Are you fascinated by movement in space? Or humanoid robotics? Or perhaps both? Then the workshop [Who] Rules to Encounter, led by artist and choreographer Silke Grabinger, is just the right place for you! But why bring these two fields together?
[Who] Rules to Encounter explores what happens when humans and humanoid robots meet through dance and physical interaction. How can encounters with humanoid robots be designed to become aesthetically, ethically and physically tangible experiences? How do these one-sided relationships evolve– can they even be described as interpersonal relationships? What needs to be considered and critically discussed when it comes to our perception of moving machines?
[Who] Rules to Encounter is a multi-year artistic research project developed and carried out by Silke Grabinger in collaboration with the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund. In early 2027, the project will make a stop in Düsseldorf, where it will take the form of a three-day workshop at tanzhaus nrw as part of the TEMPS D’IMAGES Festival for Dance and Technologies.
We are looking for 5 people aged 18 and over, of all ages and with varying levels of movement experience and abilities. Both newcomers and experienced participants in the fields of dance and robotics are welcome to take part in this free workshop. During the workshop, we will work with a humanoid robot measuring 1.70 metres in height and weighing 70kg. Together, we will develop movement scenarios (greeting, farewell, reaction, etc.) and explore what it means to interact with a robot.
Registration
If you would like to take part in the workshop or have any questions, simply get in touch by email at: emil.felhofer@theater.digital
tanzhaus nrw: https://tanzhaus-nrw.de/en/stage/open-calls
We would love you to tell us a little about yourself and why you would like to participate in the workshop –just three sentences are enough. Ideally, you would be able to attend all three workshop days. However, if you are only available for one or two days, please don't hesitate to email us anyway. We will find the best possible solution together.
Please also let us know if there are any specific requirements that would enable you to participate(e.g.personal assistance or other accessibility-related support), or if there is anything we should consider in terms of communication (e.g. translation into English).
Participation is free of charge.
Registration deadline: 6 December 2026
Workshop dates
Tuesday, 12 January 2027 | 4:00–8:00 pm
Wednesday, 13 January 2027 | 4:00–8:00 pm
Thursday, 14 January 2027 | 12:00–4:00 pm
tanzhaus nrw
Erkrather Straße 30
40233 Düsseldorf Germany
Silke Grabinger is a performance artist, choreographer and artistic director of the dance companies SILK Cie and SILK Fluegge. In her work and artistic concepts, she combines urban and contemporary dance with performance art and robotics. A particular focus of her practice is the critical examination of social phenomena, artistic paradigms, and the role and position of the audience.
She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Arts Linz (Austria) and CCI, UAL London. Her research focuses on robotics and performance in the context of media art and artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on the transfer of meaning to moving bodies. Since 2018, she has been working with robotics in collaboration with Ars Electronica and CreativeRobotics.
www.silk.at