Back in 2004 – 2006, when the Historic Lightship Frying Pan was still docked at the Chelsea Piers and serving up events like no others in NYC, I conceived and coordinated to create there, with many magical collaborators, Ask The Robot.
Six events with themes that questioned our human behavior in a time of rapidly increasing reliance on computerized, networked existence came to life.
For each one, Ask The Robot put out an open call to artists working across many different media to show work on an open stage in the rusty hull of a once sunken ship. Increasingly, we accepted and filled the strange rooms and nooks and crannies of the boat with visual, multimedia, interactive, and written pieces.
Early on, my brother Ami Amar was key to helping bring the event to life. Soon after, we were joined by Megan Trainor’s Ulysses, Robot, and at every event, we were surrounded and supported by an incredible lot of creative humans: some of their names grace this page.
ASK THE ROBOT: PROGRAMMED!
March 11, 2004
We called for works that looked at the relationship between PROGRAMMING and HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Here’s the question we posed: even on an open stage, are we free to perform as we like? To what extent is our behavior programmed? are our thought processes coded?
We called for any live act that is able to make us laugh/cry/fume with anger is considered an investigation of the ways in which we are programmed to respond, and will be welcomed to the stage. High-tech, low-tech, no-tech: all media welcome!
Featuring: Prudenia, Jin Yo Mok, Ophra wolf, Jonathan Goldstein, Maia Anthea Marinelli, Mac McKean, Rene Mogensen, Vivian Wenli Lin, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, Enrico Glerean, Tiago Borges, Andrew G. Milmoe, Hans Steiner, Robert Huott, Evan Raskob, DJ Kofi Obafemi, VJ Sputnik, Ami Wolf (Tech Master), Diego (Light Master)
ASK THE ROBOT: rOBOT rEBELLION!
June 23, 2004
…AND THEN THE PROGRAM CRASHES: it’s as if the machines we rely on wait for the perfect moment to take their revenge on us thankless souls who expect and demand performance at the click of a button. And then we go to work and find the tables turned on us: it’s we who are expected to respond at the boss’s mechanical wag of the tongue. It used to be that programmed machines and humans were portrayed as diametrically opposed specimens, warring tribes competing for supremacy – one day the robots will take over the world! So here we are, witnessing the battle for world domination: WHO ARE THE ROBOTS? WHO ARE THE HUMANS?
Hosted by Ophra Wolf and Meghan Trainor’s Ulysses, Robot.
Featuring: Brian Maniere and Teresa Almeida, Mark Greene, Paul Davies, Jessica Delfino, Ori Kleiner, The Modern Dance Awareness Society, Talita Miranda and Mac McKean, Jiyoung Kim, Belize Demircioglu, Jin Yo Mok, Jared Lamenzo, Christina May and Morgan Barnard, Pete Gomes, chiaki watanabe, Sylvia Mincewicz and Peter Fedak, Andrew Milmoe, Daniel Hirschmann, Jose Ignacio, Evan Raskob Robert Huott and Leon Out. Tech director: Ami Wolf
ASK THE ROBOT: Robot Nautical Convention
September 13, 2004
…One day (once upon a time in the land of the robots) the robots woke up to find themselves drowning in a sea of computing languages, most of which they couldn’t begin to understand! Each robot began to voice its opinion as to what should be done, but in a strange dialect that others could not comprehend. Being robots, they all went on computing as usual, translating the messages they were receiving through their own code: the result was havoc and confusion. Even when two very different robots could speak the same language, the Operating Systems they were running on were so completely incompatible that communication was impossible. Seeing that the misunderstandings would soon result in mass drowning, a few unusual specimens convened (behind the backs of the major Operating Systems), and called together the Robot Nautical Convention….
With Ophra Wolf and Meghan Trainor’s Ulysses, Robot.
Featuring: Jose Hinestrosa & Talita Miranda, Prudenia, Jaime Allen, Liubo Borrisov and Taku, Paul Davies, Scott Fitzgerald and Manlio LeConte, Jessica Delfino, Haunted Pussy, The Modern Dance Awareness Society, ARTANKER CONVOY, Shawn Van Every, Alan Van Every, Sladjan Nedeljkovic, Konscious TV, Caitlin Berrigan, Morgan Barnard, Draschan Thomas, Timothy McKee, Will Duke, Ami Wolf on tech.
ASK THE ROBOT: Turn Me On
May 25, 2005
Turn Me On is an event that desires to explore the codes, commands and languages of the human (re)creative function. ask the robot is now compiling performances, videos, installations, and written pieces that shed light on the mechanics of lust, laughter and longing. If you would like to show your work, read the guidelines below…
Starring Nurse Wolf and Megatron (aka Ophra Wolf & Meghan Trainor)
With: Jessica Delfino, Scott Fitzgerald and Manlio Lo Conte, Nick Fox-Gieg, Jonny Goldstein, Happy Hour Clowns, Stephanie Lee Jackson, Jin-Yo Mok, Brian Maniere, Laura Moran, Cassie Terman and Leigh Evans, Project Jenny Project Jan, Paul Davies & Sarah Lippek, Irina Davis, Inhye Lee, Mac McKean, Meghan Trainor, Ashley Smith, Michael Betancourt, Liubo Borissov, April Hartstein, Elliott Malkin, Sophia Peer, Zev Robinson, Rotem Tashach, Vidoes curated by Kelly Shindler, Arielle L Angel, Stephanie Lee Jackson, Laura Moran, Saleet Wolf, John and Angela Kevey (the Frying Pan folks), Bob Hewitt, Mac McKean (DVD production), Liubo Borissov and Jonny Goldstein (projectors), Lasse Bergfeld (camera man), Manlio Lo Conte (sound man), Alyssa Wright (programs)
Special Guests: Project Jenny Project Jan
ASK THE ROBOT: Mechanized Labor Day
August 31, 2005
ROBOT: derived from Czech robota, “servitude, forced labor,” from rab, “slave.” Czech robota is also similar to another German derivative of this root, namely Arbeit, “work” (its Middle High German form arabeit is even more like the Czech word). Arbeit may be descended from a word that meant “slave labor,” and later generalized to just “labor.” (www.answers.com)
A CALL TO ALL WHO LABOR to create PERFORMANCES, VIDEOS, INSTALLATIONS and WRITTEN PIECES that shed light on the mechanics of being human.
With hosts Ophra Wolf and Megatron
Featuring: 3CP: Manlio LoConte, Scott Fitzgerald, Mike Sharon, STRIKE ANYWHERE PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE: Donna Bouthillier, Brian Duguay, Rolf Sturm, Brigitte Viellieu-Davis, Leese Walker, ALLEN, BUCCHERI, AND LANDAU, BIGGS AND THE STEPKIDS: Choreographer: April Biggs Dancers: April Biggs, Jennifer Braiman, Christina May, Nicki Richardson, Tristan Perich, Jessica Delfino, Paul Davies, Meghan Trainor, Jite Agbro, David Gitt, Hans-Christoph Steiner, Elizabeth Line, Andrew Milmoe, Zev Robinson, Mark Coole, Gigi Ng, Meredith Warner, Nick Fox-Gieg, Jeremy Beaudry, DJ Mike Horan, John and Angela Kevey (The Frying Pan Folks), Ruben Saanich (Master of Lights), Mac McKean (DVD production), Manlio LoConte (Sound Man)
Special Guests: Project Jenny Project Jan
The last one. The fabulous graphic is by Zoe Woodworth. More info soon…
