Premiere Roman & ELIZA

“How will you miss me when I’m gone?”

What remains of a person after death? And what happens when technology becomes a means to fill that void? In Roman & ELIZA, Ulrike Quade Company explores technology as a tool for grief, how artificial intelligence feeds our profound desire for human connection.

The performance is inspired by the world’s first chatbot, ELIZA, and the true story of Roman Mazurenko. After Roman’s death, his partner Charly uploads messages and photos to ELIZA, resurrecting Roman’s digital presence. What follows is a charged interplay between a grieving lover and Roman’s shadow, trapped in a data centre. Together they reconstruct memories to discover what has them both haunted.

Deep dive into human-chatbot interaction

At a time when digital platforms are enabling ever new forms of synthetic intimacy, Roman & ELIZA poses urgent questions about the future of our data. Humans yearn to feel understood, even at the expense of real understanding. Roman & ELIZA visualizes how this longing takes shape in human-chatbot interaction by descending into the illusory world of digitally manipulated data. Told by the ghost, the lover, and the machine, Roman & ELIZA is a journey through the many fragmented dimensions that give life to our deepest desires.

Combining experimental scenography, puppetry, and advanced technologies, Ulrike Quade Company creates vivid worlds that imagine potential futures. Their work makes abstract innovations tangible and invites the audience to experience how technology is reshaping the very fabric of our existence.

In collaboration with the Horizon Europe Premiere project and IDLab (AHK). Within the project, it developed the AI ​​Toolbox and the 3D Virtual Theatre, which combine live data, XR technologies, and digital puppetry. Premiere Grant Agreement ID: 101061303 – Funded by the European Union.