from april 12 till october 19 2008, the san jose museum of art, california runs the exhibition robots: evolution of a cultural icon.
the exhibition examines the development of robot iconography in fine art over the past 50 years [clayton bailey, eric joyner...].
in 1920, the term robot was coined from a czech word robota, which means tedious labor. since then, the image and the idea of a robot have evolved remarkably from an awkward, mechanical creature to a sophisticated android with artificial intelligence and the potential for human-like consciousness. as robotic technology catches up with the wild imagination of science fiction novels, movies, and animation, dreams and fears anticipated in these stories may also become reality. artists included in the exhibition have responded to the technological innovation with optimism, pessimism, and humor, presenting work that ultimately explores our ambivalent attitudes towards robots.
above, you can find an introduction video and videos on the artists and their works. you can also visit the museum's youtube channel.