Machines are losing their machinity. We can only keep our humanity if machines keep their machinity. The ability to embody a machine, that is, to make it an extension of our body, disappears as machines get easier to use. In the past, we could have an intimate relationship with the radio itself through the physical manipulation of the tuning control and watching the display. Today, you just push a button to have the radio tune itself. Our body interaction is nothing, there is no engagement.

The forklift ballet is an homage to the special relationship between humanity and machinity. The machines should become part of us and enhance our humanity. When they do, they disappear and we see only an extended person. The experience of embodying and using the machine is its own pleasure.

In the forklift ballet the dance of the machine is actually the dance of the driver/ballerino. The driver has an intimate relationship with the forklift. The driver has embodied the machine. We see expression come through his extended body. When we embody the pen, or the sword, or the piano, or the computer, or the car, or the forklift we can feel pleasure from using it, allowing its machinity to conduct our feeling.

The world of technology is striving to make machines easier to use. But careless improvement will take away machinity and consequently take away our humanity. This ballet may be the last embodiment.

In general, this performance is an illustration of contemporary life. It shows the relationship between humans and machines and the interface between man and his feelings. Man expresses himself only through the skilled manipulation of machines. The ballet of electrical forklifts guided by skilled drivers and life sounds expresses the metaphor of now.

The first forklift ballet piece "The last embodiment" was created (in 1999) by the author, Sidney Fels, a Canadian artist and scientist from Vancouver, with the participation of the performance artist from Japan, Sachiyo Takahashi, and with the virtual and real musicianship of Bulgarian born Italian artist, Alzek Misheff.

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Performances

Forklift Ballet Performances:

1. Acqui Terme, Italy, Aug. 20, 1999.

About the Artists (from 1999 documentation)

Fels is the author of the Iamascope, an interactive electronic kaleidoscope (which was shown in Ars Electronica Center, Millenium Dome and many other expositions in Japan, America and Europe) and has collaborated for many years with Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR) in Japan and is currently a professor at the University of British Columbia.

Takahashi, after researching traditional and contempory performing arts at the University of Tokyo, moved to Belgium where she has participated in several international performances, including works with Jan Fabre. She is presenting her own performance works in Europe since '99 .

Misheff has realized large scale sound installations in the USA and Italy since the late 70's. For some years now he has a studio in Acqui Terme where this work was developed.

Misheff and Fels both had performances at Opera Totale 4 in Venice in 1998.

Sponsorship

This work was made possible with the understanding and coorperation of Sig. Giorgio Benzi during its preparation and production. The performance was under patronage of the Province of Alessandria, Italy.

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