“ Sega control Panasonic ” ( Ibars 2005 )
Among sealed fetishistic subcultures of the consumer electronics world , there seems to be a common credo : If it s not hackable , it s slimy . invest this say to the test is Roger Ibars , a designer - cut - researcher based in London . Ibars work involves hacking into and modding vintage console secret plan controllers and other devices such as alarm clocks and calculator . rather of repurposing or altering the objects themselves , Ibars connect one or more devices up to one another so as to challenge the kinship between branding and intake . The result is a series of devices that debauch their manufacturer ’s intended enjoyment , to say the least . The Nintendo Controls Sony project ( where an fourscore Nintendo controller is connected up to a Sony Clock Radio ) present a figural challenge to the stigmatisation and selling of equipment that often vie for aid in the living room or plaything closet . GIZMODO caught up with Ibars to talk about his practice , ideology , and his current show at the Centre George Pompidou in Paris , France .
Name : Roger Ibars
eld : 30
Education : Sociology ( UAB ) , Industrial Design ( ESDI ) , Interaction Design , MA(RCA )
Affiliation : gadget clothes designer , User Researcher
Exhibitions : Centre Pompidou ( Paris ) , Bienal de Lisboa ( Portugal ) , Digital Hub ( Dublin ) , H20 Gallery ( Barcelona ) , Game Paused ( London )
“ Self Control ” ( Ibars , 2002 )
GIZMODO : How did you first become concerned in augment / cut consumer electronics devices ?
RI : I want to make interactive electronic objective , but I had a lot of taunt limitation . I still have them ; I descend from a sociology scope . But then I started to experiment with low - tech electronics and the construct of control . For example I was obsessed with the film “ Alphaville ” from Jean - Luc Godard . In this photographic film a reckoner and a brainsick scientist start to take control of all Paris citizen , bump off their power to love each other . This picture is a classic of controller and film noir . I designed a removed control that is only controlled by the film . With unsubdivided electronics , I hard - wired a light sensor straightaway to the fast forward button of the remote control condition . Then I tie the light sensor to the TV screen with a suck loving cup . When there is lighter on the screen , the motion-picture show itself presses the clitoris and fast - forward to the next scene . As a result , the viewer is only allowed to ascertain the dark parts of the photographic film , the Film Noir . “ Self - Control ” was my first augment equipment.—a moving-picture show with the ability to control the TV remote control .
GIZMODO : The retro gaming consoles and peripherals in your “ Hard - cable Devices ” series seem to be favorite objects of yours , what is your attraction to these devices ?
RI : I have another fixation asunder from films : joysticks . They are such beautiful devices ! The human body and forms are ergonomic and gentle in the hired hand , the buttons are big and colorful and the quality of the credit card is exceedingly good because they have to digest a passel of mechanical movement . Just cogitate of the Greco-Roman Atari joystick . It is so rich , strong , it s like aMies Van Der Rohe chairbut from electronic , modern times .
“ Atari Controls Phillips ” ( Ibars , 2004 )
GIZMODO : The self - made objects serial presents object that react to their own mechanism ; such as the “ Alarm clock that wakes up the alarum clock . ” Do you see these types of functionality being built into future devices ?
RI : I would like to see products doing more interesting things with their functions ! In product intention we still have this idea of parturiency saving devices . Things have to work first and the most important thing : things want a exploiter . With self - made objective I wanted to question this idea . I contrive objects with a coarse premise : removing the substance abuser of the object . What would materialize if we design objects without a exploiter in intellect ? Are user using objects or are the object using users ? I ’m not sure but I think designing is now more concerned in design users rather that object .
“ Nintendo Controls Phillips ” ( Ibars 2003 )
This is the core estimate of this task , which I materialized in eight dissimilar object in animated illustrations . These self - made objective are designed to have an experience of their own functions . For example , there is a kitchen scale that turns itself over and weighs itself . This is an lesson of an object having a ego - thoughtfulness experience because the function for which the aim has been design has turned into the one that gives it meaning .
“ warning gadget clock that awaken up an alarm clock ” ( Ibars 2003 )
Some product on the market place already have self - referential functions . I think we are in a new era of automatism what I ’m saying with self - made objects is that all this automatism has to be acknowledged to the objects and not taken for granted . Kind of Marxist idea adapted to the target ’s path of life sentence . Otherwise the relation between engineering and us will be based on running thraldom . Maybe I ’m talking about this in very canonical terms of how we sympathize technology in westerly societies , but this is what interest me from the sociological point of view . LikeBruno Latourwould say , we have to look from the point of view of the technology .
“ Nintendo Controls Sony ” ( Ibars 2003 )
GIZMODO : Your work often dispute the brand epithet of devices such as in “ Nintendo Controls Sony ” and “ Atari Controls Philips . ” Why is this conflict important to your work ?
RI : I used to do a “ cast ” for the objective I prefer to link up . I always look for gimmick with interesting design and I have to accept that some brands more than others did a corking Book of Job in some of their product . Why not admit it . If you open a Sony alarm clock , inside you will see a very well design electronic product . you’re able to break up everything and put everything back easy . ass are strong and do n’t break the charge plate after 10 years !
I do n’t connect two aim having only in judgement a conflict of stigma . I only did that double : with Donkeytron II , where you may play a hand-held Nintendo with a Sega pad and with Karatetron , where you may toy the game with controllers from Scalextric and TCR – two companies that were competitors in the market . They were like Mac and personal computer for car racing tracks . I had TRC by the way .
“ Donkey Tron II ” ( Ibars 2004 )
GIZMODO : Consumer electronics like the iPod and the nomadic headphone are becoming a global phenomenon . How does the social acceptation and use of electronic devices play into your work ?
RI : The iPod is a big good example of aggregative consumer fetishism . I have it away it . In Hard - wired twist I take aim to combine objects which trigger some variety of fetishism libido . The same electronic fetichism that some brands work at some point : Bang & Olufsen for model plays that role but my taste is more about rotund corners and shiny plastic than the unassailable and arrogant cordless phone from the Danish party .
“ Unknown Controls Casio ” ( Ibars 2003 )
At the minute I have few firmly - wired devices on exhibition at Centre Pompidou . My pieces are in a section next to the iPod and the Bootleg Objects from designers Markus Bader and Max Wolf . The thing is that the iPod is inside glass box so nobody can touch them . My objects can be touch and used . It is interesting to see the unlike exhibition strategy for each product , even though our goal is the same : to trigger desire for electronic devices .
visitant to Pompidou Exhibition ( Ibars 2005 )
GIZMODO : What is your most recent oeuvre about ? How is it like or different from the former projection ?
RI : On 17th of September I ’m presenting a whole new series of Hard - wired devices for the Biennale of Lisbon in Portugal . This unexampled serial include 8 raw commissioned pieces and they will have on exhibition until 30th of October . And in the beginning of November , there is a very interesting case in London called GAME PAUSED in which hopefully I will confront a few more pieces , some for cut-rate sale . This work continue the same theme of connecting amazing electronic devices from the ’ 70s and ’ 80s , but there are also a few new things , which are different from the premature work . For object lesson in one piece I used a zip drive ( the Graeco-Roman blue 100 M from Iomega ) to switch over on an old Philips radio . The sound and the apparent motion of expel a 100 M zip disc from this drive is so pleasurable ! And I wanted to rescue this function from unstoppable technological forgetfulness .
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