We’re giving a big DCWEEK shout-out to the amazing people in our community who are hosting the events, managing the projects, building the robots and sharing the big ideas that make DCWEEK such an terrific festival!
(Note – If you see any of these folks on the street during the festival, give them a high five! They deserve it!)
1. Who are you?
Hiroshi Jacobs, Independent Designer/Installation Artist, Adjunct Lecturer and Studio Critic @ The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning, Computational Designer at RTKL.
Working in collaboration with Jonathan Grinham and Kash Bennett, with support from our students: Alana Thurmond, Jasmina Lopez, Samuel Mrozinski, & Chris Weimann
2. What are you doing for DCWEEK?
Play It Forward is an interactive, motion-sensing installation that activates play and movement by automatically donating a small amount of money each time someone plays with it. The objective is to encourage everyone to get out and be active while helping charity at the same time! The installation will draw from an initial donation stipend which can be increased by organizations or individuals who want to encourage further giving and play.
The installation, inspired by the geometry of movement, is sculptural in form and was constructed using the latest in digital fabrication methods. Strategically located sensors on the piece identify activity and respond with visual feedback. There will be a digital read-out showing the amount of money that has been donated through play, and using the latest in mobile web technology players will be encouraged to spread the word about their experience with their social networks.
3. Project Details
Play It Forward will be on view at the DC Week Closing Party on November 11th. More details here.
4. What does being part of DCWEEK mean to you?
DC Week is a really great opportunity for us to test the artistic use of digital fabrication and interactive technologies (both physical and digital) and how they might be useful for social entrepreneurship and action! Can art and technology work together to activate people for good? We’ll see!
5. What impact do you hope this will have on DC?
We hope that this will add to the growing consensus that art and design can have a real impact on life, and also expand our imagination about the possibilities afforded by the intersection of design and technology.
6. Why should people get involved in your project?
People should get involved because we want as many people as possible to interact with the piece and have fun with it!
7. What are you looking forward to most about DCWEEK?
We are looking forward to DC Week because we think it is really good for DC to get exposure to new ideas about technology and design. Of course, the closing party is the event we’re looking forward to the most! Can’t wait to see our ideas in action!
8. Anything else we should know?
We are looking for opportunities to do more things like this!! Please contact us if you have an idea or space to transform!
