Oribotics [dublin]
Artbots 2008
19th - 20th September, Science Gallery, Dublin.
Background
ArtBots has been on my radar as the coolest place around to show your robotic art, since I started making bots in 2003, however it was not until after of Oribotics [network] was completed that I considered my work suitable for submission to ArtBots 2008.
I created Oribotics [network] with international exhibition in mind. The work is deliberately portable in size and packing. It could travel as hand luggage – if bizarre shaped metal parts would actually make it through airport screenings in the present state heightened of security measures – and so shipping is not a major problem or expense.
The timing of Artbots was perfect, just 10 days prior to the start of my artist residency at the Stiftung Künstlerdorf in Germany, so I could buy one plane ticket to do the whole trip.
I submitted my application to Artbots and waited, and as the date of announcement approached, I grepped (grep is a unix command line tool used for searching in text files) the logs of my website and it revealed that a number of IP addresses within Trinity, and Colombia University, had viewed the application, this was a positive sign.
Then I noticed that the referring URL (now inactive) was a complete list of all the submitted projects. I followed the link and a quick glance over the projects made my heart drop, there were so many amazing submissions, and a cloud of doubt invaded my confidence... Would they select my work?
Of course they would, and I awoke on the 9th June to an email informing me of my selection in the show. I was ecstatic! Perhaps the butterfly effect of my singing of sweet molly malone in the streets of St Kilda was beneficial after all. I was going to Dublin!
Matthew Gardiner, October 2008
Thanks to Douglas Repetto, staff at the Science Gallery, and Trinity College Dublin.
Supported by a Professional Development Grant from the Australian Network for Art and Technology.