V&A Dundee has unveiled an industrial robot that has been programmed to blow bubbles in the upper hall of the museum.
Soap Opera has been created by Andrea Anner and Thibault Brevet, founders of the non-industrial robot practice AATB, which specialises in transforming industrial robots into playful installations.
They studied how bubbles have historically been used to symbolise the fragile nature of life and human creativity. Depictions of bubbles can be found in numerous European paintings including works by Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin and Edouard Manet. Rembrandt even included a soap bubble in a painting of Cupid, thought to symbolise the fragility of love.
The installation consists of a UR10 robotic arm designed to work alongside humans in factories. But instead of an industrial tool, it has been fitted with a wand and circular hoop which dips into a tank of soapy liquid. The arm has been programmed to slowly move into position before speeding up and tracing an arc. Despite each movement being identical, every bubble is different. Anner said: “It’s mesmerising to watch with each movement performed perfectly but each bubble unique, reacting to tiny changes in the initial conditions.”
Brevet added: “We want people to be entertained and enjoy watching this fleeting moment and also to consider the interaction between the digital controls of the robot and the organic nature of the bubble which prevents us from knowing what to expect each time.”
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