Aparna Rao, part of the Indo-Danish art duo Pors & Rao, joins us from her studio based in Bangalore, India for this Open/Ended conversation. She and her collaborator Søren Pors work with objects and installations, often incorporating lifelike physical movement and responsive behaviours. Technology brings their sculptures to life, sensitively programmed to respond to their environment; you may glimpse behaviour patterns such as shyness, fatigue or quirky confidence and be puzzled by their captivating apparent consciousness. Aparna has worked for over a decade on building electro-mechanical systems and interactive installations, investing sometimes many years into the development of artworks.

Based between Bangalore and Zurich, Pors and Rao have exhibited around the world, in memorable locations such as Shodoshima island as part of the Setouchie Triennale 2016, and the 2nd Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 in Kerala, India. Since March 2017, they have been in residence at Wyss Zurich (UZH + ETHZ) where they pursue research to address the hostilities encountered in Robotics as a medium of personal expression. Their new research lab PATHOS (Poetic Animatronics Through Hands-On Systems) aims to address the hostilities encountered in Robotics as a medium of personal/ artistic expression, by creating a more user friendly animatronics platform.

Listen or watch the Open/Ended conversation with Aparna on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

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