Philip Beesley is a multidisciplinary Canadian artist and architect.
Beesley’s research is recognized for its pioneering contributions to the rapidly emerging field of responsive interactive architecture. He directs Living Architecture Systems Group (LASG), an international group of researchers and creators. He is a professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo and the European Graduate School. His recent work Grove is currently featured at the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture. The work of the LAS evolves through collaborative exchanges with an international network of scientists, engineers, and artists including engineering leads Rob Gorbet and Dana Kulić, Atelier van Herpen, Salvador Breed and 4DSOUND in Amsterdam, among many others. Collaborations with LAS artists, scientists, and engineers has led to a diverse array of projects, from haute couture collections to complex electronic systems that can sense, react and learn. This experimental architecture explores the subtle phenomena and constantly-changing boundaries at the outer edges of current technology.
Born in Milan, Italy, Raffaella lives in Milan and Copenhagen. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano. Raffaella has been teaching Landscape Architecture at the Masters Level
at the University for 30 years. She is also a Visiting Professor at the KEA|Copenhagen School of Design and Technology in Denmark; in Barcelona at MAP Master de Arquitectura del Paisaje at ETSAB, for intensive weeks as well as in Argentina at Cordoba FAUD, Facultad de Arquitectura, for critical lectures. She has co-planned and reviewed more than 1,600 university projects in Urban Landscape and carried out more than 330 critical university lectures and conferences. She has also been a correspondent for the international magazines Paysage-Topscape and ANANKE. She is a Member of the Italian Architects Association in Milan. She has lived in Australia, Indonesia, India, Mexico and has written 40 academic publications in Landscape Architecture along with many books
on poetry using unrevealed pseudonyms. She is an Explorer, UrbanDevil
and Poet.
Lori is a multi-disciplinary designer and educator with a long history
in the arts and film industries. She is faculty at the School of Design,
George Brown College and leads special projects that provide work integrated learning experiences for students. As a member of NABET
she worked in costume design for feature films and television. Recently Lori
co-directed and produced a full length award winning documentary called This is Ballet in collaboration with Canada's Ballet Jorgen. She holds a Masters in Interdisciplinary Design Strategy and has over 30 years experience in the world of dance as both a performer and a designer.
Dr. Gervan Fearon was named the new President of George Brown College, beginning in August 2021. Dr. Fearon has a strong professional background in post-secondary education. Prior to being President at Brock and Brandon Universities, he held numerous progressive roles in post-secondary education, including Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University; Associate Dean at York University’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies; Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington; and as an Associate Professor at York University. Dr. Fearon also has a strong teaching and research record.
Luigi Ferrara is a Registered Architect with seal, a member of the Ontario Association of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada as well as an Honorary Member of the Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario. In 2002, Luigi was appointed the Director of the School of Design at George Brown College. In 2007, his portfolio was enlarged and he was appointed Director, Centre for Arts and Design. In 2014, Luigi was appointed Dean of the Centre for Arts, Design and Information Technology. He also leads the Institute without Boundaries, George Brown College’s interdisciplinary think and do tank. He has served on the Board of the International Council of the Societies of Industrial Design (now World Design Organization WDO) and was elected President from 2003–2005.
He is currently a WDO Senator. Luigi founded the Architectural Literacy Forum (ALF), a non-profit organization composed of volunteer architects committed to promoting the public appreciation of the built environment in 1995. From 1999 to 2002 Luigi served as President and CEO of DXNet Inc.,
a broadband network for design and innovation that redefined the practice of design using digital media and advanced computing and telecommunication platforms. Between 1996 and 2002 he was the Vice-President of Programs and Services at the Design Exchange. Luigi has served as a principal of Ferrara Contreras Architects Inc. from 1989 to 2007 and now is a partner in the architectural and development firm Conifer Consultants and the strategy firm Co.Ferrara Inc.
Adi Fleisher (she/her) is an interactive designer and emerging artist researching AI technologies that claim to intervene and inform our ways
of understanding. By exploring Artificial Intelligence in machine-to-machine interactions, rather than Human-Robot interaction (HRI), Adi utilizes AI as
a research tool to learn about our human nature through a cognitive-social lens.
