EXTREME ROBOTICS #1

WHAT: a festival of EXTREME ROBOTICS #1 w/ Christian Ristow/ROBOCHRIST Industries (SRL alumni)
BOTBASH Fighting robot competition and giant robot performance spectacle, fire percussionist Scot Jenerik and DJ Emile
WHERE: autoMATIC Compound, 333 S. 9th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85007
WHEN: Ristow/Jenerik - Friday, Oct. 5 9:30PM, Sat. Oct. 6, 11PM BOTBASH - Saturday, Oct. 6, 9AM - 10PM, Sunday Oct. 7, 10AM - 4PM HOW - tickets available at www.ticketweb.com $10 to $30 INFO: tel. 602-306-XERO (9376) xe.ro or botbash
•Live Robot performance - 5000 lb robots act as judge and jury in a trial of the human condition. "The Reality Show You Never Asked For"
•Giant Puppets to be judged and destroyed by the robots.
• BOTBASH - World Robot Fighting Championship - arena robot battles as seen on TV
• Music - Percussionist Scot Jenerik performs with his flame throwing percussion instrument. DJ Emile also provides the soundtrack for the evening, collaborating w/ Mr. Jenerik

Other Trivia:

• Many of the same fighting robot teams as seen in Battlebots and Robowars.
•The first in a series of Phoenix Robot performances.
•This event is part of the pilot for a new anarchic TV series on art and technology - XERO TV
• Christian Ristow was the robot builder for the film AI (and others).
•The BOTBASH organization has been Phoenix based since the early 90's
•We are still working on producing an SRL show, perhaps in a nearby independent nation, sometime before the next millennium.
http://xe.ro http://botbash.com http://christianristow.com http://23five.org


EXTREME ROBOTICS is the first in a series of events that Phoenix based XE.RO will be presenting around the world in 2001-2002. First up in this series is Christian Ristow - aka ROBOCHRIST Industries - an alumni of San Francisco based machine art group, Survival Research Laboratories. Ristow last performed in Phoenix with Peoplehater and SRL in 1996, an event that was also produced by XE.RO impresario D.A. Therrien. Ristow left SRL in the late 90's and found work in LA, building robots and special effects for feature films, including the only real robot featured in the Spielberg film, A.I. The Saturday night performance, "The Reality Show You Never Asked For," is being filmed for the new XE.RO TV series. In it, a three robot tribunal hear witnesses and judge the accused, and then pass sentence as only robots can do. The robots are the Manipulatrix (3000 lb.), the Drunken Master (3000 lb.) and the Subjugator (5000 lb.). The performance features giant sized puppets and other time sensitive metaphors, addressing the recent tragedy in New York. It may be disturbing to some individuals. MUSIC Scot Jenerik and DJ Emile will provide the soundtrack for the evening, along with special guests. Jenerik has been performing with fire based musical instruments of his own design for about 10 years. He has performed throughout the world to wide eyed audiences that never want to get too close. He is the founder of 23five, a San Francisco based Noise Art non profit organization, producers of the SF Electronic Music Festival, Activating the Medium and noise/art events at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (DJ) Emile has been playing various dance, electronic and noise genres throughout the country for the past 10 years. He is one third of the acclaimed Bombshelter DJ's. Emile and others will be accompanying the din of the robots, providing soothing sound and words for the puppets. He'll play a little body relaxing music after the spectacle as well.
The performances begin around 10pm Friday and 11pm Saturday (after the BOTBASH shooting/tournament is complete). Tickets are sliding scale - $10 to artists, students and the financially challenged, $20 to $30 for those with cash to spare - you know who you are.
BOTBASH
BOTBASH is America's oldest fighting robot competition, predating Battlebots by a few years. Headed by Bob Pitzer (Team Raptor on Battlebots), this will be the largest BOTBASH ever, with 70+ competitors in 3 weight classes battling in a 58,000 lb. steel arena. (It will be hot - dress cool and dress for TV. More interesting attired people will be placed in front.) You must join BOTBASH to attend the TV taping session of BOTBASH. It is not a public event, but rather a taping for XE.RO TV. This is a World Championship Robot Pitfighting competition. As it is being filmed for television, allowances will need to be made for the TV production. BOTBASH membership info is available at BOTBASH.COM or Ticketweb.com. (BOTBASH membership gets you into the Christian Ristow performance, just as holders of $30 tickets for the Christian Ristow performance may receive invitations to BOTBASH, but capacity is limited. XE.RO members also have full access for the festival) BOTBASH runs 9AM - 10/11pm Saturday, 10AM - 4PM (latest) on Sunday. Still Cameras are permitted, but video cameras must be registered with the BOTBASH organization. WARNING: This festival features dangerous robotic performances. You accept full responsibility for any tragedy that might befall you. Eye and ear protection is recommended. Please be cautious and alert on site.

VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed to help construct props and puppets for Christian Ristow's performance. Please come down Thursday (day/night), Friday (day/night) and/or Saturday (day) if you'd like to participate. Riggers, welders, painters, machine fabricators as well as just plain (but essential) help is needed. Please inquire if you'd like to help and list your skills - we might not be able to get back to you though, so best to just come down Thursday evening.
Anyone out there have a 100' hydralic truck crane? contact David - 602-692-7666 (calls about materials, equipment, volunteering or media only please) XE.RO is a Phoenix based arts organization that presents technology based art at locations around North America. Founded by David Therrien for the year 2000, it is the outgrowth of Therrien's organization CRASHarts, imfamous for presentations of alternative arts and music at CRASH and the Icehouse from 1985 to 1996. XE.RO presents artwork that deals with surveillance, genetics, biotech, robotics, information and other issues related to the interface of man and technology.
General information - 602-306-XERO
http://xe.ro

 

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