Knit a Microbe! Nexus Art Cafe

As part of the Manchester Science Festival and Golden Ratio exhibition at Nexus Art Cafe, we are inviting all needle-clackers to contribute a microbe to our Golden Ratio colony!

Come and knit in the cafe, use this events page to organise a group knit, or drop by our Crafternoons sessions every Sunday at 3pm. You can drop your woolly microbe off at the Nexus counter, labelled with your name and contact details if you would like them back! They will then be displayed as a part of the Golden Ratio exhibition, which runs from 30th September - 20th November.

Please make sure your microbes are ready by 25th September so we have time to hang them all!

You can find the microbe patterns here, courtesy of Manchester Science Festival.

You can use the Nexus Facebook page to organise meets with other knitters, or join our Crafternoon group.

Microbiology and art competiton – call for entries

Art provides an opportunity for visualisation and communication of science…
During the Manchester Science Festival 2011, MadLab will be hosting its first science themed exhibition, on the subject of Microbiology and Art (Oct 20 – Nov 11). Items on display will include a range of different representations of links between microbiology and art – photography, jewellery, embroidery, music, painting and so on – produced by science students from MMU. In addition, the Manchester Microbe Map, produced by the intrepid members of DIYBIOMCR will be on display alongside the MMU AIDS banner, and an open call for work.

Take part in the exhibition. Here’s how.
Think about the obvious links between microbiology and art – deterioration of cultural heritage, images of infectious disease, the beauty of microscopic images, disease in history, literature – and the not so obvious.

Search the subject online, you may be surprised!

If you are inspired to produce your own artwork, then submit it to hwayoung@madlab.org.uk by the 30th September.

Please include with your submission:

1.title

2.description (inspiration)

3.size

4.medium

Any questions or queries can be directed to the above contact.

A panel of judges will select one entry to join the exhibition.

Timescale

Submission deadline : 30th September

Winner announced : 7th of October

Exhibition launch : 22nd October

This event is part of the Manchester Science Festival 2011 and DIYBIOMCR. This blog was originally posted on the MadLab website.

Join in QR-3D

QR-3D is an experiment in textiles and digital technology.

QR codes are grid-like images used in the same way as barcodes. They can be read by mobile phones and contain text, usually an internet address.

What happens when those codes are recreated in textiles? Does the texture of the thread and fabric stop the codes from working? How far can textiles be manipulated before the functionality disappears?

QR-3D invites anyone, anywhere to join in and find out. Simply choose a website, turn it into a QR code and recreate it in textiles.

Instructions for all of these steps are included in the project's website http://www.qr-3d.weebly.com/

Some of the works created will be selected for the exhibition QR-3D, held at Cornerhouse during Manchester Science Festival.

The deadline for submitting your work is Sunday 31st July so get making.

Image: Do Androids Dream of Electronic Embroidery, Rachel Rose