Our characters are the stereotype of a society that follows the norms. The conveyor belts of the processes work continuously without pause and without stopping. It is a giant machine that does not allow for a technical failure because it has the capacity of self-repair. The machine is self-sufficient and it can somewhat self-expand if required.
Technically, the skeletons, in accordance with the qualities and characteristics of the Figure, can be made of stainless steel, aluminium, tin or wire. The body was made out of sponge, latex and silicon. The clothes are sown or glued fabrics.
These fascinating creatures of our own creation that since their inclusion in the serial production reproduced at great speed, continued improving their quality and increasing their production performance; leading to a reduction in costs and transformation of certain luxury products in products of mass consumption. Its performance was perfected to the maximum, exceeding the boundaries of human precision. They are an irreplaceable piece of our industrial production system today, and they have long become our competitors by occupying a great part of our labour market. They were created to do monotonous tasks, in the industrial processes and gradually started occupying our old jobs, showing us that work, as a base of our existence, is an activity that does not longer need us and the we would not be the creators of our products for consumption but merely the consumers. Now we are faced with the question of what are we going to do with the time without the monotonous and indignant tasks that occupied our miserable lives and that gave us hope for better times and technological progress? Now we find ourselves beside our robots, transformed in automaton consumers that receive their delivery and in passive observers of their abilities and their everlasting mechanical activity.
For this story, we created the figures from common packaging materials that are found in daily life. For example, tomato cans, fish cans or dog food cans. Based on the typical use of these packages as established by the industry, we created the character. The guard dog is a can of dog food. The policeman is a dishwashing bottle with authoritarian controlling characteristics and cleaning of dirt. The main figure, as we called him, "Passatto Pomodoro", is a can of tomatoes; his love in the story is a tomato sauce and that is why she is called "Pink Sauce". A young and rebellious character originating from the city or "punk" subculture is represented by a beer can and a homeless drunkard that lives on the streets is represented by a cheap wine tetra-pack. The skin-heads are beer cans that have fascists signs printed on their labels. A mother is a milk tetra-pack and a child is a yoghurt pot. The common scenario, where these characters play a role, is a metropolis that looks like a big supermarket. The buildings are made of stacked up big packaging boxes. Similar to monoblock buildings in working class neighbourhood, also decorated with advertising and bright colours. The streets are divided in blocks made of shelf and shelves, that give the impression of great buildings and that show a specific architecture typical of the place. The streets on which the traffic flows can be found between these blocks of merchandise and stands. The climate is extremely hot. There are no trees or green spaces. The traffic (supermarket trolleys of every kind) is very intense, noisy and disorganised, and because of this disorganisation, terrible accidents often occur.
The characters of TV City: The first figures emerged early on before the story. The paper roll heads and the scientists. Using old armatures, even without heads, they were aesthetically interesting, a kind of mechanical creatures which aroused a
certain degree of sympathy. After discovering such figures, we were struck by a number of associations and ideas such as how would figures with such heads move their bodies. Do they know what they have to do? If so, how is this information stored and by whom? It was clear that these "robots,” with their paper heads and written information, were somewhat primitive, and that they had to be programmed by other, more highly-developed creatures.
For this reason, we invented the scientists. In their case, however, the heads were made out of electronic circuit boards, whose complex forms gave the impression of intelligent beings. They thus formed the second
step in the pyramid-shaped hierarchy of figures. Inspired by Archimboldo, we altered the chips so that faces emerged.
The Scientists: They are a technological digital product. They form a surveillance commission within the television tower, whose function is to continually monitor and promptly recognize and repair any problems and mistakes which the subservient, analogue workers might make. They work in the laboratory, where the equipment and tools necessary to fulfil their tasks are located. DPS-50 is the model of the head of the commission chairman, whom we call Captain. He issues the orders, and the others are his assistants. They are cold and snappy with the arrogance of specialists. Unfortunately, Mr. X frequently examines and reprograms them in a somewhat painful procedure.
The workers: They are an old product. At the time they were developed, they were the best models around, and so expensive that they are still used in many important departments in the television centre. The problem is that technology has developed so rapidly during the past few years that they are now somewhat primitive in comparison to the newer models. They react more slowly, cannot speak or make decisions, and always require clear orders. They have the most boring jobs in the television centre. Occasionally they have to push some buttons on the main computer or help record news broadcasts in the studio. Some have been further trained for deployment in emergencies. They are often examined by the scientists und nearly all of them know the laboratory by heart. Such examinations have become increasingly necessary during the past few years, and are no fun for anyone.
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A good actor who knows what audiences like. He works in the studio, but has to give the impression that he is on location, which he acts out very well. He has developed a fast and excited way of speaking, which has made him famous. Unfortunately, however, he always has to read his texts, and has an assistant leaf through his notebook because Whiteman could forget something at any moment. For this reason, he always writes out his entire speech, including his own name, and has this available to him at all times during the recording.
The Ants: They come suddenly in hordes in order to provoke chaos. Their origin is unknown.
The Residents of the City:
They are calm … as long as they can watch television.
