Switch on, switch off

Abstract

Switch on, switch off is a participatory hacking workshop, disguised as a festival stand, mediated by artists and designers. It targets absolute beginners and people who typically shy away from technologies, of all ages, from all backgrounds. The main idea is to keep it simple (but not simplistic). By focusing on the basic principle of the switch that people use at home everyday for turning on/off lights, we invite them to free their imagination and creativity and think of anything that can be turned on/off with direct related or unrelated consequences. In particular, we encourage the use of body parts as possible interfaces such as hands, nose, lips, heart, eyelashes, etc and we bring the focus of the participants on gestures : a kiss, a handshake, sitting on a chair, putting a cup back on the table, a hug, etc can all become switches.