Roboexotica (sometimes spelled: Roböxotica) is an annual festival where scientists, researchers, computer experts and artists from all over the world build cocktail robots and discuss technological innovation, futurology and science fiction. Roboexotica is also an ironic attempt to criticize techno-triumphalism and to dissect technological hypes.
The festival is co-produced by Shifz and monochrom, two Vienna-based art collectives, and supported by the 'Bureau for Philosophy' (of the Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna).
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In 1999 Magnus Wurzer and Chris Veigl (Shifz) started to present cocktail robots at the small independent Viennese cultur and art space VEKKS. In 2002 the group monochrom (Johannes Grenzfurthner, Günther Friesinger, Franz Ablinger, etc.) teamed up with them and the small event became a big international festival presented at Vienna's Museumsquartier.
The annual international festival consists of an exhibition, a conference, social events, and the ACRA (Annual Cocktail Robot Award).
The festival is usually held in the end of November or early December.
The exhibition presents robots that can mix cocktails, server cocktails, consume cocktails, have bar conversations, light or smoke cigarettes or manage to impress the jury with (Quote Roboexotica website) "other achievements in the sector of cocktail culture".
Roboexotica has been featured on Slashdot, Wired News, Reuters, CNN and blogs like Boing Boing, Geek Entertainment TV and New Scientist.
Roboexotica was presented at Cyberpipe (Ljubljana) in 2006, at Maker Faire (San Francisco) and RoboGames (San Francisco) in 2007.
In 2008 a catalogue was published, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the festival. The book features reflections on the festival and presents statements by former participants like Cory Doctorow or Douglas Repetto.
A smaller show called "Roboexotica USA" was held in San Francisco in May 2008. It was organized by monochrom and Shifz and was well-received by the press.