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Haris Kotsoglou ▪ Polyomino

Haris Kotsoglou ▪ Polyomino

Visual Communication & Design Systems

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A pattern consisting of several geometric robots, each one holding in its hands the mechanical head of the one in front of it. On the left, one of the robots has dropped a head on the floor, the head having broken in the fall.

Robotnik Issue 14:
When robots refuse labour

The cover illustration for Robotnik Fantastika's 14th issue explores the possibility of a robot uprising.

The expanding potential of Artificial Intelligence has given rise to a series of concerns: Will it replace humans in key job positions? Will human creativity eventually become obsolete? Will AI decide to take over the world by spreading chaos and disaster? Let’s leave these questions for the philosophers to answer. This Escher-inspired illustration explores the idea of the robots’ refusal to continuusly reproduce new generations of robotic labourers, and is driven by the initial meaning of the word robot (= worker) as coined by Karel Čapek in 1920. 

Robotnik fantastica cover. On the top of the page, we see the magazine's title, publication date and issue number. The page is illustrated by a pattern consisting of several geometric robots, each one holding in its hands the mechanical head of the one in front of it.

Robotnik Fantastica is a literary magazine dedicated to science fiction, featuring original short stories, book reviews, essays, comics and translated masterworks from the genre’s gurus.

Cover spread for Robotnik Fantastica, issue 14. The cover is illustrated by a pattern consisting of several geometric robots, each one holding in its hands the mechanical head of the one in front of it. On the back page the illustration continues. In the middle of the back page illustration, one of the robots has dropped a head on the floor, the head having broken in the fall.

appendix

Aki Kazan

Aki Kazan is a frequent contributor to Robotnik Fantastica. His stories combine dystopia, barren landscapes and philosophic contemplation during hardship. As a friend said, they form a genre that could be called “Dystopic Mesogean* Western”. Here are some illustrations for his stories.

* Mesogea or Mesogeia is an area in Attica region, Greece. The name literraly means “Middle Earth”. 

Polyomino AkiKazan 1 01
AK RobotnikDog 02
AK HappyDays1
Polyomino AkiKazan 5 01 scaled

Cover Illustration
Commissioned by: Robotnik Fantastica magazine 
Published: 2024

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