A Public Laboratory for Open Innovation in Yerevan

The Ars Techne Nomadic Makerspace is a decentralized, mobile creative and technical workshop designed to bring open-access fabrication, prototyping, and collaborative research opportunities to communities across Yerevan and beyond. Unlike traditional makerspaces that are fixed in one location or university-affiliated research labs that operate behind closed doors, this initiative fosters a commons-oriented approach to technological and artistic exploration. Rooted in DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) methodologies, the makerspace cultivates an ethos of self-sufficiency, shared knowledge, and ecological responsibility.

By integrating interdisciplinary knowledge from science, engineering, and the arts, the Nomadic Makerspace aims to democratize access to tools, foster local material innovation, and experiment with regenerative, low-impact technologies that align with sustainable futures.

Context: Why Yerevan Needs a Commons-Oriented Makerspace

Despite Armenia’s rich history of scientific and artistic innovation, Yerevan currently lacks a public, community-driven makerspace. Existing facilities are housed in universities and private research centers, restricting access for independent innovators, students, artists, and entrepreneurs who lack institutional affiliations. The Ars Techne Nomadic Makerspace seeks to fill this gap by bringing tools, mentorship, and knowledge directly to public spaces, cultural hubs, and grassroots initiatives—encouraging local material experimentation and alternative modes of making.

Objectives & Activities

• DIY & DIWO Innovation Lab: A mobile platform equipped with reclaimed and locally sourced materials, alongside 3D printers, CNC machines, electronics workstations, biofabrication kits, and low-tech experimental tools.
• Workshops & Open Studios: Interactive sessions on digital fabrication, AI-assisted creativity, bioart, upcycling, mycelium-based materials, and citizen science methodologies.
• Ecological & Regenerative Practices: Promoting low-energy, biodegradable, and circular design approaches, using waste as a resource and exploring biodesign, bio-based materials, and alternative energy sources.
• Public Interventions & Site-Specific Installations: Engaging urban and rural spaces with temporary labs and artistic activations responding to environmental and social challenges.
• Collaborative Research & Prototyping: Open calls for artists, designers, and scientists to co-develop interdisciplinary projects that rethink the materiality of technology.
• Commons & Knowledge Sharing: Adopting an open-source philosophy, making all projects, documentation, and methodologies publicly accessible and adaptable.

The Vision: Towards a Regenerative and Decentralized Knowledge Ecosystem

The Ars Techne Nomadic Makerspace is not just about providing access to tools—it is a living, evolving infrastructure that reimagines collaborative knowledge production and sustainable making. By challenging extractive models of technological progress, the initiative seeks to cultivate post-growth, regenerative, and ecologically mindful design methodologies while empowering communities to reclaim autonomy over their technological futures.

By operating outside institutional constraints, the Nomadic Makerspace promotes:

• Autonomous, DIY learning and making—reducing reliance on commercialized tech and fostering local skill-building.
• A circular, waste-conscious approach to technology—turning discarded materials into functional tools and artworks.
• Sustainable, community-led innovation—ensuring that technological advancements align with ecological and social resilience.