Kitchen Budapest (KIBU)

Imagine: arriving to a client, you need not pass your visitcard, but just making a gesture with your cellphone, and immediately your company data will be loaded to the memory of your partner’s phone. We have only to use the motion sensors of the cellphones integrated more frequently. Well, the job is to invent suchlike ideas. This is the KIBU way of thinking. Based on the novel technologies, what can do with a given product, apart from its essential functions? To broaden the opportunities using the free imagination. To play with the ideas.

Maybe the idea has no buyer nowadays? This is not the goal! What is the Kitchen Budapest? Cooking or playing room, or teenager DIY workshop? Founded by the Hungarian Telekom in 2007 as a non-profit limited company, KIBU is an intermediating place: a mixture of studio, workshop, and exhibition, where, surrounded by gadgets and appliances, young researchers are dealing with the needs of young people. At a given time about 25 people. So far, about one hundred persons received research fellowships for at least 3 months, or for even ten months.

It is an entity of research and development, where like-minded researchers, driven by strong inner force, could enjoy the experience of the free creation, with coordinated support, in international environment, and by stable financial background. They can test their ability in practice. Participating in a special ambience, they can amalgamate their skills and creativity with artists and engineers.

Melinda Sipos studied glass art and new media design. For her, the artwork can not be associated with any object, material or genre. As one of the organizers of KIBU and as program consultant, she acts as a community engine. She brings together those who are interested in everything that moves, blinks, online or mechanic, not related to a single industry.

“The objects created at KIBU are presented at domestic and international festivals, art exhibitions, and company shows. Some of our projects may seem surprising or frivolous first: hunting virtual mosquitoes with burning cigarettes, creating little angels in a device by breathing (and sending them out by MMS)… But, in most cases, these are based on novel and unusual amalgamating of existing techniques. One of the fundamental aims of KIBU is to rethink and reinterpret the contemporary technical solutions, and their reposition into cultural context.”

Attila Bujdosó, architect.

“We use computers a lot. Typically, we imagine the digital world behind the computer screen now, even in this way it becomes the part of our physical environment. Computers have system architecture; and it is the same as any built environment around us: it has a structure and it obeys rules. The architect can very well travel inside the perspectives as being both an engineer and artist. He can zoom in and out between the totals and the details. Here in the KUBU the artists, designers, engineers and programmers are jointly investigating the relationship between the virtual and physical world. “

László Kiss studied music technology for three years in Cambridge. In the KIBU, he participated, for example, in creation of interactive beings (“gremlins”), “who” are able to change the colours and forms of a picture in a surface with blowing. Even an entire front of a building can be made more interesting.

What is a Bakarobo? A robot, designed for totally unnecessary function. The idea is to build it, because we can do it. A lamp, to select pastries. Sprayer to water off the duck’s back. A robot, licking the cat (perhaps it can shine shoes in the future).

Or a lawn mower, to write inscriptions into the grass using 14 hand blenders.

But there are real products as well. A pendrive, acting as an earring or key chain with Easter egg motifs. Nighmo, the bedside LED lamp, activated by light and motion sensors. Illuminating only in darkness, its battery is charged via USB connector.

Using both institutional and personal networking, the activity of KIBU can be followed all over the world. Researchers visited this workshop gain admittance into famous universities as students or teachers. The people working here are proud of that the world-famous start-up company, the PREZI was a spin-off of the KIBU.

12/5/2011 Budapest

Read more: www.kitchenbudapest.hu