The ongoing mobile laboratory project: Makrolab

June 14, 2010 11:48 AM

The structure functions as a living and working environment, solar powered, and able to support 3 people for up to 40 days. Avowedly utopian in its objectives, the insulation/isolation strategy aims to achieve total independence from social conditions in order to create a reflective space.

The Makrolab project was born in 1994 during the wars that were raging in the former Yugoslavia. Its initial purpose was to function as an autonomous and mobile performance/tactical media environment...

And

Armed with satellite dishes, radios, and wires we approached the sky as one large unmarked library with voice, video and data communication pouring from its shelves. ...we did stumble across some interesting texts, such as corporate officials discussing the impending demise of the citizens of Freetown in Sierra Leone.

And

Here I will repeat one of my earlier suggestions, which I see as a viable, but hardy realizable alternative: Build a global independent satellite telecommunications network, an alternative to the Intelsat system and the new low orbit commercial systems that are slowly becoming reality. A multinational interdisciplinary organizational effort would develop tactics and strategies and confront the global capitalist and state multinational organisms with organized resistance and provide an alternative, non commercially based means of reliable and secure telecom. All you need is to place, control and run four satellites.

Check out the original FAQ. And don't forget to monitor the sensors (no longer working, but pretty cool).

The brainchild of Marko Peljhan, who has since started other cool art/technology projects, such as SYSTEM-77 / CIVIL COUNTER-RECONNAISSANCE.

Many other technophiles spent time at Makrolab, including Jaromil, creator of the Dyne:bolic multimedia linux distro and activist who has worked in the middle east to spread Free Culture ideals through technology.

(Note: I am unclear as to whether Makrolab is still up and running somewhere out there, but I doubt it)

posted by circular (3 comments total)

BTW, links at lower right on that first page will take you through different photos.
posted by circular at 11:50 AM on June 14, 2010

able to support 3 people for up to 40 days

What does it do that another structure can't do? How is it different from, say, an RV or a trailer, except for the power source? I read the first few links, including the FAQ and I am still not understanding the uniqueness.
posted by desjardins at 12:31 PM on June 14, 2010

desjardins: those don't look like a Mars station. They also lack manifestos.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:54 PM on June 14, 2010