Our multidisciplinary team has dived into the world of robotics! We are excited that the American Boston Dynamics provided us their special software that makes the Spot robot dance and brings a new rhythm to the world of contemporary glass.
The Roboballet piece that will open in Suomenlinna in February 2023 collides several fields of art and science. Mira Ollila, who has a long career as a professional ballet dancer, interprets the human part of the dance – which she designs together with choreographer Heidi Lehtoranta. It’s important to notice that dance is a very ancient form of non-verbal communication that is firmly tied to humanity, with the capacity of reaching deep shades of expression. Read more about Roboballet here.
The immaterial layers of existence are also pursued with wearable glass sculptures that are connect to dance. The sculptures that will be presented at New York Fashion Week in September give glass a vivid role in the expression. Glass describes the sensitive social norms of society from which the dancer breaks away when she encounters a creature that is foreign to her. In Roboballet glass is no longer a passive sculpture
The programming of the robot has been done in cooperation with the robotics department of Aalto University. The dance is built around a plot written by Sini Majuri and Marja Hepo-aho, in which a person encounters something unfamiliar. Roboballet describes the importance of looking and being looked at. How we empathize with the ones like us and alienation leads to fear and conflict. At the same time, Roboballet reflects what kind of companion technology will be for humans in the future.
The music of the piece is composed by Petri Pulkkinen and Janne Jääskö. Roboballet’s collective way of building the piece is also shown in the music: the timing is built around the dance of the human and the robot. Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen plays trombone and trumpet, Janne Malinen plays guitar and Hanna Wendel is heard in the piece singing.
An important part of expression in the Roboballet is also the holoprojection, which is carried out by Cranworks Oy, the same operator that previously built Murano’s first hologram in Berengo Studio in the Infinity Vessel exhibition 2022. Through the hologram, machine vision and the dancer’s point of view are combined. The hologram level expresses the significance of different ways of viewing.
The Roboballet show and sculpture exhibition in Suomenlinna, Tenalji von Fersen hall 1 – 2.2.2023 will be open and free to enter. There will also be a AR piece connected to the exhibition. Book your seat by emailing info@infinityvessel.com
The wearable sculptures will be exhibited in New York Fashion week in September 2023. The crown are made-to-measure for every person.