Netherlands

Acrobot

Acrobot is a groundbreaking performance featuring a homemade robotic acrobat. Through a thrilling blend of juggling, acrobatics and storytelling, it raises questions about our post-digital society. Why would a circus artist build a robot? Can robots be artists? What happens when your creation outshines you? Daniel Simu redefines our understanding of collaboration between humans and machines. Daniel Simu is a Dutch interdisciplinary artist with a BA in Circus Arts (NCCA, London) and an MSc in Media Technology (Leiden University). For more than 15 years, he has been performing worldwide as a juggler and clown and was named the best Dutch juggler at the 2016 Dutch Juggling Championships. In 2022, Daniel drew on his curiosity about technology and performance to build the first Acrobot prototype. Daniel performed two amazing shows before the Acrobot prototype fell apart. This success motivated him to learn new skills such as 3D printing, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. And so Daniel also became a robot builder.

Genre/s:
Acrobatics, Artistry, Cirque Nouveau, Puppetry

Stage language/s:
Nonverbal

www.acrobot.nl