jazz Popcorn Robot
Artists Statement
With "Popcorn Jazz Robot", I mechanize the act of popping corn—a symbol of nostalgia and mass culture—transforming it into a spontaneous, rhythm-generating performance. Developed during the pandemic, the work functions autonomously, embracing randomness and evoking what I call “Beyond Human Jazz.” By merging robotics, sound art, and cultural icons, I explore the shifting boundaries between human creativity and machine autonomy. The works extremly viral success has sparked a global conversations about art, jazz, randomnessm, - and popcorn.
Short Description
Popcorn Jazz Robot by German artist Moritz Simon Geist works with popcorn as a cultural icon and transforms it into a symbol of automation. This work mechanizes the act of popping corn, triggering a drum kit. Developed during the pandemic, and now put online, the work embraces randomness and operates without human control, aligning with the spontaneity of jazz, which Geist calls "Beyond Human Jazz."
Utilizing self-developed robots and MIDI sensors, the piece creates an autonomous, unpredictable auditory experience. The work's ongoing viral success, with over many million views on Instagram since its release in 2021, highlights its playful exploration of nostalgia and automation.
Detailed Description of the Work
Popcorn Robot by German artist Moritz Simon Geist centers around the idea of popcorn as a cultural icon, associated with nostalgia and cinema but also automatization. In this piece, the act of popcorn popping is mechanized, with each random pop triggering a system of automated drums to produce sound.
Moritz Simon Geist developed this music performance (as an instagram video) during the pandemic, and he turned it into a composition based on randomness and without the need for human interaction. The resulting performance, driven entirely by the unpredictable nature of popping corn, stands in contrast to traditional, human-controlled music-making. The rhythms generated are not programmed and not predetermined, and are aligning with the spontaneity found in jazz—a comparison Geist acknowledges by referring to the work as "Beyond Human Jazz."
The technical implementation of Popcorn Robot involves self-developed music robots, designed by Geist and his team, which use motors to trigger a drum robotic system. These robots operate with MIDI sensors that detect the moments when popcorn kernels pop. This combination of mechanical and electronic components allows for an autonomous and spontaneous generation of sound, driven purely by the unpredictable timing of the popcorn pops. The result is a unique auditory experience where technology and randomness coexist in the creation of music.
The artwork's viral success, with many million views, is in part due to its playful engagement with themes of nostalgia, automation and the digital-physical divide. Geist's transition from classical to electronic music is reflected in this piece, which also shows the artist's interest in the physicality of sound production.
Photography of the Work
https://www.flickr.com/photos/moritzsimongeist/53975835459/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/moritzsimongeist/53975757653/
TEAM: Jonas Engelhardt, gero dumrath.
Video: RObert Arnold.
Name: Jazz Popcorn RobotYear: 2021-2024Material: Robotics, Drumkit, Popcorn, Heater.Shows: Singapur Design Museeum 2024, Rockefeller Center for Contemporary Arts dresdenTeam: Jonas Engelhardt, Gero Dumrath.
Video: Robert Arnold.
