Louis-Philippe Demers
combines several profiles: Artist, Freelance Designer, Professor, Researcher and Entrepreneur. He is a multidisciplinary artist using hybrid and trans-disciplinary approaches.
He worked on the conception and production of several large-scale interactive robotic installations, so far realizing more than 400 machines. His robotics works could be found in theatre, opera, subway stations, art museums, science museums, music events and trade shows. He also conceives and realizes interactive environments exhibited and used in museums, festivals, corporate events and public spaces. In addition, he acts as stage, lighting and exhibit designer as well as a consultant for the integration of technology in the arts. Since 1988, he participated in more than seventy artistic and stage productions. He has collaborated with several recognised artists including: Bill Vorn, Michael Saup, Garry Stewart, Art Zoyd, Michael Simon, Christian Möller, Stelarc, Thecla Schiphorst, Robert Lepage, Peter Gabriel and Le Cirque du Soleil.
His works have been primed with several prizes and featured at major international festivals and venues such as Lille 2004, Expo 1992, Expo 2000, Sonambiente, ISEA, SIGGRAPH and Sonar. Throughout his career, he received six mentions and a distinction at the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica, the prize for Interactive Lighting at Lightforms 98, jury selections at the Japan Media Art Festival 2010 and 2014, the first prize of artificial life Vida 2.0 and two special mentions at Vida 12.0 and 15.0. His major stage work, Devolution, received seven prizes including the Ruby Innovation award in South Australia, Outstanding Performance from Australian Dance Awards and two Helpmann Awards for Best New Show and Best Lighting Design, the Australian equivalent of the Broadway’s Tony Awards. Demers has been awarded a New Chapter Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, an exceptional award to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.
He combines post-graduate studies in computer science, education in media arts and stage/lighting design for the theatre. He was intern then artist in residence at the Media Arts section of the renowned Banff Centre after completing a year of doctoral studies in robotics at McGill University. Louis-Philippe conducted independent research on interactive lighting and control systems for the stage which culminated into his role of president of Kunst Macchina Production Company; a group specialized in the commercialization and the R&D of software solutions for the entertainment.
Demers completed a practice-based Ph.D. surrounding issues about machines as stage performers. This transdisciplinary thesis spans results over Artificial Intelligence, Performance Theory, Biological Perception, Psychology of HCI/HRI and Social Robotics.
Demers frequently delivers workshops and lectures. He also curates and organizes artistic events and colloquiums. Louis-Philippe Demers academic career spans over three decades. He was a Full Professor of Digital Media and Exhibit Design at the Hochschule fuer Gestaltung Karlsruhe, the academic institution affiliated to the world renowned ZKM (Zentrum fuer Kunst und Medientechnologie). He was Full Professor of Creative Innovation and Director of the Creative Lab at the School of Creative Practice of the Queensland University of Technology. Demers was a tenured Associate Professor at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) . At NTU, he also was Principal Investigator at the Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre (IERC) and ADM’s Associate Chair Research in 2008/09. Demers also holds visiting professorships at the University of the Arts London and in the past, at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and at the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien.
