Grumpi
@27 x 17 x 16 cm
Arduino, plastic horn speakers, recycle plastic, dc motor
2022
Grumpi is an interactive installation that critiques digital buzzers and the manipulation of public opinion in online spaces. It features five small camouflaged robot vehicles, each equipped with mini horn speakers emitting continuous, disruptive noise. Programmed with microcontrollers, the robots automatically follow moving objects, creating an intense physical and auditory experience for audiences.
When viewers approach, the Grumpi robots detect movement and aggressively chase them, colliding at high speed while emitting loud sounds. This reflects how online buzzers operate: aggressive, anonymous, and leaving no room for dialogue. The small vehicles symbolize disguised entities, horn speakers represent digital propaganda noise, and the automatic sensors metaphorize algorithmic control beyond human reach.
Grumpi highlights how digital disturbances extend beyond the virtual, impacting psychological and social well-being. It emphasizes the urgency of media literacy and digital ethics, urging audiences to recognize the need to safeguard online spaces from systemic and unseen chaos.