The robot performing here is similar to others featured in the Human Studies series installations, with the key difference being that this one has two arms: one holding an erasable marker and the other holding a traditional duster (a soft yellow fabric recognizable in most of Europe). Instead of paper, the robot draws on a sheet of translucent white plexiglass. The robot traces tally marks—one vertical line segment, another vertical line segment, another vertical line segment, another vertical line segment, followed by a diagonal line segment. Then it erases them with the other arm, pauses, and starts again.
The size and speed at which it draws vary, modulated by sensory input from a camera that influences a naive simulation of mood states, loosely based on bipolar rhythms. Eventually, when it becomes overly excited or depressed, it draws a very dense scribble, pauses, erases it, and then starts counting again.
Occasionally, the two arms seem to fight, with the erasing arm pushing against the drawing arm as it attempts to trace a line. This behavior was initially accidental, resulting from a synchronization bug during the development process. It was left unchanged, as the resulting struggle between the two arms adds depth to the depiction of psychological mood.
The installation presents a stylized perspective on the inescapability of life’s repetition, with occasional breakdowns or brief escapes, only to return to the mundane cycle. Here, the mark-making is minimalist but rich in symbolism, with a stark contrast between the tally marks and the scribble. These motifs are also present in Human Study #4: La Classe and in Resting on the Cold Studio Floor, a series of animations.
