Artexpo New York shows that art is everywhere: new exhibits, seminars and pavilions promise for a lively International Artexpo in New York in 2004

Art Business News, Dec, 2003 by Maja Tarateta

* Friday, February 27

Open to the trade only

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Saturday, February 28

General admission

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Sunday, February 29

General admission

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Monday, March 1

General admission

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Trade admission: $30

Consumer admission: $15

Visit www.artexpos.com for details.

For exhibitor information,

call 800-827-7170.

For attendee information,

call 888-322-5226.

For travel/hotel information, visit www.artexpos.com, call 866-889-9637 (U.S. and Canada) or (404) 584-7458 (Int'l), fax (404) 584-0685, e-mail artexpo@ambassadors.com or write to ASG, 240 Peachtree Street, 22-S-10, Atlanta, GA 30303.

RELATED ARTICLE: Artbots to appear at Artexpo.

Robots tend to have a bad rep. "In the popular imagination, robots are about the military, or bots sawing each other in half," lamented Douglas Repetto. But as the founder and director of Artbots, an international talent exhibition showcasing the diverse, emerging world of robotic art, Repetto hopes to change those perceptions. "There's a lot more to working with machines then blowing things up," he said. "Artists are doing subtle, beautiful, delicate things with robots."

Exposing the experimental works, much of it interactive, to the tens of thousands of people expected to attend International Artexpo New York this year is an exciting proposition for Repetto and those who create robotic art. "We want people to know this kind of work is important and interesting," he said.

The Artbots that appear at Artexpo will be those that work well in large, chaotic venues, promises Repetto. Plans include appearances by Neil, a six-foot-tall humanoid robot that conveys different emotional states through facial expressions, posture, physical gestures and sounds; the LEMUR project, a league of electronic robots that play instruments, some of which are interactive; and Babybott, a set of gigantic, personified baby bottles that cry, coo and move around depending on how they are treated.

"It's going to be nice to expose such a large crowd to this work," said Repetto.