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Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller's 'The Killing Machine' Debuts at MACBA

exhibition · 2026-04-23

The Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) presents a retrospective of Canadian artists Janet Cardiff (b. 1957) and George Bures Miller (b. 1960), featuring ten installations that form a web of independent yet complementary experiences. The exhibition, curated by MACBA's chief curator Bartomeu Marí, includes the debut of 'The Killing Machine' (2007), which inspired the show's title. This installation consists of a dentist's chair covered in kitsch pink synthetic skin, surrounded by two robotic arms that move in a mechanical ballet, a disco ball above, a moaning guitar, and old television sets. A mobile megaphone encircles the electric chair, and a red button invites viewers to activate the mechanism. The work is a bitter ironic reflection on the death penalty, partially inspired by Franz Kafka's 'In the Penal Colony' and the American capital punishment system. The exhibition is co-produced by the Institut Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, Germany, where it will be shown in summer 2007.

Key facts

  • Janet Cardiff (born 1957) and George Bures Miller (born 1960) are Canadian artists.
  • The exhibition is at MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona) in Barcelona, Spain.
  • The exhibition runs from February 2 to May 1, 2007.
  • Ten installations are featured, forming independent but complementary experiences.
  • 'The Killing Machine' (2007) is shown for the first time at MACBA.
  • Bartomeu Marí, chief curator of MACBA, is the curator of the exhibition.
  • 'The Killing Machine' includes a dentist's chair, robotic arms, a disco ball, a guitar, and old TV sets.
  • The work is inspired by Franz Kafka's 'In the Penal Colony' and the American death penalty system.
  • The exhibition is co-produced by the Institut Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, Germany.
  • The exhibition will be shown at Institut Mathildenhöhe in summer 2007.

Entities

Artists

  • Janet Cardiff
  • George Bures Miller
  • Franz Kafka

Institutions

  • MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona)
  • Institut Mathildenhöhe

Locations

  • Barcelona
  • Spain
  • Darmstadt
  • Germany

Sources