For this second edition, the MakerFaire.Brussels wants to impress young and old alike. An explosion of creativity and technology that will take the form of demonstrations and workshops around 3D printing, screen printing, laser cutting, robotics, drone driving, etc. For the occasion, MakerFaire.Brussels takes place in the old quarters of Delhaize. Behind this event, are the network of Fablabs in Brussels with the support from citydev.brussels and the Brussels Region. “The Maker Faire has the ambition to show all that it is possible to do by oneself using the open source technologies”, emphasizes Maïté Dupont, fabmanager of cityfab 1.
Friday 10 March, MakerFaire.Brussels opens its doors, free of charge, to classes and their teachers. The idea is simple: to inspire pupils and students to do with their own hands, to dare to appropriate technologies and to create in letting their creativity express itself. On the program, exchanges with the Makers, demonstrations and creative workshops. In the DIY spirit that characterizes it, MakerFaire.Brussels offers participants the opportunity to try their hand at digital manufacturing, while benefiting from professional advice, through around twenty free workshops and from different production experiences. Visitors wishing to learn more about the culture of “doing” can continue the experiment in one of the 10 Fablabs present in Brussels region. These Fablabs are workshops where everyone, whatever their level of knowledge, has access to knowledge and digital tools to make, create, upcycle, invent, … objects by itself. Check out some of the makers + workshops that will be on hand through the weekend.
- The Robot Challenge zone is for novices and experts alike. TheCaliban.be association organizes a line follower robot contest and if you already have your robot, a sumo robot fight. Gluon , an association that organizes activities linking science, technology and art, challenges your ability to handle robots. You will have to, as quickly as possible, move small objects using a robotic arm, connect a temperature sensor, solve a puzzle in virtual reality and assemble a 3D puzzle. Finally, the cityfabs team invites you to build your remote-controlled hovercraft and explore the giant maze.
- Have you always wondered how the objects around you are made and who makes them? Do you want to discover and test technologies? In the production journey, meet the makers and discover their ingenious, creative, exceptional and magnificent creations! Discover the makers in preview HERE .You will be able to test Mekanika ‘s screen printing press , 3D printers with Prusa, test laser engraving with ML Laser, learn about the Internet of Things and electronics with Urban Species , discover the CNC of Mekanika and ML Laser and digital embroidery. We couldn’t talk about production without talking about reuse and upcycling! Orange invites you to transform plastic caps, VROUM Atelier presents its upcycled chairs and Loto Run a collective of 4 artists who work on upcycling and recovery.
- Virtual reality and drones are useful and super fun technologies! Embark on the VR world with Molengeek. Armed with a helmet on your head, you will be able to discover this technology without limit. DroneLab will set up a giant drone course for FPV pros and offer you to learn how to guide one through the soccer dome drone.
- Workshops! During the 3 days, take part in creative workshops led by the makers themselves. There’s something for everyone: Dismantling a computer, Origami 2.0, making stickers for your bike, personalizing your tote bag, engraving your skateboard, flying a drone,… Find the list of workshops HERE .
- The Fabulous Shop is the store for creations born in fablabs. Managed by a collective of makers, it brings together all the creations and activities that you can discover at the Maker Faire. It is also at the Fabulous Shop that you will find the passes to participate in the workshops.
- The Pro Area! A zone is specially dedicated to makers who wish to develop their project. The opportunity to discover the various accompaniment and support services available specifically for makers, artisans and producers.
Pony Trap
Quentin Thomas-Oliver is a trained classical musician and an accidental maker. Together with his partner Hilary, they form the avant-garde industrial group Ponytrap. When they couldn’t find just the right drummer, they made one instead. Ponytrap’s percussion robot, MAX, was created, designed, built, and programmed by Quentin & Hilary using battery power and off-the-shelf parts. “Ponytrap treats audiences to chamber music for the age of electricity, at once intimate and thundering, rigid and fluid, classical and industrial.”
Folding Loom by Dewi Brunet
One of the most famous techniques used for textile pleating use cardboard moulds. The textile in between the two folded paper molds then refolded together and put in a steamer to fix the pleats. Historically, the creator making the molds and the ones using them were two separate jobs. Nowadays, only few still know how to make precise and complex moulds, most of them still use century old ones like in Lognon. Folding loom aims to tackle this challenge and propose a portable matrix to explore and produce paper molds.
Atelier Popi by Alix Nichols
After a master’s degree in Drawing and training in Cabinetmaking and Joinery in Brussels, Alix Nichols started my own creations of graphic furniture. I use: beech, multiplex, plexiglass, brass, resin, paint, metal,… wood and color! With the discovery of Fablabs, I integrate the drawing! Beech and birch multiplex are my basic materials to which I like to combine other materials such as plexi, brass, paint,… I am always looking for new materials, elements, constraints or colors that inspire me with the idea of designing the new piece of furniture. In February 2022, I trained in CNC and started a new category of furniture and wooden objects. Her gorgeous website show a range of work: https://atelierpopi.com/
After working for several years as a 3D graphic designer and following several life experiences, I felt the need to refocus by expressing myself through artistic works, sculpture based on 3D printing, this using my skills, my creativity and combining them with my passion for personal development, in order to talk about what I could go through. I will present different sculptures in the form of graffiti, in volume therefore, some modeled and printed in 3D, and then post-processed to give them a very street-art oriented aspect, others made of wood, laser cut in a fablab and spray painted. Other wooden and laser-cut projects will also be presented, stemming from geek culture. He shares more examples of graffiti – inspired art on Instagram.
Mekanika: Open-Source Machines for CNC Milling & Screen Printing
Makers From the FABulous Shop
THE NODUS MACHINE PROJECT: The knot-tying machine
Passionate about lace since my Masters in Textile Design. I studied the relationship between the craftsman and the machine in the production of Calais lace. Today, I am trying to create my own production tool and make it accessible to everyone in order to promote innovation and re-embellish the image of lace. Self-taught, I work empirically. The project being complex and multidisciplinary, I am supported in certain areas by the second actor of the project: Benoit Forgette.
ECAM'RGO
A DIY cargo bike, adaptable to your needs, clean and inexpensive: an elegant alternative to traditional modes of transport in urban areas.
Graphic Design Workshops from @grafik1030
@grafik1030 is a group of Makers passionate about illustration and graphic arts. Their goal ? Transmit know-how, discover their passion, highlight committed and passionate artists / artisans. Find them on their stand where you can immerse yourself in their universe, discover a great catalog of artist-illustrators, participate in workshops and experiment with different techniques.
Drone Discovery by Adena
Of course there will be...ROBOTS!
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