WETLAB is an ongoing multi-initiative Finishing School project investigating the growing concern of peak water through intervention, praxis, coalition, and activism. The various participatory initiatives engage audiences with critical water issues exploring politics, power, science, consumption, access, sustainability, and innovation. WETLAB was established in 2009.
Pimp Your Divining Rod– Learn the ABC’s of water witching and build your own customized divining rod. Let people know that you are searching for water in style. Participants learned to make and operate their own divining rods and then used them to help us create a speculative water source map. Recent project sites include Chinatown in Los Angeles, CA and The Great Park in Irvine, CA.
View pictures and video from the project here.
Selected WETLAB Initiatives
The Greywater Garden – Workshop participants are introduced to the ABC’s of domestic greywater technology and practice. They also learn to plant and maintain a small personal xeric garden using drought tolerant plants. Participants are asked to maintain their garden at home and are challenged to use only greywater – wastewater generated from domestic activities such as dish washing, laundry and bathing. Participants are asked to regularly share the progress of their gardens on a blog created for the project.
Tactical Water Sensor – Create a DIY moisture-sensitive gizmo from readily available electronic components that broadcasts water conservation messages when exposed to water. Gizmos should be deployed in public and private sites where water is used in excess.
Department of Water and Power – Learn to be less dependant on the grid and build an inexpensive self-contained water collection and solar power unit for home and garden use.
WAPI Factory – Water Pasteurization Indicator – Help build a WAPI, a simple re-usable device that helps end-users determine when water has reached safe pasteurization temperatures for consumption. They will be distributed in areas where access to clean water is a primary concern.
+ We make every attempt to use local grey-water in these projects.
+ WETLAB was curated by Marshall Astor and sponsored in part by the Artist in Residence Program at Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro, CA.