Roboexotica
Encyclopedia
Roboexotica is an annual festival where scientists, researchers, computer experts and artists from all over the world build cocktail robots and discuss technological innovation
, futurology
and science fiction
.
Roboexotica is also an ironic attempt to criticize techno-triumphalism and to dissect technological hypes.
The festival is co-produced by Shifz and monochrom
, two Vienna
-based art collectives, and supported by the 'Bureau for Philosophy' (of the Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna
).
(Johannes Grenzfurthner
, Günther Friesinger, Franz Ablinger, etc.) teamed up with them and the small event became a big international festival presented at Vienna's Museumsquartier
.
The festival is usually held in the end of November or early December.
The exhibition presents robot
s that can mix cocktails, server cocktails, consume cocktails, have bar conversations, light or smoke cigarette
s or manage to impress the jury with (Quote Roboexotica website) "other achievements in the sector of cocktail culture".
, Wired News
, Reuters
, CNN
and blog
s like Boing Boing
, Geek Entertainment TV and New Scientist
.
(Ljubljana
) in 2006, at Maker Faire
(San Francisco) and RoboGames
(San Francisco) in 2007.
In 2008 a catalogue was published, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the festival. The book features reflections on the festival and presents statements by former participants like Cory Doctorow
or Douglas Repetto.
A smaller show called "Roboexotica USA" was held in San Francisco in May 2008. It was organized by monochrom
and Shifz and was well-received by the press.
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
, futurology
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Roboexotica is also an ironic attempt to criticize techno-triumphalism and to dissect technological hypes.
The festival is co-produced by Shifz and monochrom
Monochrom
monochrom is an international art-technology-philosophy group, founded in 1993. Its offices are located at Museumsquartier/Vienna ....
, two Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
-based art collectives, and supported by the 'Bureau for Philosophy' (of the Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
).
History
In 1999 Magnus Wurzer and Chris Veigl (Shifz) started to present cocktail robots at a small Viennese punk venue. In 2002 the group monochromMonochrom
monochrom is an international art-technology-philosophy group, founded in 1993. Its offices are located at Museumsquartier/Vienna ....
(Johannes Grenzfurthner
Johannes Grenzfurthner
Johannes Grenzfurthner is an Austrian artist, writer, curator, director.He has published numerous books, essays and articles on contemporary art, science and philosophy....
, Günther Friesinger, Franz Ablinger, etc.) teamed up with them and the small event became a big international festival presented at Vienna's Museumsquartier
Museumsquartier
The Museumsquartier is a 60,000 m² large area in the 7th district of the city of Vienna, Austria; it is the eighth largest cultural area in the world. The Museumsquartier contains Baroque buildings as well as Modern architecture by the architects Laurids and Manfred Ortner . The renovation of the...
.
Structure
The annual international festival consists of an exhibition, a conference, social events, and the ACRA (Annual Cocktail Robot Award).The festival is usually held in the end of November or early December.
The exhibition presents robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s that can mix cocktails, server cocktails, consume cocktails, have bar conversations, light or smoke cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s or manage to impress the jury with (Quote Roboexotica website) "other achievements in the sector of cocktail culture".
Media
Roboexotica has been featured on SlashdotSlashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
, Wired News
Wired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s like Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
, Geek Entertainment TV and New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
.
Additional information
Roboexotica was presented at CyberpipeKiberpipa
Kiberpipa is a hackerspace in Ljubljana, Slovenia, established in 2001 as a part of the K6/4 Institute.The hackerspace operates as a cultural centre, computer laboratory and Internet café...
(Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
) in 2006, at Maker Faire
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself mindset".-Past events:The first was held April 22 – 23, 2006, at the San Mateo Fairgrounds...
(San Francisco) and RoboGames
RoboGames
RoboGames is an annual robot contest held in San Mateo, California. The most recent RoboGames was held April 15–17, 2011.RoboGames is the world's largest open robot competition...
(San Francisco) in 2007.
In 2008 a catalogue was published, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the festival. The book features reflections on the festival and presents statements by former participants like Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow
Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
or Douglas Repetto.
A smaller show called "Roboexotica USA" was held in San Francisco in May 2008. It was organized by monochrom
Monochrom
monochrom is an international art-technology-philosophy group, founded in 1993. Its offices are located at Museumsquartier/Vienna ....
and Shifz and was well-received by the press.