Arpenter l'Uncanny Valley
Walk on the Uncanny Valley
conference exhibition - 2012
From the first automata of the god Hephaestus to the latest Japanese robots, the attempt of man to think and construct its dual is remarkable of ingenuity and determination. Although bipedal walking is still complicated to master, the realism of these humanoids is more and more impressive. They produce fascination, as well as a disturbing feeling. In 1970 the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori developed the concept of The Uncanny Valley, where he states that this uncanny seems to be related to the degree of resemblance of the robot.
But why this need to give form and human attitudes to robots? What does that say about us? of our relationship to technology? Is an autonomous military robot responsible for his actions? How the Humanoids push our understanding of living? What is the definition of Human? What world are we building?
By convening Platon, Descartes, Pinocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, Frankenstein, Pygmalion and Galatea, neuroscience, bioethics, bionics, the Japanese androids, Icare, the Six Million Dollar Man or the Bible, Arpenter l'Uncanny Valley works on these questions, in the manner of a mental space where heterogeneous and contradictory thoughts confront each other.
Conference exhibition
On a conference table, five microphones are lined. In front of each microphone, like a lecturer, a loudspeaker broadcasts readings recordings, which are then redistributed by a pair of "facade" speakers. The sound editing of these five "voice" is played in loop. The public enters and leaves freely.
design, realization and sound design > Arno Fabre
dramaturgy and texts research > Laurence Riout
voice > Arno Fabre
production and diffusion > c15d
Arpenter l'Uncanny Valley, a coproduction of Caza d'Oro - résidences d'artistes, MiMa / Association Fil en Trope and C15D.