I/Another

Kinaesthetic collaboration between human (I) and robot (Another), exploring shared movement, embodied co-agency, and cybernetic AI

I/Another is a transdisciplinary art project that explores the potential of kinaesthetic collaboration between humans and robots. The installation invites participants to engage in non-verbal, spatial dialogues with a robotic sculpture named Another, prioritizing bodily presence in human-machine communication.

Another is crafted from 3D-printed phosphorescent parts hand-stitched by Animaspace. Unlike many machines today, it is not designed to mimic humans or animals. Its design philosophy rejects the trend of equipping machines with emotions, instead leaving emotional expression to humans. Participants connect with Another not through empathy or anthropomorphism, but through shared experiences of fragility, curiosity, and playfulness.

Inspired by second-order cybernetics, conversation between I and Another is not about mutual understanding but rather a dynamic exchange that instigates change in both participants and the machine. Both human and machine co-create the interaction, reflecting the idea that systems evolve through mutual influence rather than linear control or comprehension. This approach reimagines conversation as a process of building towards a common goal, emphasizing how collaboration and adaptability shape our interactions with technology, each other, and non-human entities.

In contrast to today’s technology, which often fuels overthinking and polarizes our attention, I/Another brings the focus back to the body. It encourages participants to explore new ways of being and staying in a creative flow, drawing attention to the often-overlooked intelligence of the body, which is essential to our well-being. The installation emphasizes the joy of discovery, encouraging participants to explore evolving forms of communication between humans and robots.

This project is led by Studio Animaspace (Angelina Kozhevnikova) and supported by Gemeente Rotterdam, Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industries, and V2_Lab for the Unstable Media, with contributions from Marijke de Vos and Astrid Boons (collaborators on body and movement), Manuel Rojas (electrical engineering), and Katažyna Jankovska (curator).

Credits:

Interactive Sound design: Maggie Khorami
Embedded systems engineering: Manuel Rojas
Creative fabrication: Amina Zemouli
With guidance and consultation from Leslie Humbert (somatics) and Paul Pangaro (cybernetics)

SYNAPTIC-V1 R&D 2025-2026

Kinetic Architecture Of Sound, Light, And Visual Featuring MΛGii

SYNAPTIC_V1 is an Audio/Visual/Light installation by NikZad/InterNodal. It forms a synthetic ecosystem in constant flux, rewritten by light, reflection, and evolving algorithms that reshape its architecture. Surfaces fold, screens shift, and shadows fracture, revealing spaces that exist only in the entanglement of human presence and algorithmic perception. The performer and her digital twin move as one and apart, mirrored and extended, their actions woven into the pulse of the space. Participants move through and beneath, bodies threaded into a network of relations, sensing architecture stretch and resonate around them. Each moment hums with pattern and perception fused into synthetic matter, an ecosystem that transforms with every encounter.

Credits:

Light, Visual, Structural, System Design & Programming: Nikzad Arabshahi
Previz & Virtual Production: Nikzad Arabshahi
Sound Design: Maggie Khorami

OPHIRAL-V1 R&D 2026

Experimental Synthetic Ecology (Visual, Light, Sound Installation)

Ophiral-V1 arises from an ongoing research into artificial life and synthetic ecologies, systems in which lifelike behavior emerges from non-biological matter. The installation operates as an autonomous environment rather than a representation, defined by continuous exchange between code, structure, sound, and signal.

Developed entirely in-house, the work treats software, spatial design, and physical construction as a single organism. Code is not used to command outcomes, but to establish conditions under which forms, rhythms, and relationships evolve. Design becomes an act of cultivation, allowing complexity to arise through process rather than authorship.

The installation proposes synthetic nature as an ecological state beyond imitation. Here, information functions as a living substance, circulating through material and immaterial bodies. Artificial life is understood as distributed intelligence, without center, hierarchy, or origin, emerging from connection and feedback.

The work speculates on creation beyond intention: environments formed through process rather than narrative. It imagines futures where life is no longer defined by biology, but by the capacity of systems to sustain complexity across physical and virtual domains.

Credits:

Light, Visual, Structural, System Design & Programming: Nikzad Arabshahi
Previz & Virtual Production: Nikzad Arabshahi
Sound Design: Maggie Khorami

Elevated Momentum

“Elevated Momentum” emerges as a fusion of human expression and computational methodologies, where art and
technology merge to evoke a profound sense of interconnectedness. In this immersive exploration, the enchanting
dance of human form converges with generative visuals and interactive soundscapes.
In this interactive installation, dancers/participants find themselves intertwined with technology, co-creating a narrative
that blurs the boundaries between creator and creation. The motion capture system gracefully captures every gesture’s
grace, translating dancers’ fluid motions into data-driven algorithms. This poetic revelation unites the organic essence
of human movement with the ethereal canvas of the digital realm, infusing pixels and sounds with life.
As participants immerse themselves in this transcendent symphony, they embrace the roles of both creators and
conductors. Their interactions catalyze the evolution of generative algorithms, shaping the unfolding visuals and
soundscapes with each gesture and intention. The interplay between human agency and technological expression
reveals an intimate dance of co-creation between humanity and its technological counterparts.
Harmonizing with the generative visuals, real-time soundscapes envelop participants in an immersive auditory
experience. The soundscapes come alive, mirroring every motion and interaction, generating harmonies and rhythms
that resonate with the fluidity of the immersive space. Participants become harmonious instruments, contributing to a
dynamic symphony that resonates through this shared journey of creative exploration.