Scary Animated Masks Beg for Freedom, Induce Nightmares

singing robot heads art basel miami 2009

Some people enjoy being frightened. We watch scary movies, visit haunted houses and ride roller coasters, all for a thrill. But those are nothing compared to the mind-bending horror of these three animatronic singing heads. If you don’t feel at least a tinge of heart-stopping terror while watching their lifeless eyes roll and their rubbery lips move, then you just might be a creepy robot yourself.

The trio of heads was made by artist Nathaniel Mellor and was on display at Art Basel Miami 2009. The movements are controlled by servos and an attached computer. The robots’ shocking price tag – $75,000 – makes us wonder about the sanity of some people, but no more than the mere existence of the robots themselves does.

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See more in Art of Tech or under Technology. December, 2009.