The Curious Home

From 29 June to 15 July 2007, the Interaction Research Studio from Goldsmiths, University of London presents The Curious Home, an exhibition of electronic furniture that demonstrates a radical vision of home technology. Working with London households, the team has designed pieces that electronically highlight aspects of the local environment, transforming information to encourage exploration, interpretation and wonder. The designs themselves are shown alongside documentary films that capture how Londoners lived with the furniture in their homes. On show will be several pieces, including: > The Plane Tracker – an appliance that tracks passing flight traffic and imagines views of their journeys. > The Local Barometer – small devices that display text and images from local classifieds as if blown through the home. > The Drift Table – a table that drifts over the landscape giving aerial views of Britain. This work avoids the well-worn paths of using digital technologies to support work, consumption and leisure. In the studio’s view, new technologies should encourage people to become active participants in their digital lifestyles, helping them explore the world around them rather than seeking to escape it. As well as seeing how people have lived with these unique pieces, there is an opportunity for visitors to get involved as the studio is looking for additional adopters of future work. The Curious Home brings together the work of the Interaction Research Studio¡¦s six-year project investigating the future of domestic technology and how we live with it. This work has received international exposure in the past, and the Curious Home Exhibition is a chance to see previously exhibited work alongside new pieces. An illustrated catalogue, including essays by noted commentators on design, technology and society, will be published to accompany the exhibition. Equator is a six-year Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that brings together researchers based in seven UK universities. Equator’s central goal is to investigate the integration of the physical and digital worlds by developing innovative systems. The Interaction Research Studio at Goldsmiths, University of London led the project’s focus on new technology for the home. The Interaction Research Studio members are: Andy Boucher, John Bowers, Bill Gaver, Nadine Jarvis, Tobie Kerridge, Andy Law and Sarah Pennington. EXHIBITION DATES: 29 June – 15 July 2007 PREVIEW EVENING: 5pm 28 June 2007 VENUE: Pacific Playhouse, 5-6 Playhouse Court, 62 Southwark Bridge Road, Bankside LONDON SE1 0AT GALLERY OPENING HOURS: Daily from 12 – 6; Fri until 8 p