QUANTWIN Premieres at ICSR + Art 2026

The 18th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR + Art 2026) is currently taking place in London from July 1–4, bringing together researchers, academics, and industry professionals from around the world to discuss the latest advances in social robotics. The evening program on the first day of the conference opened with the premiere performance of QUANTWIN by artist Silke Grabinger. The work explores the idea of twins, inspired by Grabinger’s own unborn twin sibling, through an immersive digital twin embodied in a soft robotic entity that interacts with the performer. Rather than creating a perfect copy of oneself, QUANTWIN examines the encounter with the “Other” and the emergence of new hybrid identities. Drawing on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, the performance presents the robotic twin as a possible expression of an alternative reality, inviting the audience to reflect on identity, technology, and human-machine relationships. The premiere demonstrated how art, robotics, and philosophy can come together to open new perspectives on social robotics. Further information is available at icsr2026.uk and www.silkegrabinger.com.

Fig.: Sile Grabinger at ICSR + Art 2026