_SNEEZING ROBOT

I wonder why humans have evolved to become allergic and unsuitable to live in our own natural habitats. In the urge of urbanity and romanticised metropolis cities, we cast away the beauties of nature; the pollution of light and sound resulting in the eccentric phenomena of dark-less nights and contaminated environments. I think of this sneezing robot as a product of human downfall. We will continue to replace old beings and technologies, until the end of the world.

二十億光年の孤独　　　谷川俊太郎



人類は小さな球の上で

眠り起きそして働き

ときどき火星に仲間を欲しがったりする


火星人は小さな球の上で

何をしてるか　僕は知らない

（或いは　ネリリし　キルルし　ハララしているか）

しかしときどき地球に仲間を欲しがったりする

それはまったくたしかなことだ



万有引力とは

ひき合う孤独の力である



宇宙はひずんでいる

それ故みんなはもとめ合う

‍
宇宙はどんどん膨らんでゆく

それ故みんなは不安である

‍

二十億光年の孤独に

僕は思わずくしゃみをした

The sneezing robot  manipulates a sound synthesizer as its pitch, generating sounds when a human touches it. My idea is to make humans the allergen that is making it allergic. The character design is inspired by the lady bug - the symbol for good luck.

The sneezing robot was exhibited in London’s Copeland Park Gallery in 2025.

During the exhibition, Alice attracted viewers despite it being very tiny and rather out of sight. This was due to the loud noises generated by the synth and amplified by connected speakers. Viewers specifically enjoyed playing with the synth, trying to compose specific beats. It was fascinating to see people loving Alice as much as I do.

An interesting observation was how the pitch of the noises generated by the sound synth changed after the exhibition. This was due to the increased wear on the physical connections — particularly the oxidation and slight loosening of the metal nails used as touch triggers. As more people interacted with the piece, the conductivity subtly shifted, introducing unpredictable pitch bends and glitches into the sound output. Rather than seeing this as a malfunction, I embraced it as part of Alice’s evolving character — reflecting how interaction and physical touch left behind a sonic trace. The synth was no longer just a controlled instrument, but a reactive, aging creature shaped by its audience.