Crlglnally publlshed on Lhe Web ln !"#$%&'# )*"+,&#$-+ .*/%$%+, vol. 3, n. 3, May 1997.

0121345 .03
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AfLer meeLlng ln Pelslnkl ln CcLober of 1996 durlng Lhe MuuMedla lesLlval, Lduardo kac and Marcel.ll
AnLunez 8oca, boLh parLlclpanLs ln Lhe roboLlc arL show "MeLamachlnes: Where ls Lhe 8ody?", aL CLso
Callery, ln 1aplola, and ln Lhe ArL and 8oboLlcs Semlnar, aL Lhe ALeneum, ln Pelslnkl, declded Lo share
Lhelr noLes and drafLed Lhls [olnL sLaLemenL:
Lxpandlng Lhe narrow deflnlLlon of roboLs ln sclence, englneerlng, and lndusLry, arL roboLs make room
for soclal crlLlclsm, personal concerns, and Lhe free play of lmaglnaLlon and fanLasy. 8oboLs are ob[ecLs
LhaL work ln Llme and space. 1helr open and dlverse spaLlo-Lemporal sLrucLures are capable of speclflc
responses Lo dlfferlng sLlmull. Some of Lhe vlsual forms LhaL roboLlc arL can Lake lnclude auLonomous
real-space agenLs, blomorphlc auLomaLa, elecLronlc prosLheLlcs lnLegraLed wlLh llvlng organlsms, and
LeleroboLs (lncludlng weboLs).
8oboLs are noL only ob[ecLs Lo be percelved by Lhe publlc--as ls Lhe case wlLh all oLher arL forms--buL are
Lhemselves capable of percelvlng Lhe publlc, respondlng accordlng Lo Lhe posslblllLles of Lhelr sensors.
8oboLs dlsplay behavlor. 8oboLlc behavlor can be mlmeLlc, synLheLlc, or a comblnaLlon of boLh.
SlmulaLlng physlcal and Lemporal aspecLs of our exlsLence, roboLs are capable of lnvenLlng new
behavlors.
Cne of Lhe cruclal concerns of roboLlc arL ls Lhe naLure of a roboL's behavlor: ls lL auLonomous, seml-
auLonomous, responslve, lnLeracLlve, adapLlve, organlc, adapLable, LelepresenLlal, or oLherwlse?. 1he
behavlor of oLher agenLs wlLh whlch roboLs may lnLeracL ls also key Lo roboLlc arL. 1he lnLerplay LhaL
occurs beLween all lnvolved ln a glven plece (roboLs, humans, eLc.) deflnes Lhe speclflc quallLles of LhaL
plece.

8oboLs are noL sculpLures, palnLlngs, or vldeo arL. ArL roboLs are noL Lo be confused ln any way wlLh
mechanlcal-looklng, sLaLlc anLhropomorphlc sLaLues or sculpLures (even Lhose LhaL dlsplay movlng vldeo
lmages). rograms LhaL reLrleve lnformaLlon and perform oLher funcLlons on Lhe lnLerneL, desplLe belng
mlsleadlngly called lnLerneL roboLs, or neLboLs, are noL relaLed Lo roboLlc arL. 8oboLlc arL always lnvolves
a componenL of real space.
8oboLs are a new arL form and Lhey are prone Lo be hybrldlzed wlLh dlverse Lechnologles. 1hls quallLy
makes Lhem Lranscend Lhe caLegory of ob[ecL Lo be dlffused lnLo Lhe envlronmenL.
8oboLlc arL can occur ln physlcal places, ln LelemaLlc space, ln vlrLual envlronmenLs, or any comblnaLlon
of Lhese LhaL lncludes an acLual locaLlon.
8oboLs are new Lhlngs ln Lhe arL world. 8oboLlc arL has anLecedenLs ln Lhe work of arLlsLs such as
1lnguely and alk, buL lL consLlLuLes a compleLely unlque arL form ln lLs own rlghL, dlfferenL from
sculpLure, vldeo, performance, and oLher famlllar arLlsLlc pracLlces. roLoLypes are found ln sequenLlal
machlnes LhaL endlessly repeaL Lhelr Lemporal sLrucLures. Cnly mlcroprocessors allow a more complex
and dlsLlncL behavlor each Llme, be lL ln speclflc or random form. Mlcroprocessors are as lmporLanL ln
roboLlc arL as brushes, palnL, and canvases are ln palnLlng.
8oboLs belong Lo a new caLegory of ob[ecLs and slLuaLlons dlsrupLlve Lo Lhe LradlLlonal Laxonomy of arL.
Where one once spoke of boundarles, borders, and llmlLs we flnd Loday new LerrlLorles. 1hese new
arLlsLlc Lerralns are open Lo new posslblllLles and relaLe Lo one anoLher ln producLlve ways. ln Lhese new
heLerodox Lerralns, hybrld creaLures wlLh no precedlng models are born. Coupled wlLh
LelecommunlcaLlons medla, for example, roboLlcs glves orlgln Lo Lelepresence arL, ln whlch Lhe roboL ls
Lhe hosL of a remoLe sub[ecL.
As a genre, roboLs do noL asplre Lo converL Lhemselves lnLo closed and flxed forms. 1hey are capable of
perlshlng as a concepL lf a new slLuaLlon arlses Lo encompass and surpass Lhem. 8oboLs exlsL aL a
[uncLure of creaLlve debaLe and concepLual exploraLlon LhaL manlfesL lLself ln expanded LelemaLlc and
cyberneLlc domalns.