Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray are artists working to create crowdsourced R&D solutions for environmental issues. Their inspiration for community involvement derives from concepts of local production (think of the coming network of 3D multi-material printers) and mass collaboration enabled by Web 2.0. They envision the DIY aspect, not as a nostalgia-inducing hobby or a compromise during hard financial times, but as a futuristic infrastructure-light alternative to big R&D. They work to frame a movement where people feel validated, welcomed into an effort to break apart scientific breakthroughs into actionable tasks, and motivated to contribute. They believe it's time to take the potential contributions of the general public to the environmental movement more seriously. They are currently residents at Eyebeam, the art and technology atelier in New York. Their work has been featured in ArtNews, on the Discovery Channel, at the Venice Biennale, and the A+C gallery in Chicago. They own an interactive design agency in New York, Submersible Design, through which they consult with science and art museums about creating participatory media.

Contact us at bray.rebecca [at] gmail [dot] com.

Newest:

04.21.09: The Urine-Fertilizer DIY Kits are on display at MoMA as part of a sustainable art exhibition.

04.21.09: 15 Window Farm pioneers start to design their own farms.

04.06.09: Urine-Fertilizer Public Reaction at Terence Koh's gallery in Chinatown.

03.26.09: Eyebeam Artist-in-Residence welcome event.

02.23.09: Britta speaks at Ignite NYC.