[Sept 1 - Oct 15] Myth and Prosthesis I: Do Robots have Culture? by Efraín Rozas

[Sept 1 – Oct 15] Myth and Prosthesis I: Do Robots have Culture? by Efraín Rozas

Rhythmic music software is usually based on the Euclidean plane; as in Western music notation, there is a single grid in which time flows from left to right and there is only one metronome/clock that works as a “conductor”. On the other hand, the “brain” of this robotic sculpture is a software the artist coded, which has 8 independent clocks and grids that are constantly moving. It is as if instead of having a single conductor, there are 8 “percussionists” improvising simultaneously, as in Latin American rhythmic logic, which has the goal of making people dance.

Location: Harvestworks Art and Technology Program Building 10a, Nolan Park, Governors Island

Open September 1 through October 15 2023, @ 11:00 – 5:00 pm

Open to the public Fri, Sat, and Sun @ 11:00 – 5:00 pm

It is not that common in Latin American rhythmic improvisation to see the use of danceable rhythms such as salsa, in the world of experimental music or new technologies. And vice versa: it is infrequent to see the use of generative robotics in the world of salsa.

This project is part of the series “Myth and Prosthesis”. “Myth” being the cultural ideals that inform the creation of technology. Prostheses are the merging of bodies with technology. Are all cultures represented in the development of technology? Can we use technology beyond the personal data mining model? The answer is not to reject technology but to create one that helps us expand our bodies and minds.

BIOS

Efraín Rozas

Peruvian musician, interdisciplinary artist and scholar. His work was described as “An incredible physical presence that transformed the stage into a soundscape” by The New York Times, “A heady confluence of technology, culture and cognition” by The New Yorker, and “A deep psychonautic dive” by Wire Magazine. He is a Jerome Artist Fellow 2023-2025 for combined arts. He was a resident at The Kitchen on 2021 and recipient of the NY State Council on the Arts Arts Assistance Fund.

He has performed at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Museum, Queens Museum, Levitation Festival, Museum of Contemporary art of Lima and Summerstage/Fania Records 50th anniversary. He has published albums internationally and the book “Fusión: a soundtrack for Perú.”

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iaSq1yvepT3SxKEMvmqBN9MngYnPN55J/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TsaLNv-mJ7gLXUn67jE0SvGfNc7FU5wX/view?usp=sharing