The arrival of robotics within the natural environment marks a shift in time. The Robotanica exhibition series explore a new wilderness of technological species. It shows how robotics play a role or will manifest itself within our changing ecology. Artists, designers and scientists present fascinating and exciting projects that illustrate, investigate and interrogate this development.
ROBOTANICA
Transnatural Workspace
15 September 2017 – 11 May 2018
Dutch Design Week
21-29 October 2017
ABOUT
Is it possible to significantly improve the living conditions of animals and plants by means of robotics? If species are becoming extinct, can we replace them with technological substitutes? Can robotics help to recover environmental damage by influencing weather conditions? How can we prepare for a new wilderness with organic-technological life? Are we facing a new evolution?
Robotanica highlights several artistic and applied aspects of these new forms that (will) play a role in our environment.
The program consists of exhibitions, presentations, performances, demonstrations and workshops. Robotanica will end in June 2018 with an outdoor exhibition in the Tolhuistuin park in Amsterdam with a subsequent program consisting of talks and performances in EYE Filmmuseum. The outdoor exhibition shows a unique setting of living creatures and artistic projects.
Robotanica opened on Friday 15 September in the exhibition space of Transnatural Art & Design in Amsterdam and meanwhile travelled to Eindhoven for Dutch Week in October 2017.
EXHIBITION
Delfly Explorer
TU Delft
Woodpecker
Rihards Vitols
Human Sensor
Kasia Molga
Second Livestock
Austin Stewart
Tumbleweed Robot
Shlomi Mir
ReEarth
Interactive Architecture Lab
The Weather War
Bigert & Bergström
Insect Biobots
NCSU
Vessels
S. Audry, S. Kelly & S. St-Aubin
Autonomous Agriculture
Johanna Schmeer
A diverse Monoculture
Jip van Leeuwenstein
Head in the Clouds
Martins Afonso & C. Faure
Wood Crystals
Aad Kruiswijk
Cow & Co
A. Eggers & O. Roeders
Waterbike
Ivan Henriques
Staphyloculus
Theo Triantafyllidis
Warka Water
Arturo Vittori (Architecture and Vision)
Osmo
Loop.pH
Cloud Machine
Karolina Sobecka
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
ROBOTANICA X EYE ON ART
Transnatural organizes an evening full of immersive performance, short films, talks and demonstrations in collaboration with EYE on Art on Tuesday 12 June. The EYE on Art x Robotanica night explores and stretches the boundaries of technology, nature and society.
Line-up for the evening:
Plasm / Tez (Optofonica)
Harvest / Hertog Nadler
Seamless / Theo Triantafyllidis
Mother Earth Network / Elise Marcus
PERFORMANCE, TALKS & DEMO'S
Plasm / Tez (NL/IT)
It’s a great pleasure to announce the premiere of the Plasm performance by artist Tez. Plasm aims to explore and revive Alan Turing’s research into morphogenesis – the chemical basis of spontaneous pattern formation in the natural world. By means of an AI driven, custom built software system, movements and body sensors are read and translated into control for sound. With Plasm, interdisciplinary artist Tez immerses his audience in an experience that delves deeper into the ever-evolving environment of organic forms: living cells, tissue, organs, and other lifelike formations.
Seamless / Theo Triantafyllidis (US/GR)
The difference between nature and landscape is the presence of humans. What is nature and what is technology in the absence of human intention and intervention? How would future technological relics begin a conversation with natural networks and what new economies of survival would emerge? Seamless is a 3D animated space and simulation of a story of alien invasive species, hijacking the e-commerce infrastructure of Amazon and eBay to sprawl around the planet.
Harvest / Hertog Nadler (NL/IL)
With Harvest, Chaja Hertog and Nir Nadler (Hertog Nadler) tell the story of a rebellious olive tree causing a riot. Whilst the spontaneous protest grows, the riot police start searching through the landscape seeking to suppress the rebellion. The story is inspired by the aggressive ways in which olive branches are harvested. Choreography by Aitana Cordero Vico.
Staphyloculus / Theo Triantafyllidis (US/GR)
Staphyloculus is a Virtual Reality experience that attempts to recreate the first known outbreak of Polywobbly Fervenitis. Due to exposure to the desert sun, a VR headset had a chemical reaction that somehow translated into a digital signal that started a computer virus. The computer virus managed to mutate itself into a strain of bacteria due to some kind of primal Artificial Intelligence, and is now known as Staphyloculus – a virus that is spread through the use of Virtual Reality headsets. The ability of this sentient microorganism to freely transform the computer virus to real world bacteria has astounded the scientific community that is anxiously looking for a cure.
Mother Earth Network / Elise Marcus (NL)
What if our planet could tell us what it needs? The Mother Earth Network wishes to create an artificial intelligence for our planet. The network offers a new way for human beings to communicate with, listen to, and feel empathy for our planet. A kit consisting of data collectors that can measure water, air, soil, and plants, allows citizens from all over the world to upload data into the Mother Earth Network. When we feel more connected with our surroundings, will we be motivated to live in a more sustainable way?
LOCATION & DATES
Transnatural Workspace
Dates
15 September – 11 May 2018
Opening hours
Tue – Fri from 10.00 – 17.00h
Sat from 13.00 – 17.00h
Address
Lijnbaansgracht 148a, Amsterdam
Tolhuistuin Amsterdam
Dates
Opening: Fri 1 June, 17.30h
2 June – 15 June 2018
Opening hours
12.00 – 19.00h
Address
Tolhuisweg 5, Amsterdam
EYE on Art
Date
Tue 12 June
Time
19.15 – 21.00h
Address
IJpromenade 1, Amsterdam
ORGANISATION
Robotanica is an event organized by Transnatural institute that offers an ongoing cultural program and that represents an Art & Design Label.
Transnatural explores how technology can support the natural world and ecological wealth. All cultural activities and the label collection are related to an envisioned world where man, nature and technology merge. Transnatural works with a multi-faceted mixture of national and international creators, thinkers, businesses, R&D labs, studios and research institutes.
Robotanica is organized in close collaboration with the partners Stichting Tolhuistuin, EYE Film museum and the Dutch Design Week. The project is generously supported by the sponsors mentioned below. Robotanica is curated by Arjen Bangma & Joannette van der Veer.
More information at www.transnatural.org / www.transnaturallabel.com
SPONSORS
