Beeple’s Masked Robot Dogs Become the Talk of Art Basel Miami Beach
- Gen de Art
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
At Art Basel Miami Beach’s debut of Zero 10, a sector dedicated to the intersection of art and emerging technologies, Beeple’s “REGULAR ANIMALS” quickly established itself as one of the most discussed works of the fair. The installation—a pack of robotic quadrupeds outfitted with hyperreal masks of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Beeple himself—combines robotics, AI-generated imagery, and biting social commentary in a spectacle that is as unsettling as it is humorous.
The masks, crafted by special-effects artist Landon Meier, imbue the machines with an eerie vitality. As the robots roam the booth, they photograph visitors and produce AI-generated prints that reinterpret these images through the stylistic lens of the figure they wear: a Warhol dog generates serialised pop compositions, while a Picasso dog produces fractured, Cubist-like images. Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg’s robotic stand-ins similarly “process” their surroundings, delivering an absurdly literal metaphor for the influence these tech figures exert over the digital realm.
In an on-site interview, Beeple described the project as an effort to create a “living sculpture”—an artwork defined not by static form but by autonomous behaviour. He emphasized that the installation reflects the ways perception is increasingly mediated by algorithmic systems controlled by a handful of individuals.
“We used to see the world through artists,” he explained. “Now we see it through people like Zuckerberg and Musk, because they control the platforms that decide what we see and when. I’m not saying it’s good or bad—it’s simply the landscape we occupy.”
Beeple noted that while he has met Musk a few times and regards him as “a nice guy trying to do good things,” the installation also speaks to the unprecedented reach of his influence. Unlike elected officials, whose actions are circumscribed by checks and balances, Musk—or Zuckerberg—can make instantaneous decisions that affect millions of people’s daily lives.
“A president can’t just wake up and make a unilateral change. Musk or Zuckerberg can, and that’s an immense amount of power,” he said.
The work’s construction is deceptively straightforward: commercial robot dogs, extensive technical modifications, and longstanding masks from Beeple’s studio. Yet in this configuration, they form a continuously unfolding performance that renders algorithmic power tangible, corporeal, and absurdly visible.
Amid the high-tech atmosphere of Zero 10—which showcases AI, generative systems, robotics, and immersive digital experiences—“REGULAR ANIMALS” stands out for its clarity of concept and immediacy of impact. Beeple’s robotic pack offers a darkly comic, sharply observed reflection on the forces shaping contemporary perception and the extraordinary reach of those who control the platforms through which we experience the world.