Robin Nimanong, Sugah, Gato, Guenter raler – Break The Algorithm

Project Fools is an evolving performance that brings together dance, video mapping, and AI projections as part of Break the Algorithm, a multidisciplinary event co-organised by WORM and the Amarte Foundation on December 13. Over the past months during their residency at WORM, the project has explored the connection between technology and queer identity, culminating in this experimental showcase. I sat down with Robin Nimanong, dance artist and choreographer leading the project, alongside dancers Sugah and Gato, and Guenter Råler, their video mapping and music specialist. Read their interview and learn more about their creative process and how they use the algorithms that shape our lives.

Project Fools questions the nature within a high tech, binary society. What was the initial spark, the inspiration behind the project ?
Robin: As a dance artist, I create from my queer identity. And through that, I already started to explore technology and its connection to identity as well. There’s this documentary named Codes Bias. That inspired me how AI, algorithms are often biased and discriminating. Of course, in dance shows, we use technology and its perceived and received in a cool way. I was just like „oh, so it can be very cool, but we can also show hidden layers within that show”, I wanted to explore that. I’ve already used technology in different shows, every time in different ways, and now, for me, Project Fools it’s like a restart, starting from zero, building something up.
We started very simple, with discovering masculine and feminine, and from there we just evolved. Me and Guenter already worked together on another show, Bodyscan 223. And we used that experience in this show as well, and therefore, the video mapping is an extension of things we have done before, as well as the music.

How did you assemble the collective?
Robin: Me and Sugah worked together more often, we know each other as dancers and we also had freelance jobs together in the past. And then from there we started to work together. Me and Gato met through the Ballroom scene, Gato is actually my mother. I think Gato is the big reason why I stay put in the Ballroom scene and I’m very slowly discovering myself there. Deion I met through my dance education (Modern Theatre Dance, AHK), where Deion studied at another dance department. Me and Guenter, we actually met through Creative Coding Utrecht, they kind of connected us, and then we really enjoyed working together. They really explore a lot of different facets in the queer scene and that really helps to stay in touch as well, so it comes very naturally to work together again.

What’s your relationship between the technology and the dance performance, since it’s also full of voguing and seems very liberating?
Sugah: It’s my stage

Gato: Most of the projections for me are tribute to the Femm queens, which are the transgender women that paved the way for us. It’s a tribute, that’s how I perceive it.

Guenter: When I make the visuals, I use a lot of AI tools. I think in some ways it’s both a critical perspective of technology and also the embracing of a process that happens everywhere around us and in our lives. I think it’s sort of balancing: how do we relate our lives and our identities with this external processes that are happening – immersing ourselves in this process. Using the tools, but also being aware of the critical points of presence.

And where are the algorithms in it?
Guenter: AI is also made from algorithms so these are mathematical systems that are technically very efficient in making decisions, but of course, they are trained with data and data is collected only about certain people, about certain ethnicities, in certain parts of the world. Data is biased and is discriminatory in a way. Lots of AI is trained on this data models that don’t include a lot of diversity in them, and queer people are often left out from this data. In a way, I think that’s also the testimony of what we’re trying to do, because we are using this technology in the sort of more creative way, but we’re also paying tribute to who came before us, and hopefully we’re trying to make a reflection on the impact of this technology.

How do you see your work continuing in the future, would you like to continue with video mapping or the technology implemented in it? What would you like the audience to grasp from this performance?
Gato: My pussy.

Robin: I think we operate more as a queer platform than a collective. I mean, we are one at this moment and everything is transformative. I see it hopefully as a platform as a way to dive into other projects after this, with new discovered tools and experience. For now it’s still a big process, so we will have try-out in January, and then eventually premiere in April. Until then it’s still evolving, so that’s also really nice. I hope to use this as well for the next researches and also as a dance artist to keep exploring more interdisciplinary…

Performance Credits:
Maker and dance artist: Robin Nimanong aka Lily Sasuke their IG
Dance artists: Deion, Gato, Sugah
Visual design & music: Guenter raler
Costumes and fashion installation: Eva Marie-Louise
Customized suits: Tan Gabe Swart
A.I design: Klaas Hendrik Hantschel
Artistic Coach: Suzy Blok & Hildegard Draaijer
Dramaturgy: Sophie Cohlen and Sara Europaeus
Creative production: Athina Liakopoulou
pre-research supported by: FPK, WORM Rotterdam and ISH Dance Collective
Co-producers: ICK Amsterdam and DOX Utrecht
Poster by @ayala__pavo
Queer youth dance performance, 15+

Interview by Kacper Nożewski
Visuals courtesy of the artists