Metalab
Encyclopedia
The Metalab is a hackerspace
in Vienna
's central first district
.
Founded in 2006, it is a meeting place of the Viennese tech community, hosting events from culture festivals to user groups.
It has played a catalyst role in the global hackerspace movement and was the birthplace of several internet startup companies.
. Metalab provides infrastructure for projects and offers a physical space for interested people from the fields of IT
, new media
, digital art
, net art and hacker culture
.
Besides a main room suited for working on laptops or having workshops and presentations, the space incorporates a library room, a small room dedicated to recording and editing audio, a lounge featuring a variety of game consoles as well as inbuilt Dance Dance Revolution
pads, a workshop/hardware hacking area called 'Whateverlab', a room for heavy machinery, a photography lab or dark room (which also hosts a professional setup for etching PCBs
), a kitchen, bathrooms, and a locker room. The whole hackerspace is a non-smoking area with the exception of the lounge, a dedicated smokers room. Next to self-built machines, furniture and decorations (mostly featuring the use of LEDs
), the infrastructure provided to all members as well as externs includes a lathe
, a CNC
machine, a CAD
station, a laser cutter, a RepRap
, two Makerbots, electronic measurement tools like oscilloscopes
and pattern generators, soldering irons, and other tools needed for electronics development. The main room, library and lounge are all equipped with a projector; several uplinks provide access to the Internet via Gigabit ethernet or Wireless LAN.
The core/organization team (composed of volunteers) meets monthly to discuss matters relevant to the hackerspace, like current and future renovation projects and equipment purchases. There are multiple special interest groups, which meet more regularly and often spontaneously. The lab itself is open every day, usually for 24 hours. Every regular member can get a key.
Vienna, and the beginnings of what was later developed into Makerbot at NYC Resistor
. It has been host of over 400 events, talks, and workshops. Metalab featured talks and workshops with various personalities from the tech and culture field. The members of the Metalab initiated many digital culture and net art projects in Vienna. Since 2006, the Metalab has been hosting a part of Paraflows, an annual international festival for net cultures and code art.
and the C-Base
in Berlin, and in turn marked the beginning of a Hackerspace Revolution that led to the creation of hundreds more Hackerspaces throughout the world.
Initially two of Metalab's founders wanted to give Metalab the name KyBase (from Wiener Kybernetischer Kreis, their Hacker Group), but decided to go with Metalab instead to signal openness to any interest seriously pursued and that the new entity would be independent and an environment encompassing a plurality of interests, professions and genders. Their logo
depicts a phone booth
– old school, public-access technology
that has certain mythical qualities in fiction (examples include Dr. Who
‘s TARDIS
that serves as a gateway into other worlds, and Clark Kent turning into Superman
in a phone booth). Metalab keeps an original Austrian Telephone Booth in its main room, that is also transported to wherever the group wants to signal presence at international conventions such as the Chaos Communication Camp
in Germany.
In the beginning, the group focused on acquiring a physical space. While there had been several meetings in coffee houses, intentionally no social events had been organized before the rental contract was signed because the founding director Paul Bohm wanted to attract an initial group that was focused on getting things done instead of getting stuck in perpetual social meetings. Once the group managed to convince 40 people to sign a non-binding declaration of intent to pay membership dues, and a set of 4 sponsors had been found, the rental contract for the current location was signed. It is a core value of Metalab that operating expenses are always paid exclusively through a broad membership base (currently over 140 dues-paying members). Public funding and sponsoring, in part from the net culture funding budget of the City of Vienna ("Netznetz
") and the Austrian Federal Government, have allowed for the expansion and improvement of the space, purchase of equipment, and realization of bigger projects.
Hackerspace
A hackerspace or hackspace is a location where people with common interests, often in computers, technology, science, or digital or electronic art can meet, socialise and/or collaborate...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's central first district
Innere Stadt
The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...
.
Founded in 2006, it is a meeting place of the Viennese tech community, hosting events from culture festivals to user groups.
It has played a catalyst role in the global hackerspace movement and was the birthplace of several internet startup companies.
Description
Metalab offers space for free exchange of information, and collaboration between technical-creative enthusiasts, hackers and foundersEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. Metalab provides infrastructure for projects and offers a physical space for interested people from the fields of IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
, digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
, net art and hacker culture
Hacker culture
A hacker is a member of the computer programmer subculture originated in the 1960s in the United States academia, in particular around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Tech Model Railroad Club and MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory...
.
