Theremidi Orchestra_TO is an ongoing sound exploration. It’s members want to learn how to make gadgets on their own and move far away from existing interfaces and images. In a time of television user packages, it brings obsolete antennas back to life. TO is absolutely fascinated by the development of the newest gadgets, not for their intended purpose, but to explore their potential to produce the humming, glissandos and squeaks of the electromagnetic pulses. DIY theremins are unpredictable and basic. Nevertheless, they offer a multitude of sounds when connected to the most unexpected antennas, from conductive ink to umbrellas, wire ducklings, air tubes, flowers and scrap metal. TO are generating sounds and images live with the help of theremidi interfaces and are connected to open-source technologies and free-software. TO is a product of Theremidi physical interface workshop, which took place at Ljudmila, Ljubljana Media Lab in May 2011.

Theremidi Orchestra, 2011 – 2017
Robertina Šebjanič, Saša Spačal, Ida Hiršenfelder, Tina Dolinšek, Dare Pejić, Tilen Sepič, Dušan Zidar, Luka Frelih, Matic Urbanija, Borut Savski, Simon Bergoč, Ian Soroka, Isac Petruzzi

Photos: Tilen Sepič
Project website: Theremidi Orchestra
Production: Ljudmila – Ljubljana Digital Media Lab

 

Theremidi Orchestra
Robertina Šebjanič
Saša Spačal
Ida Hiršenfelder
Tina Dolinšek
Dare Pejić
Tilen Sepič
Dušan Zidar
Luka Frelih
Matic Urbanija
Borut Savski
Simon Bergoč
Ian Soroka
Isac Petruzzi
Ljudmila
Ljubljana Digital Media Lab
2011 – 2017

 

ČIPke, women with a touch for technology, science and art, is an initiative for researching the conditions for women who are active in the context of science, technology and media art. The goal is to open a space for conversation about women working in these fields and to organise practical educational programs including various workshops on electronics, robotics, open source programing, and the usage of open source programs for graphical design, video editing, sound synthesis…

 

*ČIPke
1. čipke plur. n.: laces: a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern.
2. čip n. electronics: chip: an electronic component processed to have specified electrical characteristics in an integrated circuit.
3. čipke plur. n.: laces: a plural abbreviation of the name of mathematician Ada Lovelace who created the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine.

 

ČIPke, women with a touch for technology, science and art, 2012 – present
Saša Spačal, Ida Hiršenfelder, Staška Guček

 

Photo: Hana Josić
Project website: Čipke, women with touch for technology, science and art
Facebook group: ČIPke
Production: Rampa Lab / Kersnikova Institute
Support: Ministry of Culture of Republic of Slovenia, Municipality of Ljubljana

Čipke initiative
Saša Spačal, Ida Hiršenfelder, Staška Guček

Community

Rampa Lab
2012 – present

 

 

A flow of enthusiast women in professions overflown by man.

Eight women working in the broad spectrum of scientific professions from artificial intelligence to programming and aviation, talk about the conditions in which they became interested in technical professions, the obstacles they confronted, and how they dealt with them.

In most technical occupations, women are still very poorly represented. However, those who have entered these fields of work despite the odds, usually show a very positive attitude towards their work, a pleasure in self-fulfillment through work, and professionalism in the occupation. The film reveals covert discrimination against women, which still prevents them from equally access to certain social spheres. The film also presented social circumstances that influence the decisions of individuals in the choice of their professions and how decisions are determined by gender.

The film presents: Alja Berčič Ivanuš, female airline captain, Adria Airways [co-pilot at the time of filming]; Alja Isaković, co-founder of CodeCatz; KaktusKaktus, sound engineer, Radio Študent; Dr. Dunja Mladenić, head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Jozef Stefan Institute; Maja Smrekar, intermedia artist; Dr. Dragica Turnšek, micropalaeontologist; Dr. Mateja Verlič, project manager during the day, programmer at night; Larisa Vrhunc, Academic composition specialist, Faculty of Arts.

 

Flow[tok]
Ana Čigon, Saša Spačal and Ida Hiršenfelder
Documentary film. 55 minutes. Slovenia, 2016
Project website: Flow [tok].
Documentary was co-produced by ČIPke initiative | Rampa laboratory – Kersnikova and RTV Slovenija.

 

[If you are in need of English subtitles, they can be turned on in the youtube settings of the video.]

 

List of screenings

Baturu Cultural Festival Beijing with China Women’s Film Festival Hong Kong, China [November, 2020]
National Television Station – RTV Slovenia, Documentary Films, Cultural and Artistic Programme 2 [September, 2020]
Let’s Roll Our Sleeves Up Exhibition, Likovni salon Gallery, Celje [Maj-June, 2018]
Official Selection Vox Feminae Film Festival, Zagreb, Croatia [October, 2017]
20th Slovene Film Festival, Main Hall, Portorož Auditorium [September, 2017]
22nd City of Women Festival, Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, Slovenia [October, 2016]
RTV Slovenia – National Television Station, Documentary Films – Cultural and Artistic Programme, Ljubljana, Slovenia [March, 2017]
Interdisciplinary Laboratory GT22 – Intimate Cinema, Maribor, Slovenia [March, 2017]
5th Deuje Babe Festival, Film Theatre Idrija, Slovenia [March, 2017]
10th Festival of Hocus Pocus, Pionirski dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia [March, 2017]
Cultural Bazaar, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia [March, 2017]

Flow [tok]
Saša Spačal, Ana Čigon, Ida Hiršenfelder

Documentary

RTV Slovenia
ČIPke initiative
Rampa Lab
2016