CURRENT NEWS

March 19 ­ Sept 13, 2009 at MIT Museum (Cambridge, MA):
‘Hollowed’ ­ exhibition by Shada/Jahn and collaboration with Cati Vaucelle


‘Hollowed’ is an exhibition of sculptures, photographs, drawings, and performances that harness the momentum of natural phenomena (wind, water, lightning) and rituals (courtship, online gaming, sports, meals). Using humor and craft, the works reveal the relations of desire/desperation, isolation/communion and sacred/empty.

'Thanksgiving Dinner in 5 Seconds' is a proposal for a meal cooked using a single bolt of lightning. The WOW (World of Warcraft) Pod is an immersive architectural solution for the advanced WOW player that provides and anticipates all life needs. A rowboat and instruction manual outfitted to prepare any suitor to woo with splendor and romance, Pleasurecraft is the perfect kit for a serenade. Drawing from the long-standing American tradition of cooking on a car engine, Commuter Cookout is a kit that enables the commuter to harness to cook gourmet meals while standing in traffic.

As mutations of otherwise meaningful (or ‘hallowed’) traditions, ‘Hollowed’ questions the effect of fulfilling obligations to complete the self.


April 13, 7-9 pm Mark Epstein Gallery, MIT Museum (Cambridge, MA)
Designing for Extimacy and Fantasy-Fulfillment: Design Noir Utopias for the Online Gamer


A panel discussion about the inducement of pleasure, fantasy fulfillment, and the mediation of intimacy in a socially-networked gaming paradigm such as World of Warcraft (WOW). Participants include Raimundas Malauskas (curator, Artists Space, NY); Visiting Scientist Jean Baptiste LaBrune (Media Lab); Laura Knott (Associate Curator, MIT Museum); MIT Gambit Lab researcher (TBA), and co-artists Marisa Jahn, Steve Shada, and Cati Vaucelle.

2009 at Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (NYC):
Pond is pleased to announce its participation as the inaugural curatorial fellows at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. We will be curating an exhibition in June 2009 ­ details to come!


Located in Midtown Manhattan, EFA is dedicated to providing artists across all disciplines with space, tools and a cooperative forum for the development of individual practice. EFA is a catalyst for cultural growth, stimulating new interactions between artists, creative communities, and the public. Should you be in NYC and looking for a studio, please know that they have Short Term Studios for visual artists and organizations available immediately. http://www.efa1.org

March 6, 7, 9 pm ­ 2 am at Eyebeam’s Mixer event (540 W. 21 b/w 10th and 11th Ave, NYC):
‘WOW Pod’ ­ a collaboration by Shada/Jahn & Cati Vaucelle


Free 12 pm ­ 6 pm Sat March 6 For evening events (FYI, tix tend to run out): Advance tickets $15 per night/ $30 Weekend Pass (Fri. + Sat.). $20 per night at the door. Buy tix here: http://www.eyebeam.org/engage/mixer/mixer_0309.html

Participating Artists: Taeyoon Choi + Cheon pyo Lee, Angela Co + Aeolab, Anakin Koenig, Chris Jordan, Caspar Stracke, The Institute for Faith-Based Technology, The Loud Objects, Di Mainstone, Not An Alternative, Mark Shepard with G. Doulas Barrett, Craig Shepard, Daniel Perlin, Al Laufeld and Jon Cohrs, Cati Vaucelle, Steve Shada, Marisa Jahn

Event Summary: Two nights of performance and installations that will turn Eyebeam’s gallery into a temporary village of creatively engineered pavilions themed around the idea of utopia.

Our Project Summary: The WOW Pod is an immersive architectural solution for the advanced WOW (World of Warcraft) player that provides and anticipates all life needs. Inside, the gamer finds him/herself comfortable seated in front of the computer screen with easy-to-reach water, pre-packaged food, and a toilet conveniently placed underneath his/her custom-built throne. When hungry, the gamer selects a food item (‘Crunchy Spider Surprise’, ‘Beer Basted Ribs’, etc.) and a seasoning pack. By scanning in the food items, the video game physically adjusts a hot plate to cook the item for the correct amount of time. The virtual character then jubilantly announces the status of the meal to both the gamer and the other individuals playing online: “Vorcon’s meal is about to be done!” “Better eat the ribs while they’re hot!” etc. When the food is ready, the system automatically puts the character in AFK (‘Away From Keyboard’) mode to provide the gamer a moment to eat. When the player resumes playing, he/she might just discover his/her character’s behavior is affected by the food consumed in real life — sluggish from overeating or alternately exuberant and energetic. The exterior of the WoW Pod mimics the look of authentic WOW architectural structures, whose swaths of flat, pixellated surfaces digitally recreate the built environment of an imagined past. But upon crossing the threshold and entering into the WOW Pod’s interior, the player finds the digitized look actually becomes the real life experience that World of Warcraft simulates.

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May 2008
artist-in-residency at CAMAC (France)

June 5, 2008: 'Sizzlin in the Fastlane: A Manifold Cookset for the Gourmand Commuter' at Zero One (San Jose, CA)
As part of the Future Farmers' Free Soil Bus Tour, featured at Zero One, Steve Shada and I will cook treats for bus riders, harvesting heat from the bus's engine...As Americans have discovered and re-discovered since the advent of the Model T, harnessing the heat from any commute makes great conditions for preparing a long stew, spicy hot pot, a tasty flan, or slow-baked caserole. The accompanying cookbook suggests recipes tailored to the length of your commute and foods local to the region. This project was formerly referred to as 'Commuter Cookout.'




Steve Shada

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CURRENT
05/15/08 - exhibit: CAMAC (FR)
06/05/08 - workshop: Zero One (SJ)
2009 - exhibit: MIT Museum (Cam)
2009 - exhibit: Jenny Jaskey (Phil)
2009 - exhibit: Samson Projects (BOS)