‘Sometimes it’s the theme of a product that captures the imagination, sometimes it’s the technology,’ explains lecturer Florian van Zandwijk, whilst the students set up their presentations. ‘For example, student Ying collaborated with Microcosmos, a company that makes a product to help people sleep better. She has created a piece that explores the importance of sleep.’
Start-ups inspire art academy students
Students on the Design, Art & Technology course at the ArtEZ art academy collaborated with start-ups at The Launch, the centre for entrepreneurship at Radboud University, to create objects, installations and a performance which they presented on 11 June.
Further along, student Uijae Jung is working on a light installation using fluorescent tubes, which are linked to a particulate matter monitor from the company Aerocount. ‘This gives you a direct visual representation of the amount of particulate matter in a room.’
Student Meike collaborated with Synaptica and used data to illustrate the different stages of an epileptic seizure using sound and other techniques. Her work shows magnified ion channels opening and closing; this process varies across the five different stages of an epileptic seizure.
Students Sjoerd and Jurre both collaborated with Spacecific, a company that develops a system for tracking (small) rockets. Sjoerd, who is interested in radio, created a portable radio station that allows you to broadcast over the internet from anywhere. Jurre used a technique to record lightning strikes anywhere in the world. He converted these recordings into an installation that allows visitors at a location in the Veluwe to hear the radio spectrum and sounds based on it.
Van Zandwijk believes it is important that these are the students’ first practical assignments. ‘So they can’t pursue their personal interests entirely without restraint, but have to take a client into account. That creates a new dynamic.’
The clients in The Launch are impressed by the powerful combination of creativity and technology in this project. They regard this pilot as a successful experiment and are considering a follow-up.
Contact information
- Organizational unit
- The Launch