Besides a main room suited for working on laptops or having workshops and presentations, the space incorporates a library room, a small room dedicated to recording and editing audio, a lounge featuring a variety of game consoles as well as inbuilt Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
pads, a workshop/hardware hacking area called 'Whateverlab', a room for heavy machinery, a photography lab or dark room (which also hosts a professional setup for etching PCBs
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
), a kitchen, bathrooms, and a locker room. The whole hackerspace is a non-smoking area with the exception of the lounge, a dedicated smokers room. Next to self-built machines, furniture and decorations (mostly featuring the use of LEDs
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
), the infrastructure provided to all members as well as externs includes a lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
, a CNC
Numerical control
Numerical control refers to the automation of machine tools that are operated by abstractly programmed commands encoded on a storage medium, as opposed to controlled manually via handwheels or levers, or mechanically automated via cams alone...
machine, a CAD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
station, a laser cutter, a RepRap
RepRap Project
The RepRap project is an initiative to develop a 3D printer that can print most of its own components...
, two Makerbots, electronic measurement tools like oscilloscopes
Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
and pattern generators, soldering irons, and other tools needed for electronics development. The main room, library and lounge are all equipped with a projector; several uplinks provide access to the Internet via Gigabit ethernet or Wireless LAN.
The core/organization team (composed of volunteers) meets monthly to discuss matters relevant to the hackerspace, like current and future renovation projects and equipment purchases. There are multiple special interest groups, which meet more regularly and often spontaneously. The lab itself is open every day, usually for 24 hours. Every regular member can get a key.
Influence
Metalab has been source of multiple startups and art projects including Mjam, currently Austria's largest internet food delivery company, Soup.io, a tumblelogging startup, YEurope, which was Europe's first YCombinator inspired startup accelerator, the annual DeepSec Security Conference, Graffiti Research LabGraffiti Research Lab
Graffiti Research Lab, founded by Evan Roth and James Powderly during their fellowships at the Eyebeam OpenLab, is an art group dedicated to outfitting graffiti writers, artists and protesters with open source technologies for urban communication. The members of the group experiment in a lab and in...
Vienna, and the beginnings of what was later developed into Makerbot at NYC Resistor
NYC Resistor
NYC Resistor is a hackerspace in New York, inspired by Chaos Computer Club and other hacker organizations. According the NYC Resistor's website, "NYC Resistor is a hacker collective with a shared space located in downtown Brooklyn...
. It has been host of over 400 events, talks, and workshops. Metalab featured talks and workshops with various personalities from the tech and culture field. The members of the Metalab initiated many digital culture and net art projects in Vienna. Since 2006, the Metalab has been hosting a part of Paraflows, an annual international festival for net cultures and code art.
History
As one of the first intentionally created Hackerspaces outside of Germany, its creation required the development of financing models and organizational structure that are now used by hackerspaces throughout the world. Its creation was inspired by the Chaos Computer ClubChaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club is an organization of hackers. The CCC is based in Germany and other German-speaking countries.The CCC describes itself as "a galactic community of life forms, independent of age, sex, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of...
and the C-Base
C-base
c-base e. V. is a non-profit association of about 300 members located in Berlin, Germany. The purpose of this association is to increase knowledge and skills pertaining to computer software, hardware and data networks. The association is engaged in numerous related activities...
in Berlin, and in turn marked the beginning of a Hackerspace Revolution that led to the creation of hundreds more Hackerspaces throughout the world.
Initially two of Metalab's founders wanted to give Metalab the name KyBase (from Wiener Kybernetischer Kreis, their Hacker Group), but decided to go with Metalab instead to signal openness to any interest seriously pursued and that the new entity would be independent and an environment encompassing a plurality of interests, professions and genders. Their logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
depicts a phone booth
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...
– old school, public-access technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
that has certain mythical qualities in fiction (examples include Dr. Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
‘s TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
that serves as a gateway into other worlds, and Clark Kent turning into Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in a phone booth). Metalab keeps an original Austrian Telephone Booth in its main room, that is also transported to wherever the group wants to signal presence at international conventions such as the Chaos Communication Camp
Chaos Communication Camp
The Chaos Communication Camp is an international meeting of hackers that takes place every four years, organized by the Chaos Computer Club ....
in Germany.
In the beginning, the group focused on acquiring a physical space. While there had been several meetings in coffee houses, intentionally no social events had been organized before the rental contract was signed because the founding director Paul Bohm wanted to attract an initial group that was focused on getting things done instead of getting stuck in perpetual social meetings. Once the group managed to convince 40 people to sign a non-binding declaration of intent to pay membership dues, and a set of 4 sponsors had been found, the rental contract for the current location was signed. It is a core value of Metalab that operating expenses are always paid exclusively through a broad membership base (currently over 140 dues-paying members). Public funding and sponsoring, in part from the net culture funding budget of the City of Vienna ("Netznetz
Netznetz
netznetz is a social platform for individuals and groups associated with net art and net culture in Vienna, Austria. The platform was dissolved around 2011 because of internal problems and loss of funding from the Viennese city....
") and the Austrian Federal Government, have allowed for the expansion and improvement of the space, purchase of equipment, and realization of bigger projects.