Automata Exhibition: 'Child Soldiers' by Carlos Zapata

Automaton artist Carlos Zapata was born in conflict-torn Colombia in 1963. The themes in some of his work come from a personal awareness that children are all too often used in armed conflict. His new exhibition, 'Child Soldiers', addresses sad fact.

About the exhibit:

This solo exhibition contains Carlos Zapata's latest series of intimate and emotive sculptures and automata which have at their core the humanitarian often violent struggle of the innocent, often children, who are drawn in to the maelstrom of war.

Elaborating on experiences from his own personal life, Zapata delves into the human stories behind war from both ends of the spectrum - how people deal with, and deal out, violence. What people are capable of when confronted by extreme circumstances - bravery and cowardliness alike. Put simply Zapata says "death and survival comes on a daily basis for some people"

Shown below is an automaton from the exhibit titled 'Beating':

The show will open at Millennium in Cornwall, UK on May 25th and run until June 19th. You can learn more about the 'Child Soldiers' sculpture and automata exhibit by Carlos Zapata at the Millennium web site.

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Contemporary automata addressing social issues

Contemporary automata are often fun and whimsical. This playful nature can mask the fact that they are also capable of taking on serious social issues. Here is an automaton by Nick Hunn that makes a statement about the a serious political debate in the UK.

The artist explains the background of this automaton:

In the UK there's a political debate raging about reform in our National Health Service, which is polarising opinion at a national level. I thought it might be fun to try and represent the limited abilities of the political figures involved in the debate. And what better way than to reprise the theme of the three wise monkeys, oblivious to everything that goes on around them.

Not only does the artist get to say something about the socio-political debate, but he is able to do it in a humorous way. Like the political cartoon, automata can engage with a broad audiences -- perhaps provoking them to think about and discuss important issues.

To see some other automata that address social issues:

• Jon Haddock's automata entitled Andrew Meyer (Don't Tase Me Bro') and The Doctor's Dilemma
• Arrogance, an automaton by Pablo Lavezarri
• Dominic Wilcox series of miniature kinetic sculptures
• The background history of Tippoo's Tiger - automaton and organ
• Shipwreck, an automaton by Carlos Zapata
• Against the Idea of War - automata exhibit by the Modern Automata Museum

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