Benno Heisel: Android (Baujahr 1737)

Between Mechanical Marvels and Human Labor

A metal flutist, born in the Age of Enlightenment: Jacques de Vaucanson’s “Automatic Flutist” from 1737 is considered the first android in history—a machine that not only imitates but actually plays. Taking this mechanical marvel as his starting point, Benno Heisel unfolds in his performance “Android (Built in 1737)” a journey through three centuries of enthusiasm for technology, faith in progress, and machine ethics—a journey that is as comical as it is unsettling. What was once celebrated as a triumph of human ingenuity now reflects the contradictions of our digital present: artificial intelligences that replace human labor—and millions of real people sorting data in new digital sweatshops so that machines can “learn.” Benno Heisel creates a modern replica of the flutist, who not only plays music live but also serves as the most important dialogue partner. Blending lecture performance, video, workshop documentation, and surreal theatricality, the result is an unsettling overall experience straddling the Enlightenment and algorithms—and featuring ducks. Quack.

Wonder.
International Puppet Theater Festival Munich
October 21 through November 1, 2026
wunderpunktfestival.de

Advance ticket sales begin September 19, 2026