DANCING TOYS: THE QUEST FOR MECHANICAL LIFE

Toys or objects that come alive and interact with human beings fascinate children, academics and philosophers, but also artists. In this study we investigate plots, myths or fairy tales as well as the historical and cultural contexts that inspired the presence of animated toys in three ballets. An analysis of the results, and a comparison of these objects with modern relational artifacts demonstrate that the ongoing quest for mechanical life, in art as well as in technology, can be conceived of as a quest for subjective omnipotence and the suspension of objective reality.