in memoriam Gene Kelly

robot-dance performance
2000

“in memoriam Gene Kelly” was a robot dance performance that took place in the foyer of the City Hall Karlsruhe on July 7, 2000. The performer was an articulated-arm robot that danced with an umbrella in its hand to music from a ghetto blaster, opening and closing the umbrella automatically. The title “in memoriam Gene Kelly” recalls the famous entertainer, whose song “Singing in the Rain” kicked off the show, which consisted of a total of nine songs and choreographies. Before the musical part, the approximately 600 spectators were greeted by the robot, which captured all arrivals with a tracking shot and presented them on a projection screen.

The project was developed in 2000 on the occasion of the annual shareholders‘ meeting of IWKA Industriewerke Karlsruhe-Augsburg. IWKA is the previous owner of Hallenbau A, the industrial building that now houses the ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe.

Video documentation: Kirsten Röber