The making of "Huang Yi & KUKA,” a human-robot duet that catapulted Taiwanese choreographer Huang Yi (黃翊) into international fame, has been documented in a film that will debut at Elebash Recital Hall in New York on March 2.
Huang, 33, is a collaborating choreographer with Cloud Gate 2 and on the "25 to Watch” list compiled by Dance Magazine. He has been driven by a life-long interest in the relationship between mankind and technology, creating such mechanical performances as an automated violin recital.
In "Huang Yi & KUKA,” the choreographer explores the role of artificial intelligence in our present and future lives, particularly whether it is really possible to have meaningful interactions with machines.
KUKA, an eight-foot-tall industrial robot of the eponymous German automation brand, is a labor of love. Huang spends over ten hours programming just one minute of robotic movement.
During his residency at the 3-Legged Dog on Greenwich Street, Huang turned his attention to expanding his 2013 original production to a full-length performance. Shot in 2D and 3D with twelve cameras, the unique relationship between KUKA and the choreographer née media artist will premiere as a 30-minute film on March 2.
Huang's Huang Yi Studio (黃翊工作室) was among the six recipients of this year's national grant for projects fusing technology with performance arts. He shares the honor with NAXS Corp. (涅所開發), Legacy Lab International (人嶼科技藝術國際), W.H.O Theatre (虎劇團), T.T.C Dance (張婷婷獨立製作), and Shintrun Taiwanese Opera Troupe (薪傳歌仔戲劇團).
More information on the up-and-coming choreographer can be found here.
‘Huang Yi & KUKA'