Just ten minutes’ train ride outside Paris, digital arts hub Centre des Arts d’Enghien explores the ever-expanding overlap between art, science and technology through a mix of exhibitions, live performances and conferences. It was only a matter of time before Zaven Paré – who describes himself as ‘an artist during the week and a roboticist at the weekend’ – would exhibit his works in this cutting-edge venue, given that he’s been leading the way in the world of robotic art since the mid-1990s.
In this spring ‘Mecatronic’ show, Paré explores the frailty and flaws of A.I., questioning just how close robots may get to humans in their ability to express thoughts and emotion (Paré thinks not very). All of the works are designed to imitate various human body parts and functions: ‘La Main d’Antonio Vieira’, for example, tries to reproduce natural hand and arm reflexes, while ‘Spleen 2.0’ is an attempt to recreate the crude gurgling noises of our intestines. The intricate mechanisms behind each and every piece are put on full display, as Paré aims to inspire equal curiosity in the construction of these exciting robot-works, and in how such technology may soon evolve.
TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER