A dog may be a man’s best friend, but the robotic dogs that will take up residence at the National Gallery of Victoria’s Triennial are potentially an artist’s worst nightmare.
Among the more than 100 artists and designers to be exhibited at the opening of the third NGV Triennale in December are Agnieszka Pilata tech-centric Polish-American artist who trains a trio of robotic dogs to paint independently for the Australian art event.
Is Pilat worried about machines threatening human creativity? No. It’s a tech optimistwhoever finds Bonnie, Archie and Basia, the names of the dogs, cute.
One of Agnieszka Pilat’s paintings alongside Boston Dynamics’ SPOT robot. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Throughout the four-month exhibit, visitors will be able to watch artistically refined versions of Boston Dynamics robots paint inside a large white cube. The robot dogs will be armed with oil paint sticks which they will throw at an acrylic canvas attached to the wall. Their decision-making will be based on a series of commands programmed by Pilat, such as the movements of their painting arm, the pressure they exert on the canvas, and whether to paint dots or lines.
Early versions of robo-art appear as a child wielding a marker dashing over something between an architectural blueprint and a family tree – which is fitting, according to Pilat, since robots are young in human years and endowed with great knowledge but little understanding.
Pilat has been developing this project since being commissioned to paint a portrait of Boston Dynamics’ Spot in 2020. Since then, she’s been living with a 60-pound yellow and black beast in her New York and San Francisco homes. Together they made a series of brightly colored works, one of which sold for $31,500 at Sotheby’s in 2021.
Pilat’s presence at the NGV Triennial may represent a breakthrough into the art world for the trained illustrator who moved to San Francisco in 2004. While Pilat received considerable attention for the novelty and provocation of her paintings of robots, sponsorship is largely derived from minting Silicon Valley together rather than collectors in the art world.
THE CNG Triennial will present more than 75 projects, including 25 world premieres, under three main themes – magic, matter and memory – intended to highlight the concerns of the artists presented in the exhibition.
Tracey Emin, David Shrigley, Yoko Ono, Tao Hui and Schiaparelli are among the artists who will showcase their work, alongside 14 Australian artists and digital practitioners such as Smac McCreanor and SMACK. It opens on December 3, 2023 and ends on April 7, 2024.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
