Be Smart

Currently ongoing at digital art institution Eyebeam is Feedback, which is a collection of experimental green design. As compact fluorescent light bulbs and solar powered patio lights continue to become more mainstream, Feedback reminds us that there are still boundaries to be pushed in green design. The show explores issues concerning topics such as natural resources, ecology, energy use and climate change. The forms of work run the gambit from visualization of data to working prototypes to theoretical architecture and design.

A highlight of the show (no pun intended) is the piece called "The Revolution Door" by Fluxxlab, which was founded by two Columbia architecture design school graduates, Jennifer Broutin and Carmen Trudell. As you turn the door, this working prototype powers the "Feedback" sign on the main panel explaining the exhibition. (Thanks to Stephanie Pierce who was at the opening and agreed to operate the door while I took the picture.)

Fluxxlab's project demonstrates how our daily activities, such as pushing a door, generate energy that can be converted into something useful, instead of being lost. As good experimental design does, The Revolution Door leads to further questions. In this case, the next logical query is: How can these kinds of designs be implemented on a mass scale?

The Feedback show closes on April 19, 2008, so there is still time to get to it if you're in the New York City area.