Happiness

04th Sep 2021 04th Sep 2021 14:00 21:30

Dries Verhoeven

00:00

Alfred-Scholz-PlatzFree

Free

  • De Grandi

    FR

    With four EPs under his belt, De Grandi is emerging as an enfant terrible of the Francophone club scene, catching attention beyond borders with a contrast of calm and chaotic sounds.

    • A small concrete container in urban space, looking much like a cross between a public toilet and a pharmacy, houses »Happiness« by Dutch theatre maker and visual artist Dries Verhoeven.

    Photo: Dries Verhoeven

    Inside this unauthorised pharmacy is a humanoid robot – inspired by seminal robotics researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro’s Geminoid-F robot – that talks to visitors about various drugs, painkillers, and antidepressants used to affect our emotional realities by altering the serotonin and dopamine levels in our brains. With its combination of robotics and drugs, the work points to the transitions, entanglements, and overlaps between the synthetic/artificial and the natural/biological. Visitors are introduced to the potentials of medical and robotic technologies that we use to change, gather, escape, and expand ourselves, or seek something beyond our current humanity.

    Access and Hygiene Rules

    The installation is free of charge, however access is granted by picking up a waiting number from the on-site attendant. Access is granted to maximum two persons at a time, from the same household. Timeslot duration: 20 min. FFP2 masks must be worn when inside the installation, and when waiting in line to enter. A transcript of the humanoid robot's dialogue may be provided upon request; please email us at accessibility@ctm-festival.de.

    »Happiness« is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Fonds Podiumskunsten, BPD Cultuurfonds, Fonds Fentener van Vlissingen, stimuleringsfonds creatieve industrie, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst and BNG Cultuurfonds.