Stereotype Threat is a series of interactive, performative explorations in which a toy becomes determinant for the outcome of an artistic intervention. By shifting agency from the human body of the performer to a plaything, the work inquires cultural assumptions around such objects: Who is a toy intended for? How is a toy perceived? The work originates from the observation that remote-controlled cars are predominantly marketed toward young boys. The grey, robust, and industrial appearance of the toy reinforces these gendered associations, situating the object within a specific cultural and aesthetic framework. By placing this toy at the center of the performance, the work foregrounds how expectations and identities are projected onto objects before they even begin to act. In the first iteration (2024), the car functions as a mobile sound emitter carrying an embedded speaker that navigates the audience while interacting with a network of microphones: as it approaches them, acoustic feedback is triggered, creating a semi-unpredictable sonic environment. In the second iteration (2025), the system expands into the electromagnetic domain, where the car operates as a mobile radio instrument, capturing environmental signals (e.g. WiFi activity and remote control transmissions). These signals are translated into sound processes and spatialised in real time, forming a feedback loop between invisible infrastructures and audible output. Distance sensors allocated in the car further allow audience proximity to directly shape the sonic behaviour.
Photos: Michele Bernabei, Benedikt Alphart, Johannes Felder ©