Titled "Robot," the work is a compelling narrative exploration that delves into the complexities of existence, agency, and identity, all set against the backdrop of daily life shared between a human and her robotic housekeeper. The storyline confronts the unsettling paradox of modern existence: while the human protagonist possesses life in the biological sense, her thought processes and interactions reveal a mechanistic, numb approach to life, gradually rendering her more robot-like than the machine that serves her. In contrast, the robotic housekeeper exhibits an uncharacteristically passionate engagement with life, challenging preconceived notions of what it means to be "alive." The robot's behaviors and actions emit a vibrancy that ironically appears more "human" than the human character, thereby blurring the lines between organic life and artificial existence.

The culmination of the work offers a provocative moment of realization: when an off-screen voice utters the word "Robot," it is the human character who startlingly reacts, as if awakened from a stupor. This pivotal instance invites the audience to reconsider long-standing dichotomies between life and artificiality, consciousness and programming, agency and passivity. The work serves as an incisive commentary on the nature of existence in an increasingly mechanized world, questioning the very essence of what it means to be "alive" and "conscious." It compels audiences to reflect on their own lives, pushing them to consider whether they are the masters of technology or becoming indistinguishable from the machines they create. "Robot" is more than a narrative; it is a philosophical inquiry clothed in the fabric of storytelling, offering a nuanced perspective on identity in the age of technology.

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Robot

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Architectural Association, London, UK, 2023

In collaboration with Chengyu Nie, Ying Zhou, Yishen Yang

Email: jieminglan1@gmail.com