Saturday Synth Porn: The monome has been included in a new exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Talk To Me.

If you can’t make it to New York, you can see it online here.

Exhibit description for the monome:

Brian Crabtree (American, born 1980) and Kelli Cain (American, born 1979)
2010
Aluminum, silicone, steel, and lead-free circuitry
6 x 6 x 1″ (15.2 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm)
monome, USA

Each monome unit, a grid of identical backlit buttons, functions as a minimalist control interface for endless purposes. With open-source software, they can be reconfigured for something as complex as sound sequencing or math simulation, or something as simple as playing Tetris or timing the cooking of an egg. The only variables are the three possible grid sizes: the two fifty six (16 buttons by 16 buttons), the one twenty eight (16 by 8), and the sixty four (8 by 8).

The innovation of designers Brian Crabtree and Kelli Cain lies in foregoing hardwired functionality for versatility. The designers handcraft the units out of high-quality, locally sourced materials and adhere to an efficient open-source software-development model that encourages a cycle of continuous improvement and adaptation, including supplying DIY kits to anyone who wants to build the device.

Congratulations to Crabtree & Cain for their achievement!