Danny Frede’s „Robotonism“. Machines taking over. Part 2 of my art blog entry

The „Cliffhanger“ reveiled: Danny Frede doesn’t paint himself! Detection of art forgery?

During my studio visit, I had the chance to get a look into a quite new project of Danny Frede.
The particularly charming thing about a visit to the studio is always the view of ongoing projects, of things “in progress”. And that’s what this second part of my blog post is about. Why are there huge wet canvases lying around on the studio floor? What are these painting machines? Is “Robotonism“ truly a new word? And if so, what is it all about?

Danny Frede is just at work when I knock on the studio door. Or rather, Danny Frede is in charge. The machines are at work. In fact, two machines have just started working. With a monotonous humming noise, they move over a large canvas prepared with paint and lying on the floor.

Now it comes to light: Danny Frede lets paint. And that’s the endless efforts of vacuum cleaner robots. Whoever has seen the animation film with the tireless and diligent little yellow “Minions” (who hasn’t?) knows that „artificial intelligence“ might be quite stupid as well. In fact, „Artificial un-intelligence“ is at work here. Let’s take a closer look.

Danny Frede’s painting machines. Every robot is an artist.

With his latest series of “robot pictures“, Danny Frede lets the pendulum swing in a completely different direction. While he painted his “Serial Rectangles” or the imperfect color gradients meticulously by hand, and meticulously shaped the plaster base with a small spatula (analogously so to speak!), the machine does all the work in the robot pictures. Actually, the vacuum cleaner robot becomes a “painting machine”.

Danny Frede puts some more paint on a big canvas, and then lets the vacuum cleaner robots drive over it until their batteries are “empty”. Their built-in sensors are actually intended to prevent the suction robot from driving against any furniture, or any object in their way. In Danny Frede’s set-up, they ensure that the robots avoid each other on their way. The result is a structure that cannot be planned. Actually, it is given a differentiated stratification and depth by the multi-coloured back and forth, and back and forth. Danny Frede makes sure that the vacuum cleaner robots don’t “break out” and …. we both watch them moving around.

By the way, this performance has a somehow narcotizingly calming effect, is almost meditative. You can watch for hours. I am allowed to drink coffee. Danny Frede cleans the roles of one of his robot employees. They have got stuck with an excess of paint. Afterwards the robot runs again. Back and forth, back and forth.

Robots. Artificial intelligence? Or Un-intelligence? That’s two pairs of shoes.

Robot pictures? Is that the desire for limitless colour, for the process as such? For levering up the tidy order of algorithms that dictate the targeted movement to each individual suction robot? That is, to the edge of the picture or to the other suction robot that drives into the programmed track of one. Is it the sheer joy of aleatoric uncontrolled growth? Does it refer to Nam June Paik, who developed a robot “K456” together with an engineer as early as 1964, which was supposed to represent him as an artist in performances.

Is it altogether a critique of modernity? A reflection on the consequences of the robotization of our world? A reference to the effects of AI, artificial intelligence. “Can a robot replace up to 20 artists in the future?” Danny Frede is asking. Are the machines getting ready? And about to take over control?

You might think your way through the project that way. But it also works with considerably less ideological and / or philosophical„superstructure”. Incidentally, the suction robots that are used, have by no means reached the heights (and abysses) of true artificial intelligence. In comparison with other (household) devices, their „intelligence” is actually missing. At the last IFA in Berlin, one could already see a lot more “intelligence” for the modern household.

Through the “refraction” of the individual suction robots algorithms, which simply get into each other’s way, an abstract picture is created. Or better: a non-representational image. Because the pictures have no representational model at all. They are completely detached from nature and real objects. They have no mimetic reference to the world.

Danny Frede merely determines the format, the colours, and of course, the number of robots. It should actually be more than just a robot. Otherwise, the images created with just one robot are very similar. Back-and-forth, left-right, turn. Each robot is programmed in this way. Only with the larger number of robots, chance comes into play. Up to five robots are good, then it starts getting too tight. Unless the canvas formats become even larger. In an entire room format, for example? Why not, after all, they are suction robots.

And what’s all this about now?

