3,178 minus 366

3,178 minus 366 is a pedal-operated machine that churns butter and generates electricity to power a toaster. Viewers participate in the butter production while on display. 3,178 is the number of calories in one pound of butter and 366 is the number of calories burned during 30 minutes of pedaling an exercise bike.

3,178 minus 366, 2010, 96″ x 36″ x 48″, found exercise bike, paint, wood, butter churn, 1922 single slice toaster, batteries, motor, wiring, blocking diode, charge controller, screen printed fabric, lights.

The piece was funded by the Weston A. Price Foundation and Kickstarter where it was featured on the blog.

After receiving funding and being built it was a part of a solo show called A Legitimate Waste of Time at FluxSpace Gallery in Philadelphia. Download a copy of the catalog.

Read the press about the project and work below:

Four Pounds Flour, Sarah Lohman, December 2, 2010
Churn baby churn, Philadelphia Weekly, by Roberta Fallon, May 13, 2010
Butter churn bicycle thank you, Food in the Library, by Jason, June 26, 2010
The Crowd’s Capital, Calcalist, by Assaf Gilad, August 8, 2010
Hartke is Online, Kimberly Hartke, November 30, 2009
Tasting Table, November 20, 2009

Video of the butter machine in action: