ZOOLOGICAL, 2017

Foil, Motors, Helium, Cameras, Custom Swarm Algorithm
Dimensions Variable, Each Sphere 150 cm

Zoological is a flock of autonomous, flying spheres that move collectively. Algorithmically driven, the spheres react to their surroundings and, sometimes, to people within their environment.  In some ways, the piece is an amplified and physical manifestation of our lived experience in a world increasingly run by algorithms. As a species, we are having to adapt rapidly to a continually developing cohabitation with autonomous machines, whose presence is often intangible or discrete. Zoological was informed by a desire to explore some of the implications of this through physicality, instinct, and emotion.

The work forms part of +/- Human, an immersive experience curated by multi award-winning choreographer and director Wayne McGregor for Bloomberg Summer at the Roundhouse. +/- Human brings Wayne McGregor together with artists from iconic electronic music label Warp Records and RANDOM INTERNATIONAL to explore the relationship between mechanical autonomy and human beings.