Believing in the benefits of public service PAN•O•MATIC offers educational workshops at free or nominal charge.


Usernomics 1.0

A hacktivist workshop employing models of waste reclamation, recycling and reuse. This user-friendly workshop begins with discussion about the consequences (social, ecological) of the computer industry, and a discussion about how to reuse, recycle discarded keyboards, household goods and toys. Participants engage in hacking (taking apart and repurposing) the keyboards and reprogram them to make one-of-a-kind external computer controllers.

Past workshops:
2007 NYC Bent Fest
2007 ConFlux
Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Bufffalo, NY
University at Buffalo "Designed Play" course

Further information including videos:
http://www.pan-o-matic.com/blog/?page_id=69



An Introduction to Basic Divination

Monday Nights@16 Beaver
16 Beaver Group, NYC
August 15, 2005
organized by Ayreen Anastas

http://www.16beavergroup.org/monday/archives/001599.php#more

The workshop introduced the basic principles of divination and concluded with an evening field expedition throughout lower Manhattan. Participants learned how to make their own divining tools from wire hangers and drinking straws. The divining tool was used to test for a variety of frequencies in the area including WIFI hot spots (wireless internet access zones) and ELFs (extremely low frequencies emitted from electrical outlets and devices). Participants were also instructed on how to test for underground water lines and toxins around ground zero and made stops at local bodegas to test toxin levels in food products.

Center for Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA
Part of the exhibition "Detourism"
September 5, 2004
organized by Nato Thompson
Images from the workshop below.

Participants gathered on an overcast Sunday morning to learn the ancient art of divining. Not knowing what was at stake, participants were pleased to learn they could assemble their own tools from an old wire coat hanger and a plastic drinking straw. After mastering the art of the wire cutter, participants were instructed in basic divination skills on a field across from the art center. A few quarters were found and a few auras were tested. Once the basic learning curve was achieved we moved on to more challenging endeavors.

The second part of our expedition required testing toxin levels in various products at the local supermarket. Which chicken beheld the lowest percentage of hormones? Is this local macintosh apple a friend of the Monsanto family? The store was very amicable to our research.

After a few trial and errors, I was surrounded by a new circle of believers and the ingredients for a healthy power lunch. It was now time to go home and prepare the fiesta.