Care and alterity in robotic art: Mise-en-scène and narratives as framing strategies for human-robot encounters

Robotic art provides a compelling lens through which to examine the design of human-robot encounters in theatrical contexts, offering insights that can inform our imaginaries of human – machine interactions and inspire HRI design beyond the stage. The robotic artworks addressed in this article adopt a relational approach, carefully curating multiple elements to guide interpretations of robotic behaviour and invite specific forms of interaction. Central to this are framing strategies involving mise-en-scène and narratives, which often cast non-humanlike machines as vulnerable figures, prompting considerations of care in human – robot relations. At the same time, robotic artworks resist familiarization, emphasizing the robot’s alterity through non-anthropomorphic forms and ambiguous, sometimes threatening behaviours. Through its use of framing strategies, robotic art offers valuable perspectives on how theatrical tools like narratives and mise-en-scène can shape our perceptions of robots and inform relational approaches for designing interactions outside of the theatre space.