Robots and Avatars
Posts relating to all things that bring robots and avatars together. Also posts that relate to the overall project itself.
Teleport yourself in Visions of Our Communal Dreams!
12 years ago
Visions of Our Communal Dreams is a beautiful new media art installation blending virtual, physical and networked environments that explores issues of hybridity, embodiment and collective creativity in the Digital Age.
You can now join Visions of our Communal Dreams online, interact and play with other avatars, by following these instructionsVOCD_virtual-participation-guide_v1.0_web copy
Robots & Avatars on BBC Click this week end
12 years ago
W
e are very happy to announce that Robots and Avatars Exhibition and a special interview with Ghislaine Boddington on Telepresence will be broadcast THIS WEEKEND 21st / 22nd April on BBC Click.
The programme will air at 11.30 Sat and Sun on BBC News Channel and at several other time during these days. Also a shorter version will be shown on the early morning BBC Breakfast show.
BBC NEWS CHANNEL (UK): Saturday 0130, 1130, 1530 and 2030, Sunday 0430, 0745, 1130, 1530 and 2030 and Monday 0030
BBC WORLD NEWS: Saturday 0830 and 1630 and Sunday 0430 and 1330 GMT
Please see here for full timings of the programme and how you can watch this weekend!
Robots and Avatars Exhibition in the Media
12 years ago
We’re very pleased with the onward P
ress Coverage of the Robots and Avatars Exhibition at FACT in the media and we would like to share some juicy bits with you!
“It’s art that’s interactive and immersive.” The Guardian
“Blurring the lines between reality and the virtual world, the exhibit examines our reliance on technology and our willingness to hand machines increasing degrees of control.” Dazed.com
“A show revealing some of the ways robots and on-screen avatars could change our lives, as the borders between our physical and virtual lives begin to blur.” The New Scientist
“While the creations featured in Robots and Avatars seem straight out of science fiction (…) they could be only a short step away.” The Guardian
“ambitious, thought-provoking, and challenging exhibition.” The DoubleNegative
“The exhibition tackles the overlap between the virtual and the real worlds.” Wired
If these bits arouse your curiosity follow this link to read more!
Image courtesy of Martin Bricelj
Robots and Avatars opens at FACT!
12 years ago
by marie
in Robots and Avatars
The Robots and Avatars Exhibition at FACT is officially open
. And open it is for everyone: young and old, technology expert and art lover, shy and enthusiastic. The public has taken over the galleries and made this Exhibition truly their own by becoming part of it, interacting and playing with it.
It was a great experience for the body>data >space team to see the audience in action. They bounced with ADA, lost control in Compass, flew around in Visions of Our Communal Dreams, performed some impressive hand ballet within Base8, went wacky in front of the screen-mirrors of MeYouAndUs, had their voices heard through RoboVox and seized control of a flesh and blood avatar!
The opening days started with the Press Preview and Curatorial Tour led by Ghislaine Boddington, Creative Director of body>data>space and FACT’s director, Mike Stubbs. In the evening, the visitors (almost 400 of them) took over the Exhibition. The opening speeches by Ghislaine Boddington and Mike Stubbs introduced the extensive topics addressed by the Robots and Avatars project and exhibitions and the public got a glimpse into Noel Sharkey’s (Robots and Avatars champion) visionary theory on robotics in tomorrow’s society.
Many of the artists were present at the evening of the Opening and the ‘Meet the Artist’ discussion the next day. ADA’s ‘mother’, Karina Smigla-Bobinski; the creators of MeYouAndUs, Alastair Eilbeck and James Bailey; the builder of Visions of Our Communal Dreams, Michael Takeo Magruder and Martin Bricelj, Public Avatar and inventor of RoboVox all participated – together with Ghislaine Boddington, Noel Sharkey and the public – in the debate led by Mike Stubbs.
A big thanks goes to the FACT team for making this exhibition possible and our EU project partners from KIBLA (Slovenia), Altart (Romania), and National Theatre (UK) for joining us on this very special day.
We had a lovely time in Liverpool and we very much hope new visitors will become intrigued by the pieces and start thinking about the increasing overlap of the virtual and physical world and their place in it.
