Rational and Irrational Numbers is a project on the concept of animation. The project aims to connect the archaic tradition of puppetry to the latest technological developments on robotics and artificial intelligence, at the same time addressing puppets to be an ancient prefiguration of the theory of the “uncanny valley”, according to which the more an anthropomorphic automaton resembles a human being, the more monstrous its imperfections appear.
Rational and Irrational Numbers consists in the production of a film and in a collaboration between the Colla Company and the EPFL RRL, whose outcome’s nature will be identified during the development of the residency.
- Envisioned collaborations: EPFL Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL) and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (LIA), among others.
Riccardo Giacconi
Riccardo Giacconi (IT) has studied fine arts at the IUAV University of Venezia. His work has been exhibited in various institutions, such as Grazer Kunstverein (Graz), ar/ge kunst (Bolzano), MAC (Belfast), WUK Kunsthalle Exnergasse (Vienna), FRAC Champagne-Ardenne (Reims), tranzitdisplay (Prague), Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Turin) and the 6. Moscow International Biennale for Young Art. He co-founded the collective listening festival ‘Helicotrema’ and the audio storytelling studio ‘Botafuego’.