Stefan Doepner: Robot Partners

Wednesday 20 May 2009 at 8 pm, Kibela - the opening of the exhibition Robot Partners - Paintbot, Robot Totem, Automated Table Modification by Stefan Doepner.

Robot Partner is a long-term multidisciplinary project integrating art, science, humanities and technology. Operating as the conceptual framework of Doepner's recent art creation, it deals with the complex idea of partnership in general as well as partnership between people and machines. Based on this, the project touches upon contemporary development (Fortschritt) ideals and images in an investigative, poetic, humorous and absurd way.

Stefan Doepner studied fine arts and experimental film at the Fine Arts Academy in Bremen (1991/1996). He has been working as an intermedia artist since mid 1980's, being the cofounder of f18 Institute for Art, Information and Technology in Hamburg (1996) and of the interdisciplinary station Cirkulacija 2 in Ljubljana (2007). The scope of his activity focuses on technologically aided art, robotics and sound art. He currently lives and works between Ljubljana and Hamburg.

Selected projects and exhibitions:

1992
Piazzetta Telematica Bremen, part of interactive art television VanGoghTV, the project was organised within Documenta IX;
1993
Media Access Bureau & MediaLounge, Bremen;
1995
MediaLab at Sea, part of the project Trojan Ship, Hamburg;
1996
establishment of f18 workshop-gallery, if18 Institute for Art, Information and Technology, Hamburg; MotorTotem machine performance, Gdansk (PL);
1997
production and performance of DROP OUTS machine/automatic installation, Kampnagel, Hamburg; organisation and production of the exhibition series T1 – Testreihe Gegenwart; exhibition 1. Eingriff – der Mensch lebt nicht von Brot allein;
SEM SoundElectronicMechanic workshops at fine art academies in Bremen and Hamburg;
1998
organisation and production of the exhibition series T2 – Testreihe Gegenwart;
design, development, construction and coproduction of Exoskeleton and robot arm for Stelarc/Australia, premiere in Kampnagl, Hamburg;
1999
Generalpark.de installation performance, Kampnagel, Hamburg;
Exoskeleton European tour; design and construction of The Gerard Winstanley Radical Gardening Space Reclamation Mobile Field Center and Weather Station Prototype (Hamburg Chapter for Nils Norman, USA;
2000
iKiT robot installation, Rüschlikon/Zürich (CH), within Playground03, Migros Cultural Percentage,
KX robot workshop for teenagers, Kampnagel, Hamburg;
design and construction of Movatar – motion prosthesis for Stelarc, Australia;
2001
Motorvision, audio-robot-video installation, Galerie 88, Hamburg;
development of Ghostkeyboard (automatically working keyboard) as part of Poetry Machine for David Link, Im Buchstabenfeld, Graz (A);
exhibition/performance with Stelarc Motion Prosthesis, Pittsburgh (USA);
Exoskeleton exhibition, international triennial of contemporary art, Yokohama (Japan);
f18 lectures Digital Brainstorming, Bern, Zürich and Basel (CH), Migros Cultural Percentage;
2002
f18 lecture, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg;
ArtgendaTV, within the Baltic biennial Artgenda 2002, Hamburg;
audio and robot workshop within Playground Summerschool, Migros Cultural Percentage, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut, CH;
development and construction of Rotobossophon, a rotating loudspeaker for Andres Bosshard, (CH); art-technical consultation to the NCP art and theatre group, Dresden, premiere in Thalia theatre, Hamburg and Festspielhaus Hellerau, Dresden;
f18 lecture within Viper festival, Basel (CH);
2003
Exoskeleton performance (Stelarc) Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana (SLO);
Exoskeleton exhibition, Gotenborg Internationella Konst Biennial (S);
TTC at Break 2.2 festival, Ljubljana (SLO);
robot workshop for cultural and scientific authors, Romainmotier (CH);
presentation and exhibition Media-Space, Stuttgart;
2004
f18 Playground Robotics exhibition, PlugIn Basel, Kornhausforum Bern, Kunstmuseum Solothurn (CH);
participation at Unter Strom group exhibition, Kunsthalle Darmstadt;
Playground Robotics exhibition, Kapelica gallery, Ljubljana (SLO);
2005
Cooperation with Vlado Repnik, R. Klančnik, I. Štromajer, "Mojca piss on takeshi" Modern Gallery Ljubljana and Aquart – Sopart, Rotovž exhibition salon, Maribor;
robot workshop Aarau Art Academy/CH;
robot workshop Playground Robotics at City of Science Festival/Bremen;
development and construction of Cello-Bot, performance at GAZELA Slovenia;
development and construction of a new Prototype Rotobossophon, 'Difference Machine' workshop at Academie Schloss Rotenfels with Moni Glahn;
development, construction and presentation of 'Robot-Totem' in Kapelica gallery;
Cooperation with V. Repnik, R. Klančnik, I. Štromajer, Aquart Performance in Giilde Saal in Tallin/Estonia;
Cooperation with V. Repnik, R. Klančnik, I. Štromajer, Aquart Performance in Stara Elektrana venue in Ljubljana;
2006
development and construction of the Walking Head Robot for the Australian artist Stelarc;
Living Kitchen Module, DingDong Festival, Hamburg;
Living Rooms – Happy End of the 21st Century, at Smart2006 festival of music, art and robotics, Galerie für Aktuelle Kunst – GAK, Bremen;
Concert for CelloBot, GAK, Bremen;
Cooperation with V. Repnik, R. Klančnik, I. Štromajer, Time Colors Protocol, Kapelica gallery, Ljubljana and KIBLA, Maribor;
Reality Log/Environmental Scan, workshop and exhibition, P74 Centre and gallery, Ljubljana; Intermediate Spaces, group exhibition within Steirischer Herbst, Graz and Kapelica gallery, Ljubljana;
CelloBot and Robot totem, HAIP Festival, Kiberpipa, Ljubljana;
Living Rooms – Happy End of the 21st Century“, Kapelica gallery/Ljubljana City Museum; Smartist, development and construction for Nika Oblak and Primož Novak, U3, Modern Gallery, Ljubljana
2007
cofoundation of Cirkulacija 2 interdisciplinary station, space arrangement in the former Rog factory, a series of more-or-less regular events, presentations, discussions; lecture at Cabaret Voltaire/Zürich;
Exoskeleton with Stelarc at TOTEM festival in Nancy / France;
Robo Stories“ workshop in ZhdK / Zürich / CH;
Cooperation within Cirkulacije 2 at Parallel worlds at Metelkova venue;
presentation of circulating sound instruments with Bogdana Herman at Cirkulacija 2;
presentation of the „Robot Partner0.1“ project in Kapelica Gallery, Ljubljana;
2008
„Living Kitchen – Happy End of the 21st Century“ exhibition at the festival „Synthetic Times“ Media Art China 2008, China National Museum, Beijing/China;
project „Robot Partner 2.0 – Automated Table Modification“ as part of „Ecology of the Techno Mind“, special exhibition in Lentos museum within Ars Electronica festival, Linz / Austria;
concert using a rotating microphone system with Bogdana Herman and ROR in P74 Gallery Ljubljana (Sound Explicit);
„Robot Partner 2.0 – Automated Table Modification“ in Kapelica Gallery, Ljubljana;
2009
presentation of selected works in cosinus brx gallery, European Commission, Brussels / Belgium

The exhibition will be on display until 6 June 2009.