France Cadet, born <strong>in</strong> 1971, <strong>in</strong> a French digital and robotics artist whose work ironically raises questions about various aspects <strong>in</strong> science debates and contemporary anxieties about biotechnology. First teach<strong>in</strong>g as a volume and robotic pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the Ecole Supérieure d’Art d’Aixen-Provence (2000-2011), she has now jo<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>The</strong> School <strong>of</strong> the Art Institute <strong>of</strong> Chicago as an Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and Chair <strong>of</strong> the Art and Technology Studies department. In addition, she has been giv<strong>in</strong>g robot-like tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g workshops for several years. Ms. Cadet came from a background <strong>in</strong> science before turn<strong>in</strong>g to artistic studies. Known by her robotic and bio-oriented multi-media <strong>in</strong>stallations which comb<strong>in</strong>e these two <strong>in</strong>terests, she has done solo and group exhibitions nationally and <strong>in</strong>ternationally, <strong>in</strong> Europe, Asia (Japan, Korea, Ch<strong>in</strong>a...), Brazil and United-States. Her works is regularly exhibited <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational new-media festivals such as Ars Alectronica, Exit, Sonar, Emoção Artificial... likewise <strong>in</strong> traditional contemporary Art galleries and museums (CAAC <strong>in</strong> Sevilla, Quadrum Gallery <strong>in</strong> Lisbon, Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery and Palais de Tokyo <strong>in</strong> Paris) and Art fairs (ARCO <strong>in</strong> Madrid, Art Paris and SLICK <strong>in</strong> Paris…). She received the 1 st Prize <strong>of</strong> VIDA 6.0, an Art & Artificial Life International competition <strong>in</strong> Madrid, and was mentioned by the Digital Stadium Awards <strong>in</strong> Tokyo. Her work was also purchased by the Museum <strong>of</strong> Contemporary Art, the MEIAC <strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong>. Most <strong>of</strong> France Cadet’s artworks tackle serious problems but <strong>in</strong> an ironic and ludic way: funny toys, pleasant games, charm<strong>in</strong>g pets, cute robots… In a large part <strong>of</strong> her work she uses a commercial robotic dog on which she performed surgery, customized their forms, and reprogrammed them with unusual behaviours. <strong>The</strong>se new strange creatures allow her to embody questions concern<strong>in</strong>g contemporary anxieties about biotechnology, animals rights, dangers <strong>of</strong> clon<strong>in</strong>g, eugenics, and to make a critical social comment about ethical questions and possible consequences <strong>of</strong> a technologically driven future, through ironical caricaturization but which is based on very-real facts. <strong>The</strong>se robotic dogs allow her to embody questions concern<strong>in</strong>g animals rights and the complex relationship between humans and animals. <strong>The</strong>se questions have evolved over time. At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g she was more focused on the boundaries between human and animal, simply us<strong>in</strong>g the robots as a medium, then she bega<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g them for their <strong>in</strong>tr<strong>in</strong>sic robotic qualities, hence question<strong>in</strong>g the relationships between humans (or animal) and mach<strong>in</strong>es. In “Dog[LAB]01”, the 7 transgenic robotic dogs where used to make a critical social statement about the excess and dangers <strong>of</strong> clon<strong>in</strong>g, eugenics and other experiments us<strong>in</strong>g animals. It also dealt with controversies concern<strong>in</strong>g artists us<strong>in</strong>g bio-art as an art form. <strong>The</strong> fact that these animals are robots but that they are suffer<strong>in</strong>g from diseases, or are even dy<strong>in</strong>g (like <strong>in</strong> “Dog[LAB]02”, where a pack <strong>of</strong> cloned robots like Dolly - the one suffer<strong>in</strong>g from BSE - are dy<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> unison), challenges the utopian dreams <strong>of</strong> transhumanists <strong>in</strong> which robotic technology was seen as a means <strong>of</strong> overcom<strong>in</strong>g our mortality. <strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>stallation “Hunt<strong>in</strong>g trophies” evidently raises questions about animals rights, but it also <strong>in</strong>troduces new <strong>in</strong>terrogations about domestic robots and robots <strong>in</strong> general, their status, their function and their <strong>in</strong>tegration <strong>in</strong>to society. While the animals from “Do robotic cats dream <strong>of</strong> electric fish?” and “Gaude Mihi” are a much more accurate testimony <strong>of</strong> the break<strong>in</strong>g down <strong>of</strong> boundaries between animal, human and mach<strong>in</strong>e. Blend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to society, robots are now becom<strong>in</strong>g more and more life-like. <strong>The</strong>y seem to be develop<strong>in</strong>g the ability and desire to experiment with social activities and pleasures. Thus my robotic cat might have the desire to enterta<strong>in</strong> itself by watch<strong>in</strong>g pet program on TV, or the rock<strong>in</strong>g robot “Gaude Mihi” which rocks when its owner approaches, might simply be seek<strong>in</strong>g to generate its own amusement. 56
France Cadet Robotic Dog Acupunture Draw<strong>in</strong>g and Gaude Mihi France Cadet 57
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