The Rustlings of the Group Are Invented as They Slip Away

Robotic benches, which are normally fixed and immobile, come to life and move freely around the gallery, seeking to break free from their basic function.
Overview



Information
This installation features robotic benches that move through the space in unison, following rules inspired by swarm algorithms. Through their programmed yet unpredictable movements, the benches attempt to escape the gallery as a collective. The hum of their motors accompanies this bid for freedom, creating a shared murmur.
The artist explores how a group can exist and evolve within a given space. These exhibition benches, typically stationary and designed to invite people to sit, become active elements that constantly interact, adjust, and reorganize themselves.
By playing with subversion and the principle of emergence, the exhibition questions our relationship with the structures that surround us. Can these benches truly break free from the framework that defines them? Through this poetic staging, the artist invites us to rethink the bonds that unite a collective and the spaces it inhabits.
Credits
Exhibition produced as part of the 2024 Hexagram-ELEKTRA call for projects
Original concept, design, and production
Marie-Pier Vanchestein
Support and guidance
Alexandre Castonguay
Programming assistance
André Girard and Alexandre Castonguay
Fabrication assistance
Alexandre Bérubé, Wood
Élise Brodeur-Magna, Metal
Danny Glaude, 3D Printing
Mechanism and prototyping
Robert Saucier, Mechanism
Pierre Gaudet, Prototype
Venue
ELEKTRA Gallery

