Afroditi Psarra
My research focuses on the art and science interaction with a critical discourse in the creation of artifacts. I am especially interested in physics as a way of perceiving the invisible universe that surrounds us, and in mathematics as a means for designing and computing technological artifacts. Through artistic experiments in field of electronic textiles, I seek to create sensory extensions of the human body to examine it as an interface of control and resistance, to engage with crafting and the revitalization of tradition as a methodology of hacking existing norms about technical objects, and to apply DIY (Do It Yourself) and DIWO (Do It With Others) techniques as educational models for diffusing knowledge.
The miniaturization of electronic devices has led to the development of what is known as fractal antennas - miniaturized antennas that use an iterative function system to create a fractal element at a reduced size. Following the quest to embody the invisible transmissions that surround us, in this wearable artifact, I explore the use of an IC mixer circuit to down-convert the emissions from the NOAA weather satellites and make them audible. By this research into textile antennas and fractal geometry as a means to detect radio-frequency (RF) transmissions, I aim to speculate about the body as an agent of power, and the use of digital craftsmanship as a means to re-interpret transmission ecologies.