Near Strasbourg, the “Hello, Robot” exhibition questions our relationship to technology on a daily basis

The science fiction of yesteryear is today part of our reality. Far from the utopias of the 20th century, robots still occupy a growing place in our lives and our intimacies. The exhibition Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine in Weil-am-Rhein includes more than 200 exhibits from companies and individuals, but also computer programs, media installations and examples from film and literature, such as the famous robot R2-D2 from the universe Star Wars.

France 3 Strasbourg

“We are in daily contact with robots. An automatic checkout is a robot, every automatic door is a robot. It has nothing to do with what we expect or fear when we talk about robots”, explains Amélie Klein, the curator of the exhibition. In a society where artificial intelligence and algorithms are becoming increasingly important, this exhibition aims to highlight the risks involved, but also the ethical, social and political questions that punctuate this race for technology.

Ubiquitous technology

“They are with us from infancy to old age, like this little electronic seal who is very successful in treating elderly people with dementia. They can be friendly or unsympathetic but the real question is: who is behind the technology and who benefits from it? Which business entity benefits from it?, summarizes Amélie Klein. A presence at all times in our routines that this event wants to help raise awareness.

This modern interbreeding of man and machine, how far is it destined to go? Hello, Robot attempts through these exhibits to provide snippets of answers. Evidenced by a terminal shown to the public which has a barcode reader as a prosthesis. Without alarmism, however, the exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum highlights the permanent ambivalence of points of view concerning robotics, this “pharmakon” modern, both poison and remedy.

“Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine”until March 5 at the Vitra Design Museum