Fully Automated Human Touch
Much of the food we eat today is never touched by human hands until the moment we lift it to our gaping mouths.
Fully Automated Human Touch is that same mouth agape with awe (and some disgust) at where we find ourselves.
Set in the year 2083, this dance-show-disguised-as-lab-experiment starts with a simple question: 'Can you taste the human touch?’
Merinda and Matt invite you to be their first wave of human test subjects.
Riding the dichotomy that leaves the audience questioning the human labour that goes into making their food? How is mass produced food depriving us of appreciation, sensuality, generosity and connection? And what does it mean for the health of our bodies, our systems and our planet if all food is no longer touched at any point during its process?
And when automation delivers on its promise to provide all of our “basic needs”, what will the world look like? Maybe there will be no labour left for us to do but dance…
Fully Automated Human Touch is a new work currently in development. With 1 week residency and development at The Farm and 3 public audience tests at SuperCell Dance Festival 2020, development performance Behind The Golden Doors Placemakers* Gold Coast 2020, and a screen based showing as part of Community Transmissions online residency 2020, creative development with ReadyMade Works 2021, screening of video at ANAT SPECTRAvision (MACHINES LIKE US, CELLS LIKE THEM, online exhibition 2022.
All of these developments have led to a premiere of the work at HOTA Underground Festival in July 2022 and an excerpt being shared as part of Liveworks Oct 2022.
To see further documentation contact here.
Collaborators
Co-created by Merinda Davies & Matt CornellSound and compositions Sam Haven, Anna Whitaker, Matt Cornell
Lab Uniforms Tal Fitzpatrick, Merinda Davies
Photograph credits: Jade Ellis, Aaron Chapman & Maleika Halpin, Fullframe