Robots and Avatars is on until the end of May, so follow the latest news of the Exhibition on Facebook, Twitter. Read more about the Opening Night in Steve Boxer’s report.
Picture credit: Karina Smigla-Bobinski. ADA, 2010. Co-produced and presented by body>data>space and FACT in Robots and Avatars Exhibition, 2012. Installation view at FACT. Photographer: Brian Slater
Robots & Avatars Champion Noel Sharkey @ FACT for the Exhibition opening
12 years ago
We are very glad to announce that the Robots & Avatars Champion Noel Sharkey (Professor of AI and Robotics and Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Sheffield) will attend the Preview of the Robots and Avatars Exhibition at FACT next week!
Check here his provaction about Artifical Intelligence in 2010 for the Robots and Avatars Lunch debates.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence – Provocation
Professor Noel Sharkey, University of Sheffield
Part of the Robots and Avatars Programme.
At NESTA, June 28th 2010
Produced by body>data>space (2010)
Robots and Avatars exhibition needs human avatars for FACT opening!
12 years ago
Do you have what it takes to be our human test subject?
For the launch of Robots and Avatars, artist Martin Baraga Bricelj has set the public of Liverpool a challenge, to get involved in the UK premiere of his Public Avatar project. He needs two people, or as he calls them, “human test subjects” to take the form of the Public Avatar on 15 and 16 March. The “avatars” will be hooked up to GPS and AV visual systems and set loose around the city of Liverpool under the control of the Liverpool public who will be sending out simple instructions.
Bricelj describes the project as, “one that documents the relationship between virtual reality and our perceptions of self and society. Public Avatar will allow a global audience to explore real-world locations remotely and to interact with objects and people in those locations through real-time control of a human test subject. As digital and physical worlds collide, the boundaries between self and other, reality and simulation are constantly challenged and redefined.” In a sense, Bricelj is aiming to redefine virtuality, and he adds the warning, “users may feel as if they are playing a computer game, although they should remember that the action is happening in real-time in the real world”.
The project first premiered in Slovenia in 2009, where there were 100 visitors to public-avatar.com signed up ready for their 3 minutes of control. Actions were simple to start, such as turn left and right, but then got more creative and the avatars were soon getting people to peel their recently purchased bananas and making postcards! We can’t wait to see what Liverpool has in store for the next Public Avatars.
Have an interest in the performative and available on 15 and 16 March then maybe you could be one of the next Public Avatars?
EXHIBITION: Robots & Avatars, our colleagues & playmates of the future
12 years ago
Michael Takeo Magruder
Join us in a near future where robots, avatars and telepresence form part of an exciting new reality.
From pervasive networked gaming to robots that teach, touch, care or scare, Robots and Avatars already co-habit the world in which we work and play. Robots and Avatars is an intercultural, intergenerational and interdisciplinary exploration of a near future world consisting of collaborations between robots, avatars, virtual worlds, telepresence and real time presence within creative places, work spaces, cultural environments, interactive entertainment and play space.
“I love the way Robots and Avatars is bringing together a beautiful diversity of people, exploring new paradigms, with unexpected and inspiring results. Exciting! Brave! Fun!”
Pear Urushima, Marketing Guru, Apple. Inc
The Robots and Avatars Exhibition will feature cutting edge art pieces, including three Commissions with the National Theatre “Sociable Asymmetry”, “The Blind Robot” and “Visions of our Communal Dreams”. It will present a mixture of robotics, online and wearable projects, immersive installations, performances and films. Attached to the Exhibition are high-quality debates and workshops, playfully didactic experiences that will enable visitors of all ages and levels to interact and engage with digital technologies. The Robots and Avatars Jury has selected a number of works to make up the 3 exhibitions in the project through a high level and largely spread out Call for Proposal process. The exhibition will present at FACT, Liverpool (UK) where it will premiere from 16 March to 27 May 2012; AltArt, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) in June/July 2012 and KIBLA (Slovenia) in 2013. Read more about the exhibition at FACT here. “The Robots & Avatars project has been one of the first to bring robotics and avatar professionals together and provide a creative atmosphere with artists and designers. This is such a wonderfully interdisciplinary grouping that I feel compelled and proud to support it.”
Noel Sharkey, Professor of AI and Robotics at the University of Sheffield (Department of Computer Science) and EPSRC Senior Media Fellow (2004–2009).
