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are they a headliner for the end of first millennium in tokyo? the first
act of Survival Research Laboratories (SRL) 1999/12/23 Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan -japanese language is here- report
and design translation
japanese > english
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On
December 23rd, the last national holiday in the millennium for the
Emperor's Birthday, the street of Shibuya was filled with the shouts
of couples. Walking toward to Yoyogi Park, those crowds went out of
sight and people wearing strange costumes were walking in the opposite
direction. In the area, there was a notice saying 'SRL, Machine Circus
at the end of 20th Century!!'. Going in the direction, Yoyogi National
Stadium came into sight. The admission was free and thousands of people
were lining up in front of the entrance two hours before the doors
opened.
When the door opened, strange robots were standing silently, the smell of oil inside. The iron-barred ring was specially prepared for this outdoor event, and a huge tower made with cards and steel animals came into sight. Pop sound enhanced the emptiness like a deserted theme park.
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Survival Research Laboratories (SRL) based in San Francisco was founded by Mark Pauline in November 1978. Their performances use huge handmade robots made from scrap parts of industrial machines. The machines act and battle themselves and shows us a destructive utopia of machines. It is said that the audiences who restrain ourselves in high-tech society can get a catalysis, by seeing this huge open space where the machines act as machines themselves with our own eyes. This excites audiences more and more. "Humans
are present only as audience or operators" Since 1979, SRL has staged over 45 mechanized presentations in the United States and Europe. For this first performance in Japan, robots, machinery and materials weighing over 28 tons were packed into 40 containers. They left the west coast on November 26th for Tokyo. Their performance used to use radio remote control, but this was first time for them to adopt an operation system by TCP/IP remote control though ICC (InterCommunication Center).
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"This performance involves loud sound, low frequency and blinking strong light. If you feel bad, please request assistance from a person in charge." The stadium echoed with the announcement. Fire engines were stationed outside of the fence and at the same time, the loud noises of engines started to ring through from 'robots' mixed with the smell of oil. Temporary lives were put into the machines for this show. The clock showed between half past six to seven. Machines started to move silently. A robot that raised its head like a dragon shot out fire, and another one that filled up a huge "nunchaku" swung it about like a helicopter. A huge paper-island with rocks and grasses went up in flames and was destroyed. A TV reporter standing next to me was shouting, 'Yeah, I'm happy to live at this moment!' A huge cannon sniped at the island while a batting machine, aided by a laser sighting device, smashed rectangular lumbers into its victim. It was bullying rather than a battle... Nonresistant 'islands' were being destroyed... Robots destroyed and destroyed without mercy... The 'island' kept on going ahead in silence. The next target was an animal robot looks like a dog or cat. Machines kept watch on the animal robot that were going ahead in silence... Then it was pierced with a rectangular piece of lumber, scooped out with a "nunchaku", burnt with a flamethrower and blown off its support by a cannon... Turning my eyes to a huge signboard called 'Pig Licker' were wriggling its surface and a huge wheel called 'Woody Copter' covered in collage were thrashing about. Those humorous robots without weapons were destroyed by other brutal robots. After everything was destroyed, the tower behind the huge field put together with huge cards started to move slowly and silently. It was just knocked down.
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For about 45 minutes, everything was destroyed. It was bitterly cold and everything felt into ruins. Machines with much destructive power attacked nonresistant machines. It's naked violence. Did catalysis lodge in this destruction without pain?
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