18^th MFRU Ja tvoi sluga. Ja tvoi rabotnik.

Senseless Drawing Bot means a Robot that draws without awareness, irrationally and meaninglessly. The little robot creates a long drawing on a surface against which it is placed by its authors So Kanno and Takahiro Yamaguchi. They belong to the new generation of Japanese creators-technological freaks, designers and artists all at the same time. This is a world where the high and low is defined exclusively by the amount of invested money. The authors work for customers, travel to residences, love graffiti and device art, electronic music, VJ'ing and DJ'ing. They don't care for museums, high and low, for Kassel and Venice. Some good Ars Electronica may draw their attention. Their work is alive, critical only in principle and therefore researchful, humorous and contemporary. Senseless Drawing Boot is a painter robot, a graffiti Robot to be more exact, since its creations primarily resemble graffiti tags with which somebody was trying to create Jackson Pollock. The result is aesthetic and the graffiti business is harmless, as this still only partially decriminalized action is executed by a machine. Human laziness is infinite, we could say. But this is not the case! It's about the love for technology, sympathizing with graffiti makers and new possibilities of creating images. It has to do with gadgets and device art:

“The concept is a logical extension of a change in the notion of art that already started in the early 20th century with art movements such as Dada and Surrealism. More recently, interactive art has redefined forms of art and the role of artists. [...] Features surfacing in many of these projects include interaction, a positive attitude towards technology, and playfulness. ... This approach, which is often considered suspect from a Western point of view, is actually a natural part of Japanese art. Technology is not hidden, its function is visible and easy to understand, while it still brings about a sense of wonder. …To summarize, a device could be the "body" of an artwork that offers an artistic experience to itsusers/participants…

Interestingly enough, these ideas sound familiar to the Japanese cultural traditions. It is obvious that the goal of a tea ceremony is not just to enjoy a cup of tea. The importance lies in the whole experience, including the devices used… This could also be applied to art. It is problematic to separate devices from experiences if the experience is only possible through the use of devices consciously chosen for their purpose.” (Machiko Kusahara)

Kraftwerk add this about robots: “We are programmed just to do, anything you want us to.” Could it be that, decades after the song’s release, Kraftwerk are singing about us and robots are the ones living our freedom?

– Petja Grafenauer