday 20 September at 7 pm and Wednesday 22 Sept at 6 am. All times UK. To listen live on the internet please click here at these times.
Younghui is working on Body Graffiti version 2.0 currently along other her other series on Wearable Technology Art. Compared to previous version, this version has double resolution (64 pixel) to draw better graphic and will have better fashion design. The new CPB is a lot thinner and flexible and modular so it won’t make any wearable bulky and a flat rechargeable Lithium battery with a voltage regulator will be used. The finished design will be on the blog soon but, here is the cpb version 2.0.
<짜릿한 전기파티: Zestful Electric Party> WCU Digital Media Art Camp will be held intensively for a week, from June 28th to July 3rd, 2010 in Seoul. This camp is for professional designers and artists who have interests in physical computing and media art but, haven’t had a chance to learn physical computing & visual programming. There will be intro classes for Physical Computing and Processing then some open optional one day workshops for participants to choose. This camp is organized and funded by Hongik University WCU Digital Media Public Art Research Center.
During the wcu digital media art camp, Younghui will be teaching a one day workshop, “Expressive Wearable Technology” on wed, June 30th! She will demonstrate how to make soft electronic sensors using conductive fabrics and thread and also how to use Lilypad Arduino during this workshop. Participants will make interactive wearable sound applications or visual displays during this intensive workshop.
Below are results from two sessions of 4 hour wearable workshops by Hongik University BFA students.
[ new release of a book, ‘Metamorphosis’ & two projects in it ]
Two of the past wearable projects, ‘HearWear‘ & ‘Stir It On!‘ are featured in the newly released book ‘Metamorphosis’ by Stoffel Kuenen and Elisabetta Cianfanelli, from the University of Florence, Department of Industrial Design and Fashion Design. At fashioningtech.com, there is an article about this book’s release. From the article, this book deals with a very interesting subject in fashion & technology. I will soon get a copy of this book and I’m excited to finding out what’s inside!
Younghui had an interview regarding her recent project, ‘Body Graffiti v.1.0’ with Syuzi from fashioningtech.com last month. Below are excerpt from the article, “Body Graffiti — A Kinetic Display Created Through Dance & Movement”
When did you become interested in performance wearables?
My first wearable project was a costume (a future media jacket) for a performance, ‘AfroFuturistic’ at The Kitchen, New York, 2003. I could say that I’ve always been interested in performance wearables from the moment I started to create fashion items integrated with technology.
Dancers, more particularly modern & experimental dancers, have been early adopters of wearable technology. What do you see as the attraction for dancers to integrate wearable technology into their costumes and performance?
I find that wearable itself can be an expressive media platform. At the same time, worn by a performer during performance, it elevates expressibility of body language as creating a stronger media platform combining two forms of media that have been so close to art and technology – wearable and performance. I’m sure modern & experimental dancers are attracted to wearable technology for the same reason that I am attracted to as one of wearable technology artists.
<wearables on Bboy dancers from Last For One, taken by HCI staff – I was in the back stage>
Body Graffiti is a wearable technology research project at WCU Digital Media Public Art Research Center at Hongik U. (in collaboration with Dan Mikesell, Hyuns Hong and Last For One, Jan 2010)
As one of the organizing committee ofHCI Korea 2010, I’ve been curating HCI Kids exhibition and producing HCI Party events. My good friend from Japan, Tetsu Kondo is planning to have a talk and a performance, “Dendraw” – which is a beautiful visual and musical performance.
For the second part of the event, as a researcher of the Hongik University WCU Digital Media Public Art Research Center, I’ve decided to combine HCI and WCU research together. One of our visiting professors, Dan Mikesell will have a short talk and our on going research project, ‘Body Graffiti‘ with a world champion B-boy group, ‘Last4One‘ It was three years ago when I coincidently met a producer of a B-boy musical within a month I moved in Seoul. When I explain to him that I make wearable art and explained it as a form of media art, he was interested in interactive performance. So I’ve suggested the exact project as of the today’s ‘Body Graffiti’ to him but, I think it was too early for Korean contemporary art scene to *get* wearable technology stuff at that time or perhaps, I needed to talk directly to the director of the B-boy team.
As parallel to developing wearable technology research with Dan, I’ve contacted that Producer guy and this time, explained my project with a sketch. He got very interested and promised to introduce me to that B-boy team and he did. ‘Last for One’ crew are truly amazing and their manager and director guys are both very genuine and loves to experiment with technology. Street art fits truly into public art. We both felt that this is just the beginning of the collaboration. We had our first testing session with two Bboy dancers few days ago at our lab and it was pretty interesting.
first testing with rough circuits pinned on their clothing, Jan 2010
Thanks to great help from our RA students(Kyungmi, Jungsu + Hyuns Hong(who is one of my former students) we’ve managed to make multiple prototypes working and Hyuns finished the CPB drawing v.1. based on trials of prototypes. Software testing is done and we can easily process graphics we like to draw. The major problem to solve now is the batteries b/c 9V battery is too bulky and smaller ones are very often too weak to turn on blinking 32 LEDs at once. But, I think we found some possible solutions today.
It’s been many long days as I woke up and went straight to the research lab then came back home at midnight to sleep & repeat that. We only got 10 days to produce all the final wearable devices of ‘Body Graffiti’ so, it looks like my life would be in that fashion for a while. Non-stop activities of sewing, soldering and programming.
The most important thing is the fact that I’ve been dreaming of making this wearable + Bboy dance performance since 3 years ago and now, it’s becoming a reality and printed event that will take a place at HCI 2010, Korean ski resort, Phoenix Park.
I plan to post more detail description of ‘Body Graffiti’ with the photo images after the performance. Oh, did I mention that I will be MC – ing for the special event? Not sure how it will go.
Younghui Kim (Marie) 