About SPOTxKAFKA

SPOTxKAFKA is a theatrical exploration of humans and technology, introducing audiences to the virtuoso robot Spot. Equipped with sensors, cameras, and agile movement, this robotic dog symbolizes a future in which robots are increasingly present in everyday life.

With a touch of Kafkaesque absurdity, the performance questions the relationship between humans and machines:

• When do we accept robots as helpful assistants?
• Where does our fear begin for technologies that surpass human abilities?
• What does the arrival of Spot do to our identity — autonomy, responsibility, and empathy?
• And how do we prepare for a society where robots inhabit our public spaces?

The collaboration with YES!Delft, which acquired Spot to explore its practical and societal applications, highlights the urgency of these questions.

A dialogue in motion

During the opening of the Feringa Building, SPOTxKAFKA offered not only a theatrical experience but also a moment of reflection. For the University of Groningen community — working in a facility dedicated to cutting-edge research and innovation — the performance resonated with a central question: how do we relate to technologies that may surpass our own capacities?

With this contribution, Ulrike Quade Company seamlessly aligned with the aim of the day: to celebrate the future of science and technology — and to examine it critically.