Planet Digital

Digital Intimacy

Planet Digital
Date: 16.5—7.6.22
Institution: Universität Irchel
Location: Zürich, CH

Curation and project management: Dr. Katharina Weikl, UZH
and Damian Fopp, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich
Curatorial assistance: Manuel Kaufmann
Concept, Design & Development: AATB
Production assistant: Edda Rabold
Prop Design: Eva Jauss

Planet Digital – Digital Publication
Museum für Gestaltung
Digital Intimacy
exhibition

Handshake is an interactive robotic installation that addresses the question of digital intimacy. In times of physical distancing, when touching becomes impossible, Handshake is a platform on which strangers can interact with each other, virtually but also physically. Shake hands with us and share some digital intimacy through this unique online experience.

Handshake consists of two robotic arms, each equipped with an over-sized hand. They are facing each other and moving together, as they are following the directions of visitors of the Museum für Gestaltung. The visitors in the exhibition can remotely control the robots and thus the hands. The physical installation itself is placed in different locations of the University of Zürich during the exhibition. The project not only invites people to interact – it’s also a handshake between science and design.