The Horny Children is an installation that consists of child-sized robots that appear at times both clumsy and elegant as they experience the world around them.

The kinetic sculptures are controlled by onboard micro-computers and equipped with sensors to enable interaction with the viewer.

The robots form what MacMurtrie has called a ‘parallel society’ in which each child is part of a bigger group and affected by the environment in which it is placed. The robots challenge viewers to consider the relationship between people, nature and machines.

MacMurtrie has been an established artist in the United States since 1989 and has exhibited in 16 countries worldwide.

He acts as the Artistic Director of Amorphic Robot Works (ARW), a group of artists and engineers who help in the realisation of his work.

ARW’s artistic program conducts a kinesthetic inquiry into the human condition, an investigation that has resulted in more than 450 mechanical sculptures that assume anthropomorphic and abstract forms. These sculptures incorporate numerous studies in mechanics, pneumatics, hydraulics, programming, sculptural form, mechanical durability, interaction, and performance.

Recent works, including Skeletal Reflections, the Growing, Raining Tree, The Inflatable Bodies, and Totemobile. Each one represents a significant step forward in ARW’s ability to integrate and co-ordinate diverse systems, and to use high-end fabrication technologies to meaningful artistic ends. MacMurtrie and ARW are currently based in Brooklyn, New York.