Danny Frede’s aim is to explore this coincidence, to check to what extent he, as an artist, can still be the creator as soon as such a digital “painting tool” comes into play. To what extent can a robot still be equated with a brush? Because the brush is still guided by the painter, whereas the robot processes its programmed algorithms.

Danny Frede is very curious to lean and evaluate, how his robot pictures are perceived.

The reactions of his audience are really different, compared to reactions to his more „conventional“ work. Sometimes much more radical than for Danny Frede’s more “classical” projects, such as the photo series or the serial rectangles.

Danny Frede is always interested in the difference „before“ and „after“. How do people react to a robot picture before they know that it is painted by robots, and after they have been told „the truth“? The picture remains the same, but the reaction to it always changes, sometimes to the entire reverse emotion.

Some find it experimental and technically exciting, others feel betrayed (“Oh, that’s not your painting. That’s not your work.”).

Some even suddenly reject the picture as non-art, even though they had quite enjoyed it before. “It’s not art at all, it’s just these machines.”

Some perceive it as a misappropriation of household objects, almost an abuse. Especially since the suction robot can be an expensive prestige object, indeed. For Danny Frede, the reaction of his audience is an essential component of the entire project, which actually only arises with the finished picture in an exhibition context, i.e. kind of a museum staging.

Slowly sipping my coffee, and accompanied by the hum of the robots, I rethink my conception and understanding of art. In general, I like the idea of exploring possibilities and limits in art, I enjoy the experimental approach. Does the creator of a picture always have to be the painter who actually leads the brush? Can’t art already be established as a pure idea, as a mere concept?

“Are coincidences in the algorithm already comparable to an artist’s soul?

“Can a robot replace up to 20 artists in the future?“, Danny Frede asks provocatively. He himself has – so it seems to me at least – kind of a „broken“ (at least, „disturbed“) relationship to the vacuum cleaner robot. In his perception, there is no artificial intelligence (at least in the true sense of word) at work. On the contrary, the vacuum cleaner robot is a rather “stupid machine”, or even a “weird status symbol” of doubtful utility.

“It has something decadent, and at the same time something meaningless.” Danny Frede has reinterpreted the vacuum cleaner robot for his project. He regards his studio as a “reception camp for orphaned robots”. Actually, his father sometimes even feels sorry for the maltreated equipment. Because they are pushed to their technical limits. And they stay surprisingly brave.

“Where does the vacuum cleaner robot a more useful job? In the home, where it cleans sometimes well, sometimes less well. Or on a screen?“, Danny Frede asks me. The fact is, that all the vacuum cleaners Danny Frede now uses, would otherwise have been scrapped. Their previous owners no longer wanted them. Danny Frede did not ask his willing “tool suppliers” for the reason for their refusal of their robots. And there is no doubt that the equipment still works perfectly. No defects in function. So no need to throw them away, as they still would do their cleaning job. In fact, I really like the sustainability with which Danny Frede continues to use these robots. And actually keeps them from being thrown away and becoming scrap.

The documentary of the project

Thirty metres of canvas, one hundred and fifty metres of wooden frame materials, over five litres of varnish. And especially at the beginning, a lot of technically unsuccessful experiments. A steep learning curve in the process. As a long-term performance with a public audience, the painting process could be experienced in June in the Düsseldorf nrw Forum. And is documented as a video.

Danny Frede has found a sponsor for his “Robotonism” catalogue, which documents this project as well. All in all, a good thirty large pictures have now been created. This series will then be completed. But Danny Frede hasn’t yet put the “Robotonism” idea on file. There is still something to come. But Danny Frede doesn’t want to reveal that yet. Let’s look forward to another surprising project to come.

With the refrigerator magnet saying “Is that art? Or can we drop it” or the alternative sayings “I can do that as well! (also in the variant “my child”, “my dog” etc.) and „Everyone can do that“, the critically enlightened art viewer is always gladly and fast with the hand. But that is too much of a short cut.

Never make it so easy for yourself! It’s more about getting involved directly, letting yourself be inspired. Or even getting upset.

And yes, you also have the right not to feel addressed. Sure, you can reject a piece of art, even describe it as “not art”. But give a reason! It is very important that you always come up with your own thoughts! Otherwise, you are depriving yourself of a real pleasure. Promised. And have fun!