TUM tanzt! – roboTICKS and ARTificial Encounters

An evening between art and science: A Fascinating encounter between man and machine – First on Stage (roboTICKS), then in conversation (ARTificial Encounters). The event is part of TUM tanzt! - a contribution by the TUM Center for Culture and Arts and the School of Medicine and Health, Applied Sports Science to the Kunstareal-Fest 2025, which brings dance to life as a bridge between science, art and community.

Admission is free. Please register here!

roboTICKS

5:00 -5:20 pm

„At bottom, robotics is about us. It is the discipline of emulating our lives, of wondering how we work.” (Rod Grupen)

EA human and their robotic double meet on stage. The uncanny valley becomes a tangible place. Man and machine begin a strange interaction—disturbed and fascinated by its double, the human dares to look behind the mirror, to the reverse side of the self. In the shadow of their other, darker twin, they learn to feel unease. But soon, they are no longer sure which of them is the experiment…

A production by MEINHARDT&KRAUSS cinematic theatre
 

Performance: Ludger Lamers
Music/Sound Design: Thorsten Meinhardt
Robotics Concept & Construction: Nils Bennett, Michael Krauss
Robotics Programming: Michael Krauss
Silicone Casting & Painting: Jörg Steegmüller/ Steegmüller Skulpturen
Costume Design: Katharina Ruprecht
Scenography: Iris Meinhardt / Michael Krauss
Mise-en-scene: Iris Meinhardt/ Michael Krauss

Supported by: Konzeptionsförderung Landesverband Freie Tanz- und Theaterschaffende Baden-Württemberg e.V. (LaFT BW), Konzeptionsförderung Fonds Darstellende Künste e.V., Stadt Stuttgart, FITZ! Stuttgart

ARTificial Encounters

5:30 – 6:45 pm

Following the performance, a panel discussion on the themes present in the dance performance will take place between the performers and TUM researchers.

The discussion will focus on identity, human-machine relationships, and the ethical questions arising from the increasing convergence of technology and humanity.

Host: 
Dr. Franziska Poszler (TUM School of Social Sciences & Technology, Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence) 

Panelists:
PD Dr. Jörg-Wilhelm Wernecke (TUM Department for Science, Technology and Society) 
Fabienne Marco (TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, Lehrstuhl für Public Policy, Governance and Innovative Technology) 
Ludger Lamers (Dance Performer)
Michael Krauss (Producer)

TUM tanzt!

TUM tanzt! (TUM dances!) is one of the Technical University of Munich's contribution to the Kunstareal Festival 2025. Through workshops, performances, and collaborative projects, TUM demonstrates the many ways dance can serve as an expression of culture, education, and research. The events invite not only spectatorship, but participation—creating a shared space for encounter, reflection, and creative inspiration at the intersection of science and art. TUM tanzt! is supported by TUM University Foundation.