“Go into the kitchen and open the first drawer you come to and the odds are you’ll find the wooden spoon that is used to stir soups and sauces. If this spoon is of a certain age you will see it no longer has its original shape. It has changed, as if a piece had […]

Finally… How to choose and install four three new distributions Since announcing that it was time for a new adventure, colleagues and friends have advised me what to install and why (see notes below). In the last few weeks I tried to follow up on their tips and I have tried out many distributions. I […]

It’s hard to believe that we are back for more than three weeks from Tel Aviv, where we participated in Open Code Versus Military Culture? Aspects in Israel Digital Culture. It feels both close and very far away. Open Code Versus Military Culture? was initiated by digital artist Tsila Hassine, asking pertinent questions about the […]

The opening talk therefore sounds like a manifest, asking to valorize Free Software, in order to “infiltrate culture in a positive way”. Pierre Marchand, member of the OSP collective, presenting a collaborative ornamental font, supports this proposal totally: “In our domain, the freedom of software is the single tool to completely share culture. It is […]

Excellent post by Troy Sobotka explaining why designers should collaborate with Free Software projects and stop responding to contests: “We need a round table interaction where literature, art, design, philosophy, psychology, and sociology can be engaged. We need a cross pollination of creative fields and studies. We need to have developer minds and creative minds […]

Dear Ubuntu, A few weeks ago I needed to re-install my computer. Using the convenient Startup Disk Creator, I prepared a USB-stick with a fresh version of Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx, rebooted the computer and clicked ‘install’. While the Ubuntu slide-show took my mind off the wait and the automatized installation process was taking place, […]

Last Thursday and Friday OSP gathered in Heure-en-Famenne to discuss future plans and current projects. After almost 5 years of work we wanted to take a bit of time to look back and forward. We made several resolutions and decisions. Some will be already visible in the coming weeks now, others only in the years […]

Les organisateurs du Prix Fernand Baudin nous ont demandé de répondre à trois questions concernant le livre, en vue d’intégrer les réponses dans le catalogue en préparation actuellement. Nos réponses sous forme d’extraits traduits en français du texte publié à la fin du livre. (Full version in English) — Brèves explications du concept/déroulé du livre: […]

Last LGM and its typographic excitements has brought the DIN – Das Ist Norm – Loch Ness project to the surface of the Saint Laurent river again in a discussion with Denis Jacquerye from Deja Vu. Back in Brussels, we meet Denis in the temporary OSP Studio at Rue de la Senne to begin to […]

These days i’m in Malmö for The Art of the Overhead festival. For some years now, this art festival has done media archeology about the overhead projector. There was a workshop/space this week, there will be performances this weekend, there will be a psychedelic closing party next weekend, etc. We’re happy to see that the […]

(Call forwarded from Isabelle Massu) + + + + + + + + + + + + Museums narrate the history of man’s evolution through the display of tools (silex, knife, jar, etc.). In contrast, we are looking for useless tools. This call will result in a vitrine of objects titled ‘Object Inutile’ to be […]

“Only rarely, if indeed ever, are a tool and an altogether original job it is to do, invented together. Tools as symbols, however, invite their imaginative displacements into other than their original contexts. In their new frames of reference, that is, as new symbols in an already established imaginative calculus, they may themselves be transformed, […]

This was the playlist when OSP went on a radio station in Wroc?aw. A few months after, it’s hard to reconstruct the exact sequence of events that led us there. It was something like this: there was a gig at an alternative space, David met us there, he had helped us set up the pre-LGM […]

Bob Sutor, Vice President of Standards and Open Source at Industrial Business Machines, sees no alternative to Linux in the next 10 years. But there is a need of more graphic designers to help with design. Link

Stroom Den Haag started their year long project After Neurath with a public symposium. After Neurath looked/looks at the relevance of 1930’s philosopher and information activist Otto Neurath, and as you can imagine various familiar issues came up. More information about Otto Neurath: http://www.stroom.nl/webdossiers/webdossier.php?wd_id=3530772 The project is curated by Steve Rushton. Speakers: Frank Hartmann, Robin […]

Constant’s contribution to OknoPublic01, May 26 2006 New media curator — information architect — theater maker — science fiction writer — data base programmer — media designer or software artist: we use computer programmes to write, read, listen, publish, edit and play. More than often we do all these things at the same time and […]

On http://www.spreadfirefox.com/ Firefox “Calls All Firefox Fans” to work on posters, leaflets, e-cards, websites and videoclips in an attempt take more market share away from Internet Explorer. One of their most popular campaigns I’ve posted here, because it replicates so many cliches about women and computers, that it makes me seriously doubt this “community” approach: […]