The exhibition “Les robots débarquent à la cité” ran until 6 May at the Cité des sciences in Tunis. An extraordinary adventure awaited young and old alike, between unusual robots, science-fiction posters and encounters with specialists in artificial intelligence.
An interactive exhibition at the heart of the Cité de la Culture
Lovers of science and new technology have been flocking since December 2017 to the Cité de la Culture for an exhibition called “Les robots débarquent à la cité” — the robots land at the Cité. It is an interactive show that lets as many people as possible get familiar with machines. Machines which, it bears repeating, play an ever-growing part in our lives. A few dozen metres in, past the statues devoted to the Diplodocus dinosaur and to the father of the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein, young and old step into one of the main halls of the Cité. There they discover, wide-eyed, film posters on the themes of robotics and science fiction — “Big Hero 6”, “Matrix”, “Terminator”, “The Iron Giant” and more.
Which robots awaited young and old?
Guests then get to know different kinds of robots: a barman who can write your name on a glass, a construction worker who stacks boxes one on top of another at lightning speed, a photographer who draws a wax portrait in your likeness, a table-football master who gives you no chance of scoring, a horse you climb onto that breaks into a gallop, and so on. Not forgetting the screenings of documentaries and short films devoted to robotics. Specialists are even on hand to shed light on questions about the dangers of artificial intelligence or nanotechnology.
Why a programme running until May?
“Les robots débarquent à la cité” is a welcome event that lets the curious dive into a world where dream and imagination know no limit. Looking at the run dates, though, it was hard to shake the regrettable impression that the exhibition had been scheduled until May to fill a gap. Better, perhaps, that it had not dragged on, leaving room for other similar events aimed mainly at children — why not centred on dinosaurs, astronomy, chemistry, insects or the plant world.
Firas Messaoudi
