INSIDE/OUT: 'Computable Numbers' with Robert Henke

Following the Lecture, Robert Henke will perform his multichannel work Dust at the LSA Theatre at 19:00.

The lecture explores the complex relationship between creating art and building the tools necessary for it. Taking his recent work with vintage 8bit computers as an example, Robert Henke explores the challenges, benefits, risks and happy accidents that can emerge from a deep-dive into coding and hardware from an artists perspective. He discusses his working method in relation to the current trend of 'black box' creation with large language models and other machine learning tools, and provides insights into his general artistic mindset and process.

Robert Henke is an artist and toolmaker whose practice spans music, audiovisual performance, installation, and computer graphics. Equally at home in code and hardware, he approaches technology as both creative medium and conceptual catalyst, developing bespoke algorithms and machines to shape his works. His output bridges the raw, hypnotic repetition of techno culture with the intricate structural precision of contemporary composition, while his visual language draws on the legacies of minimal art and early computer graphics.

Performing under the moniker Monolake—a project originally founded with Gerhard Behles in 1995—Henke has established a distinctive voice within electronic and audiovisual art. His collaborations include projects with composer Marko Nikodijević, audiovisual artist Tarik Barri, and installation producer Christopher Bauder, notably for large-scale works that merge sculpture, light, and sound.

A co-creator of Ableton Live, Henke has profoundly influenced the evolution of electronic music production and performance. Alongside his artistic work, he writes and lectures widely on sound, technology, and creative process, and has held teaching positions at institutions such as the Berlin University of the Arts, Stanford University’s CCRMA, IRCAM in Paris, and Le Fresnoy in Lille. His installations and performances have been presented internationally, including at Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and MUTEK. He lives and works in Berlin.