Credit: Sarah Petkus
Sarah Petkus (US)
The Wandering Artist is a meditation that took place at the European Space Agency on the role that creativity and human expression play in the context of space exploration. A robotic entity was equipped to interact with its environment in personally expressive ways as a catalyst to encourage reflection from scientists and engineers about the purpose and identity of space-faring technology.
NoodleFeet is the functioning robotic manifestation of an illustrated character built from light metal, 3D-printed parts and found objects. Noodle has been developed with mechanical and electronic systems which allow him to exhibit behaviors when stimulated by objects in his environment. His purpose is to exist freely in the world while reacting to situational encounters using self-defining methods of personal expression. Where most technology has a practical or utilitarian application meant to enhance our lives, Noodle is a unique entity who functions without regard to a human’s perception of his purpose or usefulness. The artist’s goal is for this to provoke consideration about the motivation behind humanity’s current innovations. She hopes that those who interact with Noodle will witness a meaningful sense of self from him that will encourage reflection with regard to the value of their own relationship to the technology common in everyday life.
Credits
This project is presented in the framework of the European Digital Art and Science Network and co-funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Union.
