Pittsburgh Cultural TrustGo to the home page

SHOW TITLE: bios [bible] + the big picture
ARTISTS: robotlab
CURATOR: Murray Horne

robotlab works with industrial robots in public spaces. It explores the relationship between man and machine by means of installations and performances. robotlab was founded in 2000 by Matthias Gommel, Martina Haitz and Jan Zappe.

BIOS [BIBLE], 2007

“The installation 'bios [bible]' consists of an industrial robot, which writes down the bible on rolls of paper.

The machine draws the calligraphic lines with high precision. Like a monk in the monastery it creates step by step the text.

Starting with the old testament and the books of Moses ‘bios [bible]’ produces within nine month continuously the whole book. All 66 books of the bible are written on rolls and then retained and presented in the library of the installation.

'bios [bible]' is focusing on the questions of faith and technical progress. The installation correlates two cultural systems which are fundamental for societies today – religion and scientific rationalism. In this contexts scripture has all times an elementary function, as holy scripture or as formal writing of knowledge.

In computer technology ‘basic input output system’ (bios) designates the module which basically coordinates the interchange between hard- and software. Therefore it contains the indispensable code, the essential program writing, on which every further program can be established.”

THE BIG PICTURE, 2014

The central element of the big picture is a creative process that goes beyond the limits of human possibilities. In a months-long, uninterrupted single large-sized drawing. With an inimitable technique it creates a unique artwork with a high level of detail and precision.

The machine artist takes the imagery data and transforms it through algorithmic operations into a single, uninterrupted path. Travelling hundreds of kilometres over the canvas, the thin line constitutes a complex structure on the large format screen, which can be moved back and forth by the machine to reach all areas of the drawing.

The robot’s movements are determined by the machine’s inherent logic, which consists of the machine’s specific features in physical geometry, dynamics, control system and software. They constitute the robot’s characteristic imaging method, endowing the machine with an individual and distinctive drawing style. The generated image gives a partly-abstract/partly-depictive representation of the original information interpreted by the robot itself.