The Killing Machine, 2007, (4:06′)

In an automated ballet of robotics, props, light, and sound, The Killing Machine operates on an unseen, imagined victim. You may activate it by pushing the red button labeled “press here.” Alluding in part to Franz Kafka’s 1919 short story “In the Penal Colony,” about an elaborate execution apparatus, The Killing Machine ironically contrasts its sinister activity with the rudimentary mechanics of a music box and playful embellishments like faux fur and a disco ball. Part of the artists’ continued exploration of theatrical tropes and immersive environments, this work brings to life a haunting spectacle that, in its futility, doubles as a critique of the sanctioned use of torture and the death penalty.
Editions of The Killing Machine are owned by The Museum of Modern Art and The Goetz Collection in Munich, Germany.

Credits
Music: Heartstrings by Freida Abtan
Sound Design and Percussion: Titus Maderlechner
Robot Design: Carlo Crovato
Construction: Kyle Miller, Robyn Moody, Carlo Crovato, Maryke Simmonds

Link to article about the conservation of Killing Machine by the Museum of Modern Art
https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/215