Randy has over 40 years of experience designing and managing large-scale design, signage, and wayfinding projects. His vast experience extends to placemaking, branding, product design, signage, wayfinding and donor recognition programs for museums, galleries, stadiums/arenas, academic institutions, parks, transit and civic facilities. He is known for his ability to create signage programs that complement the unique features of heritage buildings and for working collaboratively with the clients’ architectural team.
Selected projects include interpretive and environmental graphics programs for large-scale venues such as Toronto’s Union Station redevelopment, Arizona Cardinals Stadium, Air Canada Centre, SkyDome, TD Garden (Boston), Ripley’s Aquarium, Thunder Bay’s Prince Arthur’s Landing, Canalside (a 21-acre waterfront heritage and recreational area in Buffalo NY), as well as numerous colleges/universities such as the University of Toronto, York University, Humber College, Carleton University, and Wilfrid Laurier University. In terms of cultural organizations, major significant projects include the National Gallery of Canada, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Laura Kay Keeling (she/her/they) is a visual artist whose work encompasses analog photography, video, collage and installation-based projects. Exploring and unpacking emotions through the creation of new work, while examining concepts related to “the visitor” as spoken about in Rumi’s Poem ‘The Guest House’. Laura feels very connected to and at peace in nature; her new works explore ideas relating to plant sentience and reciprocal care. Her work has been published in The Walrus and she recently launched a virtual exhibition of digital works as part of CONTACT photography festival titled The Advantages of Tender Loving Care.
Gregory Lasserre and Anais met den Ancxt are the artists behind Scenocosme (France). Their artworks use diverse expressions: interactive installations, visual art, digital art, sound art, collective performances. Scenocosme mixes art and digital technology to find substances of dreams, poetry, sensitivity and delicacy. These artists overturn various technologies in order to create contemporary artworks. They have exhibited their installation artworks globally in Korea, Europe, Australia, USA and Canada.
A journalist, an art critic and a curator, Maria Grazia Mattei has been investigating digital culture since 1982. In 2005 she designed and launched Meet the Media Guru (MtMG), a platform aimed to promote public dissemination on innovation and digital culture towards wide audiences.
In 2018, Mattei founded MEET, the Italian center for digital culture with the support of Fondazione Cariplo, one the largest philanthropic foundation
in Europe. MEET designs and promotes onlife meetings, exhibitions, workshops and digital performances with a humanistic perspective on creative technology and emerging digital trends. In October 2020, MEET’s facility building opens its doors up at the heart of Milan.
Ari Mazzeo is an Italian avant-garde artist, writer, performer and designer whose work spans performance art, video, film, documentary and multimedia media art projects in public space. Initially trained in communication, design and technology, Ari pursued a variety of performance art projects in New York, Cape Town, Barcelona, Bangkok, Toronto, Roma, Boston, Mexico City, focusing particularly on language, technology lexicon of collaboration, and visual imagery through design fiction and digital storytelling. She became more widely known outside the art world when her project "Art-ficial Intelligence" premiered at the V&A London Design Festival. Ari is an educator, and researcher at MIT University where she works on introducing innovative film design research and experimental media format, design fiction and pedagogies for complex societal challenges with experimental art projects in the public sphere.
She has created and implemented the process of embodiment (EMB)
with multidimensional disciplines in city design. Founder of the Design Fiction Design Studio (DFS), a creative studio for educational innovation based in Toronto, Canada. The DFS Studio co-creates digital stories, documentary, performance and city design for all. She also starred in and directed the Like/ Pink Mirror tribute to David Lynch. She regularly trains experts in film, acting, media and creative industries in digital format and innovative methodologies for systemic frameworks and tools to collaborate
and connect.
Andrew McLuhan is a poet and author (‘written matter,’ Revelore Press, 2021) researcher and teacher, founder and director of The McLuhan Institute which is dedicated to preserving and bringing forward the pioneering work of Marshall and Eric McLuhan in exploring and understanding technology and its effects of people and culture.
Corrado Paina is an Italian born poet based in Toronto. He is the author of several books of poetry and short stories in Italian and English. Corrado is a big supporter of the arts. He is currently serves as the Executive Director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Toronto and he was previously with the Italian Trade Commission.
