STEIM & Mediamatic present: Circuit Bending Weekend

Workshops on May 5 and May 6

Circuit bending is an artistic approach to electronics. Learn how to modify found electronics in one or two days of hacking. Find a few cheap electronic devices during the annual Queen's Day Scavenger Hunt. Bring them into the workshop, open them up, and start experimenting using the techniques of circuit bending. If you sign up for both days you will also learn how to deconstruct and hack old digital cameras. Visit the website for more information.

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Music Hack Day on the first floor - Picture taken during the STEIM Crackle Box / Arduino workshop in the Mediamatic workshop space in the Duintjer CS building. Deborah M. Kōdō

May 5

During this workshop we're going to modify electronic devices. Turn an alarm clock into a musical instrument, or make a wall lamp from an old toy. The main goal of the workshop is to get everyone comfortable working creatively with found electronics. No formal engineering training is necessary. Circuit bending requires only a tidbit of courage, and enough dexterity to handle small screwdrivers, manipulate bits of wire, and operate a soldering iron. By the end of the day you'll be the proud owner of a newly bent instrument or device.

May 6

On Sunday we will dissect various types of digital cameras, and learn to identify the different parts of the circuits. You'll leave the workshop with an understanding of the intricate workings of circuits, and know how to rewire them. We'll cover basic techniques as well as more advanced topics such as circuit modification/augmentation, the construction of basic oscillators, and how to use transistors to interface different electronic systems with the camera.

More information

You can join us for either one or two days of hacking. The workshops cost €50 each including VAT. Workshop materials will need to be paid for separately at the workshop. The cost of the materials will depend on your project, but will probably be between €5 and €15. Make sure you bring two cameras and at least two electronic objects you don't mind messing around with. Visit the workshop pages on our website for information on what to look for on your Queen's Day Scavenger Hunt, the exact workshop set-up, and tickets. Click here for the Circuit Bending workshop on May 5, or here for the Deconstructing Digital Camera workshop on May 6.