Failure is art, if you're a robot

Watch M. Kontopoulos' Machines That Almost Fall Over and Machine That Tries to Draw Circles.

Machines that Almost Fall Over from Michael Kontopoulos on Vimeo.

Machine that Tries to Draw Circles from Michael Kontopoulos on Vimeo.

The installation is at the New Wight Gallery in Los Angeles. Isn't there something really sad about the Circle video?

Projects and Collaborations [M. Kontopoulos via Make]

[#1 posted by kaiza , September 25, 2008 6:37 AM]

Awesome. We don't have robots that can yet traverse diverse terrain, but we've got self-harming deviantart wanna-be robots well underway!

Future upgrades include speech modules that whine about how their XM-P350 Assembler-parents "don't understand them" and the ability to "almost draw Japanese manga".

[#2 posted by Not a Doktor , September 25, 2008 6:56 AM]

The faller ones have an extreme minimalist music quality. Like those stupid fountain bamboo pipes that are knock offs of the drinky bird.

Of the drawing bot I'd like to give it a real gooey graffiti paint marker.

[#3 posted by ben , September 25, 2008 7:18 AM]

Well, that's time spent I'll never get back. Inventor fails at creating useful robots, thus art.

[#4 posted by scaught , September 25, 2008 8:00 AM]

I think they're beautiful

[#5 posted by arkizzle , September 25, 2008 8:08 AM]

"Isn't there something really sad about the Circle video?
"

If they left it running long enough, it would eventually build up so many marks, in it's constrained space that it would make a mostly solid circle.

Success, kind-of, eventually..

[#6 posted by the_boy , September 25, 2008 8:22 AM]

The circle one is like watching a motor-skill challenged first grader try and do an art project. Both hands know what needs doing, but they will never do it at the same time. The giant crayon just sells the whole thing.

[#7 posted by themindfantastic , September 25, 2008 10:48 AM]

I like to think I can appreciate art in a multitude of forms... but seeing this I am reminded of a button I really hope to wear one day "Uh oh ART" cause being subject to this hurts me in my special place.

[#8 posted by Marya , September 25, 2008 4:23 PM]

Yes there is something quite sad about the circle drawing robot.

[#9 posted by jesushootscores , September 25, 2008 10:05 PM]

The "almost over" one was great, but the the "circle" video, that one just sucked.
C'mon, who uses two hands to draw a circle?

[#10 posted by harpdevil , September 26, 2008 6:05 AM]

Isn't there something really sad about the Circle video?

I think its the way the pen is bouncing around like it's so eager, but always falls down and fails its efforts. And the fact it always gets up and keeps that eagerness going makes it all the sadder.