The Ars Electronica Futurelab’s Reinhold Bidner used the depiction of a robot developed by Japanese designer Tatsuya Matsui to convey the message “Face the Future.”

The image of a robot face to face with a child is a symbolic reference to the future in that living and working under the growing influence of computerization constitutes one of the major challenges facing society. The friendship and curiosity reflected in the child’s countenance as it boldly confronts the anthropomorphic mechanical being stands symbolically for the mission of the Ars Electronica Center as mediator between mankind and technology.