Empathy Swarm Orchestra - Cybernetic Intimacy is a cybernetic robotic artwork and multi-channel audio piece. The proposed work features 50 autonomous swarm robots that create an emotionally charged atmosphere through their behaviour and sound via directional acoustics. The swarm acts like a living organism of its own nature, narrating abstract versions of social interaction of a society of non-anthropomorphic beings which create nonetheless a strong feeling of compassion in the human observer. In a continuous wordless dialog with the human visitor the robots can understand and react to the visitor’s biofeedback and evoke a feeling of certainty that there must be something like robotic empathy. All actants are influencing the constantly evolving system, creating unique moments that are only possible in the here and now and generating an emergent storyline.
Project development within konS – Platform for Contemporary Investigative Art, which was chosen on the public call for the selection of the operations “Network of Investigative Art and Culture Centres”. The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union.