Beamcircus
The idea of robot has long been intertwined with human’s imagination of mimicking life, automating labor, and the spirit of machines. Its roots can be traced back to pre-digital era, and even further to the myths and mechanical dreams of ancient times.
Beam Bot is a series of small robots developed by Mark Tilden in the 1990s, inspired by Rodney Brooks’s behavior-based robotics. The name BEAM stands for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. These small, bug-like creatures are driven by simple analog primitive “neurons”, that consume so little energy that they can often run on solar power. Even though they contain no micro-controllers and cannot be programmed, they are still move and respond to their surroundings in surprisingly complex and stable ways. While Tesla and Boston’s Robots capture the attention of the entire internet, these tiny electronic bugs shine quietly within old diagrams, in forgotten digital corners of unmaintained forums and blogs.
At the festival, I’ll circuit-bending several classic Beam Bot and Synthesizers to create Chimera crickets, which will be presented as installtions. In the 30min radio piece, I will share a short history and story of these robots to discuss how bots evoke feelings similar to those we have toward living beings, and how they speak to our contemporary anxieties as well as our progressive view of technology and aesthetics.
Sa. 11.10. 2 – 8 PM
Su. 12.10. 2 – 6 PM
Exhibition Waschraum
Su. 12.10. 3.15 PM
Lecture Performance
Mimikri
Artist Talk
Su. 12.10. 4.30 PM
Waschraum
Muyang’s kinetic and interactive sound objects often focus on the poetic misuse of low-cost, low-tech, and low-maintenance analog circuits, many of which she discovered by chance on the internet. She still believes in the value and potential of outdated analog circuits in the age of AI and coding, especially in their non-standardized and unpredictable qualities. The design of many classic circuits relies on continuous modification and refinement by countless individuals—not only professionals but also amateurs—through which new applications are discovered. She regards DIY as a media-archaeological method: a way to embody critical reflection on technology through micro-political, everyday actions.