Gianna was born in Ceprano, Frosinone, Italy and came to Canada as a child in 1960 with her mother and sister to join her father who had emigrated four years earlier. She is a graduate of York University and an award-winning author of 11 books, poetry, children's literature and short fiction. Her work is extensively anthologized, adapted for Canada Stage, CBC radio drama and featured in numerous documentaries. Her work is on the course list of universities in Canada, USA, and Italy. Her first book of poetry Italian Women and Other Tragedies is now in its 4th printing and has been translated into Italian. Her latest book, To The Men Who Write Good-bye Letters was published in 2020 by Inanna Publications. Her selected and new poems THIS WAY HOME will be launched in November of 2021 with Guernica Editions. In 2022 her children's book Nonna and the Girls Next Door will be published by Second Story Press. Gianna has read her work at Yale, Purdue, New York city and New Jersey, as well as many universities in Italy including Naples, Bologna and the island of Procida. She was the first recipient of the the Arts and Science award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce. She is currently working on a novel and a collection of poems.
One of Italy's leading jazz pianists, Danilo Rea received a solid musical training, obtaining his degree from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. He made his debut with the Trio di Roma (with Roberto Gatto and Enzo Pietropaoli) in 1975. Rea has performed with, among others, Chet Baker,
Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller and
Kenny Wheeler. He is widely sought after in pop music, and has performed with Mina, Domenico Modugno, Pino Daniele, Riccardo Cocciante,
Claudio Baglioni, Fiorella Mannoia and Gianni Morandi. He participated as
a solo artist in 1989 in "Requiem for Pierpaolo Pasolini" by Roberto De Simone at the Teatro San Carlo in Napoli. In 1998 he founded the trio
Doctor 3 together with Fabrizio Sferra and Enzo Pietropaoli, elected three times best Italian group of the year by the magazine Musica Jazz.
Paolo Scoppola is an interactive media artist who graduated in Computer Science. He realizes video installations, interactive performances for music, dance and theater shows. He is also a lecturer and coordinator in Interaction Design at Quasar Institute for Advanced Design in Rome, Italy. Paolo specialization is at the crossroads between art and science, sounds and images, where he has collaborated with international research centers, festivals and artists such as the National Institute of Nuclear Physics,
the Science Museum of Trento, the Kaust University in Saudi Arabia, the Art Science Museum of Singapore, the choreographer Valentina Moar and many other. In addition, he has participated in several advertising campaigns for international brands including Gore-Tex, Barilla, Lines and Wurth.
Samantha Sannella is originally from southern Arkansas and her upbringing on a rural farm influences her art and poetry. She views art and poetry as therapy and believes that pieces of her soul find their way to her words and watercolours. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art and her Master of Architecture, in Louisiana and Texas, Samantha moved to Toronto in 1998. She is a Mom to 2 sons and 2 dogs and currently practices design and real estate strategy.
Tristan Tiggeloven is an established project manager, emerging producer and entertainment industry professional that has worked across multiple different platforms including film, TV and interactive media. Tristan is currently a Producer and Creative Director for the ON-FOOT Mobile App.
He began working with Pop Sandbox through the competitive CMPA National Producer Mentorship Program. Starting as an Associate Producer, he worked on the 10th anniversary KENK Interactive Graphic Novel, Inside KENK broadcast documentary and LOUD on Planet X videogame. Prior to joining Pop Sandbox, Tristan worked on several award-winning interactive projects including the Digital Emmy Award nominated Time Tremors.
He worked for the interactive production company Xenophile Media for three years in a variety of roles including Business Affairs Manager,
Project Manager and Assistant Producer.
Lingxiang Wu is a Chinese queer visual artist currently based in Toronto,
and he received his MFA degree in Interdisciplinary Master’s of Arts, Media, and Design at OCAD University in 2019. Wu explores contemporary image culture that is integrated seamlessly between urban and digital spaces, attempting to grasp the reasons behind those fleeting moments of displacement. Through experimentation with photographic collage, video, animation, and installation, Wu uses artistic methods as visual detours.
Re-imagining the digital/urban space into visual experiences where
viewers can look into and dwell within, encouraging the moments of contemplative lingering.
