Hi Robot!

The possibilities of expanding and enhancing the abilities of the human body have achieved an entirely new dimension in recent years thanks to technological and medical advances. These have resulted in changing body images in the arts as well. How does the art world view the fact that laboratories and corporations are playing an increasingly important role in imagining the body? In this project by the tanzhaus nrw, dancers, choreographers and partners in visual arts, computer design, film and sciences focused on the bodies of the future. An international festival, exhibitions happenings and a conference, explored traditional notions of the body along with other concepts long established in the realm of science fiction. How might art and technology interact and inspire each other in the future, particularly with respect to presenting visions of the human body of tomorrow? The festival participants have experimented with physical forms of expression, transformation and new body concepts from the perspective of dance. The exhibitions have focused on contemporary artistic investigation of technical, chemical and virtual enhancements of the body, e.g. bio-hacking, the use of prostheses and the phenomenon of phantom pain. The study of the “Homo Prostheticus” has been further supplemented by a film programme and symposium.

Artistic directors: Bettina Masuch, tanzhaus nrw
Curators: Cis Bierinckx (BE), Alain Bieber, Karin Harrasser (AT), Florian Deterding
Project coordination: Mara Nedelcu
Public Relations: Angela Vucko

Performances / Concert: Keiichiro Shibuya and "Japanische Philharmoniker Düsseldorf", Geumhyung Jeong, Doris Uhlich, Huang Yi, Daito Manabe, Louis-Philippe Demers & Bill Vorn, Robin Jonsson a.o.
Exhibition „Körperwende“ with works by Nam Jun Paik and Hiroshi Ishiguro, Concept: Cis Bierinckx
Conference „Phantomkörper. Epidermische Überlegungen zu Prothesen“, Concept: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karin Harrasser a.o.
Meta Marathon, Concept: Alain Bieber, NRW-Forum

Thematic festival on the future of the human body, initiated by tanzhaus nrw in cooperation with NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, Robert-Schumann-Saal and Black Box Kino