Ralf Schreiber and Christian Faubel are participating in TIK festival with several works, even though they are different in their expressions (installation, workshop, perfomance, lecture), they are all interlinked and interdependent. The first one is a workshop Electronic “creatures” for the OpenGreens: People are used to anthropomorphize the world around them and put the attributes of human beings into technical artefacts. It is fascinating to watch or even “communicate” with “life like” machines. According to the artists Christian Faubel and Ralf Schreiber, the simplest way to create and build “life like” machines or robots is by the use of analogue oscillator circuits. Oscillations can be fed-back and as result simple interactions happen and the behaviour of simple neuronal networks can be simulated.
In this workshop you can build simple your own “life like” machine, which will generate the smallest movements or tiny and various sound patterns, that allude to birds or insect sounds.
Prior knowledge of electronics is not required!
The second artwork is an installation using DIY honey batteries. These batteries empower little robots, who sing on the table for their audience. This connection between technology and nature continues also in the artists’ third artwork – the performance Beeswax light and sound, where the artists develop an audio-visual performance by using overhead projectors, unrefined raw beeswax, pick-up microphones and analog kinetic objects. A spectator can enjoy the emergence of dim lights and silent sounds, which are produced from experiments with self-made candles out of raw beeswax and with the dipping of electronic circuits into the beeswax.
Finally Christian Faubel gives a talk to provide insight into his scientific work as a roboticist at the Institut for Neurocomputing in Bochum Germany. He will introduce the concept of embodiment, a systemic view on intelligent behaviour that claims that behaviour arises as a consequence of the interaction of complex coupled systems, namely, of organisms with their body, their nervous system and the environment.

An experimental and playful hands on workshop
The most simple way to create and build “life like” machines or robots is by the use of analogue oscillator circuits.
Oscillations can be fed-back and as result simple interactions will happen and behavior of simple neuronal networks can be simulated.
In this workshop you can build simple solar powered robots, which will generate smallest movements or tiny and various sound pattern, which reminds you to birds or insect sounds.
At the end all finished solar-robots can be dipped in liquid beeswax and exposed (set free) in the garden.
Prior knowledge of electronics is not required.
http://vimeo.com/24189775

experimental installation setup
Singing robots energized with honey batteries.
DIY honey batteries -some piles of petri dishes filled with honey, copper- and
aluminum foil- drive various analogue singing robots.

An audiovisual performance using overhead projectors, unrefined raw beeswax, pick-up microphones and analog kinetic objects. Based on sound experiments with selfmade candles out of raw beeswax and with the dipping of electronic circuits into the beeswax we will develop a performance with dim light and silent sounds.