Who are the makers? To find out, we spoke to people more or less closely related to Zürich and asked all of them the same questions. Today we’ll start with Marc Dusseiller a.k.a. @dusjagr, a transdisciplinary scholar, cultural mediator and artist.
How did you start with making?
(Translated from German) “I would rather call it tinkering with electronics. I started with software for experimental electronic music, on the computer. In the autumn of 2006 I took part in a course by Nicolas Collins, Handmade Electronic Music. Nicolas is also the author of a book bearing the same name. The book is about piezo microphones, simple oscillators and circuit bending. In the same course I met people of the already existing Zürich DIY-electronics and -music scene. Simon Berz, Markus Haselbach, Iris Rennert and others. Markus told me that they just founded an association, the Swiss Mechatronic Art Society (known under the German acronym SGMK).”
What are you working on?
“At the time I made SGMK to my primary interest, later I worked more on the intersection of art and science, also in the field of biology. That’s how I helped build the DIY bio network Hackteria.org. We are very international, and it takes me a lot of coordination. Besides, in the context of the Center for Alternative Coconut Research, I work on a coconut project, asimple electronic tool to connect the world to the computer and thus enable creative workshops with kids.”
What is your favourite tool?
“I would say my favourite tool is the Babygnusbuino, as an electronics tool. A low-cost ATTiny Arduino clone, which I work with since 3-4 years, originally developed by Michi Egger. Besides I love hacked webcams, too, to build new things with, e.g. a Do-it-Yourself microscope for a few Swiss francs.”
Who or what inspires you?
“Personally I believe that radical transdisciplinarity can result in lots of inspiration. That’s what I focus on. Not just bringing together technicians and designers, but rather also work together across cultures. Different age groups and backgrounds – cooks, philosophers, designers and tinkerers – that is my main source of inspiration, diversity.”
Text and Photos: @tamberg for Verein DIY Kultur Zürich, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0