Kestner, an interactive designer and graduate of the MIT Media Lab, says the Tableau is an anti-computer experience, the knob on the drawer lights up when a photo has been printed so you can choose to look at it or decide to find it later. The Table’s entire electronic and physical interface were repurposed from materials destined for the landfill and it only uses up zinc paper as it runs — though we don’t love the idea of paper being used, zinc paper requires no extra ink, so we’ll let it pass. The table is currently on display at the Saint-Étienne Biennale 2010 in Saint-Etienne, France.

Kestner is no stranger to inventing nifty — if somewhat strange — gadgetry. He recently stunned us with his Proverbial Wallets that use electronic updates from your bank account to shrink, tighten their grip and buzz when you spend money. The Tableau and the Proverbial Wallets are after a similar goal — to physically connect the tangible and digital worlds. Although your smart phone or computer can show you photos just fine, sometimes it’s nice to take hold of a tangible piece of the past.

+ John Kestner

Via Gizmodo

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