The Companion  

“Robots can’t feel, but we feel for them…”

- Kate Darling, The New Breed

The Companion is a private encounter between one audience member and a robotic dog. In the performance, the robot entices the human participant into different negotiations, interactions and play. The encounter harnesses our innate curiosity and empathy towards all moving beings. What kind of agency are we willing to embrace? Are we ready to surrender and trust a non-human companion?
WAUHAUS is a Helsinki-based multidisciplinary arts collective that was founded in 2016. Their works are situated between different genres of art and have taken place at various venues, such as gallery spaces, small black box venues, urban sites, large stadiums, and the main stages of established theatre houses. WAUHAUS is known for their comprehensive audiovisual stage aesthetics and methods of shared authorship. The members of WAUHAUS are scenographer Laura Haapakangas, director Juni Klein, scenographer Samuli Laine, sound designer Jussi Matikainen, choreographer Jarkko Partanen, sound designer Heidi Soidinsalo, producer Minttu-Maria Jäävuori and managing director Julia Hovi. The collective collaborates with other artists and institutions both in Finland and abroad.
The performance is for one person at a time and is 20 minutes long.Wheelchair accessible.
Children aged 5–12 can experience an adapted version of the performance together with an accompanying adult.
Artists: Jarkko Partanen, Jussi Matikainen, Laura Haapakangas from WAUHAUS 
Visual Design of the robot: Kari KankaanpääLighting Design: Mia JalervaSoftware Development: Aki Panuma (Probot)Producer: Julia HoviCo-production: WAUHAUS (Helsinki), Black Box teater (Oslo), Kiasma Theatre (Helsinki). In collaboration with: Probot Supported by: Nordic Culture Point, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, The Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Helsinki.

The performance is part of the Reykjavík Dance Festival program. The festival program can be found at https://www.reykjavikdancefestival.com/