Waste to Work (work in progress)
Background and Concept
To many living in upstate New York, Electric Power is synonymous with the city of Schenectady. Though Schenectady played a vital role in the development of the Power Industry (home of General Electric), this Industry has been made up of global companies since the 19th century. Different forms of labor and effort contributed to its success and, literally, its power. Waste to Work explores an untapped renewable source of energy (sweat) and power dynamics related to different types of human physical labor. We propose build suits for collecting sweat and sweat-based batteries as a metaphor for labor, effort and power. Through this project we are exploring the idea of quantifying effort and labor as a source of power.
The first edition of Waste to Work is specially designed for and commissioned by the Schenectady Museum. Inspired by the history and significance of GE to the local Schenectady community, our focus is on electrical power and the current topics of global economies of work.
Sweat Batteries and Sweat Harvesting
Sweat is an extremely personal commodity even though it is seen as waste. It holds our scent, essential salts, pheromones, and is proof of our personal physical exertion. The first section of the Waste to Work project grapples with the task of collecting sweat with the help of a specially designed "sweat suit" system connected to a "sweat (waste) reservoir". This system will be employed in series of actions (performances) for collecting sweat that would be documented with video and photo.
We will construct costumes specifically designed to collect an individual's bodily waste fluids. The costume is designed for efficiency rather than fashion, and may include tubes, absorbent padding, body bubbles, stressers, heaters and squeegees. After the suits have been realized, we will wear them while participating in different kinds of physical labor. We will collect our own sweat to use in the project. The process of designing, constructing, testing and using the “sweat suits” will be documented. We will work with researchers at the Center for Biotechnology at RPI to develop batteries that are powered using sweat.
Video and an installation of the sweat batteries and costume artifacts. The sweat batteries, contained in clear waste products, will be installed as a cabinet of curiosities or glass menagerie. A system of wires (much like arteries and veins) connects these "organic" batteries to an illuminated world map based on the NASA satellite photo of the world at night.
Process/ Technology
Our batteries are based upon galvanic cells which use an electrolyte in order to cause the proper chemical reaction with zinc and copper to produce power. Human sweat is an electrolyte medium. To aid in the development of the sweat batteries, we will work with scientists at the RPI’s Center for Biotechnology through the BioArt Initiative. RPI already has a history of developing sweat based energy sources. Researcher Robert Linhardt has received international attention for his team’s work on developing the nano-composite paper battery that utilizes blood, sweat or urine as electrolyte sources. This project also could connect two technology power houses, Troy and Schenectady - though their respective heydays may be a century a part.