The Robots and Avatars exhibition in the UK is co-produced in the UK by body>data>space (London) and FACT (Liverpool) in collaboration with the National Theatre (London). European co-organisers are KIBLA (Maribor/Slovenia) and AltArt (Cluj Napoca/Romania). With the support of the Culture programme of the European Union, this project was conceived by lead producer body>data>space in association with NESTA. Find the Selected Projects’ list more here
Visions of Our Communal Dreams (work-in-process) by Michael Takeo Magruder with Drew Baker, Erik Fleming and David Steele, 2012. Image C 2012 Takeo.
Robots and Avatars Exhibition- Selected Projects
12 years ago
by leanne
in Robots and Avatars
SELECTED PROJECTS from the Call for Development Commissions and Exhibits
We are very glad to announce that the following works and projects have been chosen by the Jury to be part of Robots and Avatars. Please see full list of projects here
The Jury has selected a number of works to make up the 3 exhibitions in the Robots and Avatars project. Linked to the differences in each venue, both in space and technical terms, the Jury has decided to present an exhibition that will differ slightly for each venue.
A selection of works will present at FACT, Liverpool (UK) for showing from late March to the end of May 2012; a few to AltArt, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) for presentation in June/July 2012 and KIBLA (Slovenia – as part of Maribor 2012, European Capital of Culture) will take a number of works into their gallery in October 2012.
Robots and Avatars Exhibition – Pre-selected Projects
12 years ago
by leanne
in Robots and Avatars
We were very happy to have received just under 200 applications from 27 countries in total for the Robots and Avatars Call for Proposals and we are extremely pleased with the high level of innovation, creativity and interactivity of the projects submitted.
We can now announce the projects which have been pre-selected for consideration by the Robots and Avatars Jury. 29 projects have been pre-selected in the Call for Exhibits category and 10 projects from the Development Commissions. Please see the full list here
The final selected artists will be announced by Friday 21st October 2011 after selection by the Jury.
The Robots and Avatars Exhibition Jury is made up of the directors from the project co-organisers and partners plus an independent expert from outside Europe. This is a curational jury to create the exhibition from the call.
• Ghislaine Boddington, Creative Director, body>data>space, London, (UK)
• Dooeun Choi, Creative Director, Art Centre Nabi, Seoul, (KR) (online involvement)
• Peter Tomaž Dobrila – Advisor for Programme and International Relations, European Capital of
Culture Maribor 2012, (SI)
• Aleksandra Kostic, President, KIBLA, Maribor, (SI)
• David Sabel, Head of Digital Media, National Theatre, London, (UK)
• Mike Stubbs, Director, FACT (Foundation for Arts and Creative Technology), Liverpool, (UK)
• Istvan Szakats, Director, AltArt, Cluj-Napoca, (RO)
With
• Cameron Bobro – Composer, performer, organiser, KIBLA, (SLO)
Robots and Avatars will present two Development Commissions and additionally a minimum of six existing works as an Exhibition in 2012
Robots and Avatars- Call for Proposals
12 years ago
by ghislaine
in Robots and Avatars
Robots and Avatars – our colleagues and playmates of the future
We invite submissions to this Call for Development Commissions and Call for Exhibits
Robots and Avatars will present two Development Commissions and additionally a minimum of six existing works as an Exhibition in 2012. Lead producer and concept developer of this EU Culture project is body>data>space and the partner for the commissions is National Theatre in London. The exhibition will tour to partner FACT, Liverpool (UK), and to co-organisers AltArt, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and KIBLA (Slovenia- as part of Maribor 2012, European Capital of Culture).
Robots and Avatars is an intercultural, intergenerational and interdisciplinary exploration of a near future world consisting of collaborations between robots, avatars, virtual worlds, telepresence and real time presence within creative places, work spaces, cultural environments, interactive entertainment and play space.
Artists/designers and others from any background can apply. We welcome applications from installations, performances, performance / installations, telepresence, sound art, software, kinetic art, architecture, AV based work, hung work, gaming, models, robotics, virtual worlds etc – your vision will lead us!
Stage 1 Deadline: Wednesday 7th September 2011 (12 BST)
Find out more and apply here
