Ján Šicko (SK) → Sound Robot

14:00-24:00, The interactive installation runs continuously.
  • 15 City center
  • Interactive installation

About project

Sound Robot is an interactive installation designed primarily, though not exclusively, for children. Its visual language draws inspiration from Slovak folk art, traditional craftsmanship and the aesthetics of modernism. The installation references the work of renowned Slovak artists Ľudovít Fulla and Vladimír Kompánek, presenting an imaginary world in which traditional folk culture playfully evolves alongside new technologies and robotics.

Here, digital technologies—usually hidden and impersonal—are revealed, made tangible, and combined with natural materials and organic forms. Mechanical systems, digital sounds and robotics can be controlled through handcrafted wooden toys, traditional folk instruments, acoustic resonators, ornamental elements and objects inspired by vernacular architecture.

Everyone who enters the gallery is invited to awaken this folk-tech sound robot and bring it to life, creating their own imaginative compositions of tones, rhythms and melodies.

Sound Robot envisions a world in which local historical traditions and globalised futuristic technologies do not stand in opposition, and where human creativity can never be replaced by an algorithm. The installation strongly resonates with the theme Dream On!, embracing dreams as a creative force that opens up new visions of the future and transforms them into a shared experience.

Artist

Ján Šicko (born 1977) is an artist, designer, researcher and educator whose practice bridges art, coding and design. He studied graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Developing custom software and hardware, he explores new forms of expression across disciplines including architecture, lighting design, scenography, product design, interactive installations and live performances.

He has long taught at MediaLab* at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. In 2009, he founded DevKid Studio, where he creates multimedia installations, interactive environments, games and generative visual works. In 2003, he received the Slovak National Design Award for the theatre production Attempts on Her Life.

Location

Kampus Hybernská is a vibrant hub where creativity, art, innovation and academic life intersect. It hosts lectures, performances, concerts, exhibitions, screenings, discussions and a wide range of public events. Its multifunctional spaces also place a strong emphasis on programmes for young audiences, making the venue an ideal setting for Ján Šicko's interactive installation. Younger festival visitors will be particularly captivated by its distinctive visual language, playfully combining elements of art, scenography, design and coding.

  • Patron of the installation

    Česká televize Déčko

  • Location partner

    Campus Hybernská