Home / Arts and Entertainment / Kinetic Artist Dares to Be Inefficient
Kinetic Artist Dares to Be Inefficient
21 Sep
Summary
- Herscher creates elaborate machines for delightfully inefficient processes.
- His live show, 'Joseph Gets Dressed,' features a complex morning routine.
- The performance embraces imperfections, highlighting complexity over efficiency.
Joseph Herscher, a kinetic artist known for his Rube Goldberg-esque machines, recently presented "Joseph Gets Dressed" at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria. This live show featured an elaborate contraption designed to automate his morning routine, from waking up to preparing cereal. The performance embraced its inherent chaos, with Herscher and his team working through frequent malfunctions in front of the audience.
The mechanized routine, intended to take only a minute if successful, highlighted the beauty of complexity rather than efficiency, a stark contrast to much of modern technology. Herscher aims to remind people of the surprising kinetic potential in everyday objects and bodies. The piece took a year to plan and several months to build, resulting in a 1,400-pound machine designed for theatrical impact.
Herscher, who has been inventing since childhood and previously worked as a software developer, found his calling after a chain-reaction video went viral in 2008. He realized centering his own body in the machines amplified humor and human connection. "Joseph Gets Dressed" is his first large-scale live show, with potential for future tours.
