NAO. THE CLUSTERs

“The dancers are fools, the watchers are fools. If both are fools, why not dance?”

— Awa Odori song

In pale white light, the dry sound of wood strikes the floor. Eight small machines, each standing on six legs, wander like insects across a circular field of light, casting shadows as they move. At the center, a performer wears geta — traditional Japanese wooden sandals embedded with sensors. Each step becomes a signal, passing through the robots, electronic sound, and images projected onto the floor.

As the space darkens, the robots begin to glow red from within, one by one. The performer stamps the floor. The machines stop, march, drift, and gather, while sound, light, and projection spread through the space.

Is it a march, or a dance? Between humans, machines, sound, and image, a temporary festivity emerges.

NAOABS is a Japan-born ARTIST-INVANDOR based in France and active internationally. Through Japanese folk thought, he redefines robots and creates performances in which sound, image, and bodily movement interact. In his works, the relationship between performer and robot transforms sound and image in real time, allowing the outlines of society and structure to emerge within a rhythmic space marked by techno-noise.

Minimum recommended age: 16 years