Aparna Rao on Art & Behaviour with Robotics

open-ended

"All our secrets are revealed in the way we move."
Aparna Rao, part of the Indo-Danish art duo Pors & Rao, joins us from her studio based in Bangalore, India for this Open/Ended conversation. She and her collaborator Søren Pors work with objects and installations, often incorporating lifelike physical movement and responsive behaviours. Technology brings their sculptures to life, sensitively programmed to respond to their environment; you may glimpse behaviour patterns such as shyness, fatigue or quirky confidence and be puzzled by their captivating apparent consciousness. Aparna has worked for over a decade on building electro-mechanical systems and interactive installations, often investing several years into the development of artworks.
Based between Bangalore and Zurich, Pors and Rao have exhibited around the world, in memorable locations such as Shodoshima island, as part of the Setouchie Triennale 2016, and the 2nd Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 in Kerala, India. Since March 2017, they have been in residence at Wyss Zurich (UZH + ETHZ) where they have set up their lab PATHOS (Poetic Animatronics Through Hands-On Systems). Their research here aims to address the hostilities encountered in robotics by creating a more user-friendly animatronics platform.
Growing up in a family of furniture makers, Aparna was surrounded by creators and three-dimensional design. She eventually abandoned her screen-centric work as a graphic designer and started to work with objects through code. Pors and Rao have been driven to create a usable browser-based interface that facilitates intuitive animation without having to code. The software and specialised set of motors compress months and years of production into just a few minutes.
She’s been working with several major tech companies on collaborative projects: Watch this space.
Open/Ended talking points:

• How do we programme Technology to appear emotional?
• An 18-year journey of making and learning to take your time
• Blurring the boundaries between Technology and Art
• Animating a life-like gust of wind; the function of memories within art