Lobsteropolis: Pop Artist Philip Colbert Will Hold The World’s First Robot-Only Private View At Saatchi Gallery

Although people have often said that art is what makes us human, there’s one consequence of the pandemic that few of us saw coming – the rise of the robots.

Opening on Wednesday 29 October, and running for a month, pop artist Philip Colbert will hold the world’s first art opening where the only guests in attendance will be robots. Held at the Saatchi Gallery, for this private view, Colbert has enlisted some automated androids so that digital users can explore the exhibition via their own machine fitted with cameras that can beam back what they see to virtual visitors controlling them via laptops or smartphones.

Visitors can also peruse the show by entering the physical gallery, but Colbert wanted to “Covid-proof” the show by using robots so that guests can check-in, regardless of the pandemic.

The new collection is named Lobsteropolis and has been created to confront mass consumerism referencing contemporary culture and history. Colbert has a long history of using lobsters in art, he has fans the world over who love his cartoon lobster creations. He says "The lobster is my materialistic alter-ego. Lobsteropolis is a vision of a sci-fi future where, due to lockdowns, we have robot selves who can go and explore the physical world, while we remain indoors."

With the idea for the show borne of isolation and made in response to the severance of human connection through social distancing, Colbert wanted to create a lockdown-proof concept. He came up with the idea of the robots. “One could have easily rescheduled but I wanted to put it out there and make it more of an experience. I wanted to make an ambitious, bold physical show designed for people to view via a gallery robot,” he explained. “I think of it as a bit like sending a diving robot down to see a shipwreck.”

More than 20 machines will be set to work trundling around the new show. Once the guests have registered via Saatchi Gallery, the robots will be ready to be controlled by the public, allowed to mingle and chatter as normal guests at a private view, as they navigate through the psychedelic land.

Colbert believes that the virus will continue to accelerate the use of robotics and other technologies to take on tasks that are more fraught during the pandemic. “It’s never been done before”, he says. “This could well be the future.”

Philip Colbert’s Lobsteropolis will be presented by Unit London at Saatchi Gallery from 29 October - 29 November 2020.

Robot tours will be available in 30 minute time slots on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 30 October and 29 November. Guests can search for and book a time slot with their own automated machine here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lobsteropolis-robot-tours-tickets-126571307187

More info: saatchigallery.com