If I asked you "how do you see Robotic Art"? What would your reply be? I conjure up images of robotic animals, robots and machines which have a form of intelligence at the same time. Perhaps these should just be called robots? Anne and I went off to the Cité des Sciences the other day to see a temporary exhibition called "Robotic Art". I can't say that I like this centre. It's huge, cold and uninviting. A centre for children's activities. All in all a learning centre. Escalators were not working and just getting to the second floor was robotic in itself - then we had to find the entrance. Of course we did and I think that from the start we were both somewhat disappointed.
In the first gallery, there were videos describing and showing those terrifying fair-ground machines. It was enough to make me feel queasy seeing them turn around, upside down and somersault at horrifying speeds. Robotic? I suppose so and yet I had never thought of such machines as robotic.
When we went upstairs there was the strange drawing machine which at a snail pace speed was dotting, filling in, circling and - creating!
But this was fun. Theo Jansen from the Netherlands had created Animaris Umerus. He has been working on these giant skeletons (well that's what I would call them) since 1990 and perfecting them with time. In the video, which I hope will work, you will see one being propelled along the beach until it goes into the water....and drowns? It's the wind that propels it along and apparently his later Animaris move for themselves and if there are foreign objects around which will prevent them moving along, they get out of the way! We were lucky to be there when the display skeleton was put to work. Frankly unimpressive next to that one galloping along the beach.
Another very impressive "robot" was by Shiro Takatani (Japanese). It's called 3D Water Matrix and was created in 2013-2014. This "robot" is composed of 900 electrovalves which are controlled by a computer. The water dances up and down making weird shapes. There is virtually no noise at all. It had a hypnotic effect on me and I'm sure that one could sit and look at it performing for hours.
As for the rest, we were not really impressed. Laurent saw my video on the Iphone and had apparently taken a group of his College students to see it. His feelings were much the same as mine. A bit of a let down for a subject which will certainly be prevalent in our everyday habits in the years to come
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| Beds which moved their "heads" cadence |
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| The "stars" just turned around |
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| The painting machine |
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