How to Build a Dishwasher

How to build a dishwasher is the first exhibition of a collaborative research project by Garth Zeglin, Marek Michalowski, Geoff Gordon, Ben Brown, Iheanyi Umez-Eronini, Sue Ann Hong, Paul Scerri and Axel Straschnoy. It will take place at the Kerava Art Museum, Finland, from March 26 until May 30, 2010.

The project has as objective to find out what kind of art robots make for other robots. It started with a discussion within the team and with partners such as artists, theater directors, philosophers and neurobiologists. Following these conversations, two robots were designed and built: One that can make performance art and another one that can watch it. These are not anthropomorphic but their shape, movements and software are designed for the task at hand.

The conversations and the process of making the robots has been recorded and edited into a multichannel installation to accompany the robots when they are exhibited in Kerava. The conversations continue at the museum in the context of the Pixelache festival. The team of roboticists and other guests will discuss topics surrounding their work and the project.

This project was initiated by Axel Straschnoy and Paul Scerri and is produced by Piritta Puhto. It is based at the Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. It is supported by Alfred Kordelin Foundation, The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture (AVEK), The National Arts Council (Finland), Uusimaa Arts Council, Kone Foundation, Helsinki University/Computer Science department, The Collaborative Machining Center, CMU and The Studio of Creative Inquiry, CMU.

>> axel.straschnoy.com/robots
>> video presentation