SHOWING WITHOUT GOING

Robot / Animatronics

Perhaps best thought of as a mechanical, autonomous version of puppetry, it’s possible to employ a moving non-human being or robot in performance. It may have explicit human characteristics (body, voice, movement), or such traits may only surface due to the context of its staging.

#illusionofpresence

Connections

The Travelling Player Robot

A performance by a robot which has travelled alone to the venue. #idea 

Spectrums
On foot
By plane

Examples
Juan Muñoz
Examples
Krištof Kintera

Identification with non-human

The subject of Kaegi's animatronic-robot performancen 'Uncanny Valley', Thomas Melle, is himself a writer and was invited to write much of the text. The writing has an urgency and honesty that allowed me, as a viewer, to emotionally 'buy into' the robot in the same way I would if Melle were performing himself. The subject of the Christian holy theme park 'Tierra Santa', in Argentina, is of course God. God apparently created everything (not just this theme park). His and Jesus's voice is heard at various points in many of the animatronic shows that are staged there. For most visitors, suspension of disbelief is a given: it comes suspended. And for them too, the writing has an urgency that allows them, as viewers, to emotionally 'buy into' the robots in the same way they would if God were speaking Himself. 

Spectrums
Completely available
Completely unneccesary
Examples
Stefan Kaegi
Approaches