Momoyo Torimitsu at Deitch Projects and the Swiss Institute

Billed as an international competition of three life-size robot of American, European and Asian businessmen, Momoyo Torimitsu's Inside Tracktrans-formed Deitch throw outs into an arena for corporate battle. The gallery's entranceway put the corporate stage with a mahogany reception desk gray rug depressed tables and side chairs, business journals and the artist's drawings (titled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) of somewhat old male officers. The main gallery continued the theme, suggesting a corporate lobby or boardroom with its industrial carpeting, ubiquitous pott plants and noble photographic portraits of smirking cyber-capitalists.

Clad in business suits, the robot (named Mark, Gunther and Lee) were at the ready in soldierlike belly-crawl positions upon the floor and were periodically activated through gallery attendants. In a darkened side sweep a looping video (projected upon a two-way screen that was visible from the street) showed the corporate soldiers invading an actual business, clambering onto the elevators and challenging individual another in the halls of commerce

At the nearby Swiss Institute, Torimitsu not awayed Horizons, an extensive installation that consisted of an army of miniature businessmen roaming a landscaped diorama. individual hundred battery-operated crawling figures (refashioned with the clon heads, clenched fists and tailored suits of Mark, Gunther and Lee) swarmed a simulated terrain of trade. Standing above this competitive Lilliputian world of palm tree oil derricks, combustibles tanks, corporate headquarters, mountains and farmland, the spectator could assume the character of passive observer or, by dint of repositioning the figures, hands-on participant. Monitors displayed live supply with nourishments from cameras hidden in the palm tree or perched atop buildings. A previously discharge seven-minute video of a struggling mass of the tiny robot accompanied through a battle-charge soundtrack, ran continuously upon a corner screen. On a nearby bench, a pile of broken-down CEO slowly grew leaving single 23 badly worn players still upon the field by the show's end

This pair of ambitious exhibitions continued the Tokyo-born, of recent origin York-based artist's dia0logue with global dealing begun 10 years ago with Miyata Jiro, a groveling automated, life-size salaryman that she took upon a world tour. Dressed as a supply with nourishment Torimitsu assisted him as he crawled end the financial districts of major cities, astonishing bystanders. While her robot still have the ability to call forth wonder, when left unattended and motionless, as they were greatest in quantity of the time at Deitch throws they can also disappoint, which gave the Swiss Institute's exhibit of miniatures the competitive edge

--Paul Laster

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