Next Talk

AATB

I could not reach my own brain just now

5th November 2026, 17.45

ETH Zürich, building NO, room C 44, Soneggstr. 5, 8006 Zürich (map)

AATB gives mechanical sculptures human qualities that go beyond a body with a brain, two arms and two legs, exploring what makes us human. In "Soap Opera" (2019), a robot swings a hoop with almost childlike delight to make soap bubbles. In "void avoid (return nothing)" (2025), two robotic arms each carry a screen showing an eye that follows visitors as they pass by. And in "Training Grounds" (2025), a humanoid robot lies on the floor, seemingly asleep, moving slowly as if it were dreaming. The duo takes a playful approach to a field usually defined by hardness. In doing so, AATB reveals a vulnerability of the machine that goes beyond software and hardware failures. It moves us, lets us recognise our own vulnerability and lays bare our need for connection.

The talk is accompanied by a short research insight by Dr. Moritz Bächer, Lab Director of Robotics at Disney Research, and followed by an aperitif.