Offene Werkstaetten: The Munich Cluster
Last september we made one week workshop in Munich together with 4 Open Spaces based in Munich: hei, werkbox3, MUMAlab and FABLAB Munich.
The workshop lasted one week and it has been a nomadic workshop thanks to the involvement of people belonging to those different Open Workshops all based in Munich.
It is true, all Open Workshops have something very deep and strong in common but it is also very clear that everyone has a specialty, something in which community members are more skilled or more interested about.
So, it has been natural to plan 2 days a the MunichMakerlab for working at the e-window software; While those “skilled” on webdeveloping were working on the Elektronic Window software architecture the others were thinking about the structure of the multifactory network.
With the second group we discussed the general meaning of the multifactory international network. We tried to find an answer to this question: Which benefits can we have if we are connected and we share our skills and knowledge using different tools as the e-window and videotutorials and selfpresentations? We got some new interesting points, and also we taught about some changes to the Multifactory Network website to make it working. For example that maybe it is senseless to call it “Network”. Because we do not need more networks, it si plenty of networs of spaces that need to be fed in a top down approach by the initiators of the space or by the “employees” of the space.
The aim and the need is more a social network, a community of interest where the first basic goal is: connecting people that are aiming to produce locally complex objects or products or complex projects.
Other 2 days of this September Munich workshop were spent at the Werkbox3 wood workshop in building the E-window frame: mostly made by wood and metal. Werkbox members have special passion for working with wood. So it has been the perfect place for starting thinking at how to make the e-window to look as a real window, that you can let it open and see the panorama outside.
During the weekend the workshop shifted to Hei and we made several exercises on how to make videos starting from the shots and camera movements and going straight to the storytelling. If you want to make videos by yourself and share your knowledge through videotutorials first follow those tips and start shooting!
With the 4 Munich Offene Werkstaetten we discussed a lot also about the fear of being observed or of being watched by someone somehow hidden and we cleared that this is a SOCIAL EXPERIMENT TOO, we are testing it, all together. And it doesn’t make sense to test something new in an easy environment, I don’t know for example in New York it would be accepted by everybody, no fear at all of being watched. BUT, we thought if it works in Germany, it will work worldwide!!
Our goal has been since the beginning (2 years ago with the first exchanges with machbar-potsdam.de crew) to plan an encrypted video chat system. In order to reach this huge goal we will attend the 33C3 Chaos Computer Club Congress in December, everybody is welcome to join the e-window crew!!
Next workshop :: videotutorial and selfpresentation :: Munich :: November 13 to November 17, join us! (send an email to : lorenza@osunwes.eu)
Next project presentation: Honig Fabriq :: Hamburg :: November 19 :: at the Verbund Offener Werkstaetten Annual Meeting.
MultiFactory 