Saturday, November 13th 2004 @ 20:00 (8pm) GMT+1 Central European Time
Teatro alla S.cala, Milan/Italy
RoboBallet Operators: Igor Stromajer & Brane Zorman
RoboBallet Composer: MC Brane vs. BeitThroN vs. Thronus Sound System
Theoretical Adviser: Bojana Kunst
Ground Zero Field Espionage: Giullia Ferrari
Computer Programming: SM NORT
Location: Teatro alla S.cala, Milan, Italy
Microlocation: [kitchen]
NOT Vien.na Sta.te Ball.et / Die Wien.er Staatball.et, Austria
(real location in Milan/Italy was masked, fake location in Vienna/Austria was announced due to security reasons)
"Stromajer and Zorman are operating remote-controlled toy-ballet-robots, MC Brane is conducting a wireless MP3 orchestra!"
# low-res video document - preview | hi-res DVD available
Ballettikka Internettikka is an ongoing study of the internet guerrilla performance. After invading the Bolsh.oi Theatre in Moscow (March 2002), Stromajer and Zorman performed a new guerrilla ballet invasion -- on November 13th 2004, this time of another famous theatre (ballet and opera) house in Europe - Teatro alla S.cala in Milan, Italy..
Live internet broadcasting of the guerrilla ballet performance started on November 13th 2004 at 20:00 (8pm) GMT+1 and lasted exactly 25 minutes.
They entered the kitchen of the famous Teatro alla S.cala, where bio-food for artists is prepared. The kitchen of the Teatro alla S.cala is an excellent example of a modern cooking laboratory for healthy food. It is automatized and meets the highest hygienic standards.
The artists used two remote-controlled toy-robots with two wireless web cameras. Robots and cameras (algorithm of the ballet choreography and MP3 orchestra) were remotely controlled from a mini-van parked at the north-east side of the Piazza della S.cala in front of the Teatro alla S.cala.
[Stromajer and Zorman in action; Teatro alla S.cala, Milan, Italy]
This time, Stromajer and Zorman (as ballet dancer and musician) were replaced by robots, lonely and sad icons, automatized units, which had no major problem to invade the kitchen of the famous Teatro alla S.cala and dance the net-ballet there. Toys transform into guerrilla-ballet dancers.
Stromajer and Zorman approached the Teatro alla S.cala full of respect towards the Teatro alla S.cala and its rich history, especially La Divina Maria Callas [www.callas.it].
Artists used hi-tech mobile and wireless equipment for the invasion and live broadcasting (portable computers, mini digital camera, MP3 audio systems, mobile WAP telephones etc). A laptop and MiniDV cam, together with Webcam32 (version 6.0) software was used for broadcasting the video signal (running over Intima Virtual Base FTP server). Another laptop and MP3 player with online interface SHOUTcast (version 1.8.3/win32), was used for live sound broadcasting (running over Beitthron FTP server). Two local GSM mobile phone operators (TIM - Telecom Italia Mobile GSM 900/1800 and MOBITEL - SI GSM) were used for GPRS mobile internet connection.
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# Timetable of the action in Teatro alla S.cala - 13. 11. 2004:
11:00 - test and calibrate the equipment, micro-locate at ground zero
19:30 - park mini-van at the north-east side of the Piazza della S.cala in front of the Teatro alla S.cala and secure the location
19:45 - robots enter the kitchen of the Teatro alla S.cala 20:00 - start of the live internet broadcasting
20:25 - end of the internet broadcasting
20:30 - robots exit the kitchen of the Teatro alla S.cala
20:40 - leave Piazza della S.cala in front of the Teatro alla S.cala and secure the material
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Dancing an illegal wireless roboballet in the kitchen of the Teatro alla S.cala represented a big conceptual and strategic challenge to the Intima Virtual Base, therefore the preparations have been taken serious, safety measures have been calculated, and the previous experience from the Bolsh.oi Theatre in Moscow has been very welcome.
Teatro alla S.cala, Milan, Italy
Piazza della S.cala, Milan, Italy
Historical Center, Milan
La S.cala kitchen in use: Dec 7th 2004
(grand re-opening day)
In November 2004, Teatro alla S.cala was temporarily closed for the public due to restoration works, therefore all the performances took place at the Teatro degli A.rcimboldi. On November 13th 2004 at 8pm, La S.cala ballet ensemble performed The Swan Lake by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (choreography by Vladimir Bourmeister) on the main stage of the Teatro degli A.rcimboldi in Milan.
Note: Teatro alla S.cala did not voluntarily co-operate in the project, but was selected based on the conceptual strategy of the project. The management of the Teatro alla S.cala was not a co-producer of this project and did not co-operate in the process of its realization.
wireless mobile remote-controlled on-line video&audio surveillance system
used for Ballettikka Internettikka Illegallikka Robottikka live internet broadcasting
Project supported by The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia; MojNet d.o.o. Ljubljana; CICV Pierre Schaeffer, France
Special thanks to Irena Pivka, Tanja Lazetic, Dejan Habicht and Bojan Golcar - Radio MARS
Igor Štromajer Virtualna baza Intima Igor Štromajer Intima Virtual Base
