Short Bio
Stavros Didakis is an academic, researcher, and artist focusing on the speculation of technological futures and in particular studying and experimenting with architectural augmentation and inhabitant personalization, exploring sensorial interfaces and technological frameworks as extensions of human environments. Stavros has won grants and awards in creative technologies, he has exhibited his interactive works in international exhibitions and biennale, and he has made numerous publications in conferences, journals, and books. Stavros is at present an Associate Professor in Interactive Media Arts with New York University (Shanghai).
Qualifications
PhD in Media Arts & Technology
University of Plymouth, UK, 2016
PG-MEd in Academic Practice
Higher Education Academy, UK, 2015
MA in Sonic Arts
Queen’s University, UK, 2007
BSc in Music Technology & Audio Systems
London Metropolitan University, UK, 2004
HND in Media & Audio
IVT AKMI, Greece, 2003
National Diploma in Sound Engineering
IVT AKMI, Greece, 2000
Academic Positions
Associate Arts Professor (FT)
Interactive Media Arts
Courses in Media Architecture, Responsive Environments, & Capstone Studio
New York University (Shanghai), China, 2019 – Present
Associate Professor (FT)
Digital Media Design
Programme Leader in BA/BSc Digital Media Design, BA/BSc Internet Design, BA Game Arts & Design
Senior Researcher with i-DAT
PhD Supervisor in CODEX
University of Plymouth, UK, 2017 – 2019
Senior Lecturer (FT)
Technoetic Arts
Course coordinator in BA Technoetic Arts
Roy Ascott Studio, DeTao Masters Academy & Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, China, 2014 – 2017
Visiting Professor
Peking University, China, 2014 – 2017
Selected List of Works
Exhibitions / Installations
2023, “Neural Cityscapes“, Media Installation, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California (US)
2023, “Synthetic Cities“, Solo Art Exhibition, Riverside Project Space / TANK Shanghai (Shanghai, CN)
2022, “Xenoforms“, Robotic Installation, Art021 Contemporary Art Festival (Shanghai, CN)
2021, “Invisible Cities / Black Sun”, Curated Exhibition, Planet One & Unity China (Shanghai, CN)
2021, “Neo-Imaginaria: A Collection of Gen-Z New Media Poetics”, Curated Exhibition, The Brownie Project (Shanghai, CN)
2020, “White Magnolia“, Curated Exhibition, CGI & Animations,
2020, “Ubiquitous Colonies 1.0”, CGI Animation, Ars Electronica Festival, .ART Gallery (Linz, AT)
2018, “Proto-Fusion”, Interactive Installation, Songjiang Art Museum (Shanghai, CN)
2017, “Beyond Digital Towards Biological”, Robotic Installation, Chronus Art Center (Shanghai, CN)
2017, “A Manifesto for DomoNovus“, Ars Electronica, 2017 (Linz, AT)
2017, “Technoetic Multiverse”, Curated Exhibition, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (Songjiang, CN)
2016, “HexSpace”, Interactive Installation, Roy Ascott Studio Gallery (Shanghai , CN)
2016, “Syncretic Transitions“, Curated Exhibition, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (Songjiang, CN)
2015, “Technoetic Arts Exhibition“, Curated Exhibition, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (Songjiang, CN)
2015, “Poseidon’s Pull”, Interactive Installation, Washington State Museum (Washington, USA), Ionion Centre for Art & Culture (Kefalonia, GR)
2014, “Cloud: An Interactive Chandelier“, Interactive Lighting System (Athens, GR)
2013, “Plinthos Pavilion“, Interactive Architecture, 7th Athens Biennale (Athens, GR)
2013, “The Source”, Interactive Installation, DI-EGY Festival, Gezira Art Centre (Cairo, EG)
2013, “Pulse Mode”, Interactive Installation, Leicester Arts Centre (Leicester, UK)
2013, “This City’s Centre“, Telematic Performance, Phoenix Art Space (Exeter, UK)
2012, “Roy Ascott Retrospective“, Technical Direction for Roy Ascott’s Exhibition in Shanghai Biennale 2012-2013 (Shanghai, CN)
2012, “Journey to the West: Reactivating Roy Ascott’s “La Plissure Du Texte”“, Telematic Installation, Shanghai Biennale, (Shanghai, CN)
2012, “Politics of Media Governance“, Interactive Installation (Heraklion, GR)
2010, “Plinthos Pavilion“, Interactive Architecture, ID10 Interior Design Show (Athens, GR)
2009, “VJ Mode“,Software for Audiovisual Performance, Aurora Festival (Halkidiki, GR)
2007, “Royal Victoria“, Ethnographic Research, Custom Software, Interactive Sonification (Belfast, UK)
2007, “The Cube“, Media Performance, Custom Software (Belfast, UK)
2007, “Sonic Plasma Sphere“, Interactive Instrument & Media Performance (Belfast, UK)
Publications
Didakis, S. (2023) “XENOFORMS: Computational Autonomy & Hybrid Architectures“, in ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference DIS’23, Pittsburgh PA USA, July 10-14, 2023, Pages 64–68.
Didakis, S. (2021) “Ubiquitous Colonies: Computational Parasites, Sentiment, & the Architectural Space”, in Sentimental Machines 2021, IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation, RCA (UK).
Didakis, S. (2020) “Augmentations of Perception“, in Interdisciplinary Conference Taboo – Transgression – Transcendence in Art & Science, University of Applied Arts Vienna, 26-28 November.
Didakis, S. (2020) “Domestic Resonances, Modularity, and the Internet of Things”, in DIS2020 End of Life of IoT Conference, University of Edinburgh (UK)
Didakis, S. (2018) “Computationally-Enhanced Ecologies, Organisms, and Parasites. Speculative Explorations of Symbiotic Oscillations”, in Media Architecture Biennale MAB18, Beijing, China.
Didakis, S. & Beloff, L. (2018) “Beyond Digital Towards Biological”, in International Symposium on Electronic Arts ISEA18, Durban, South Africa.
Didakis, S. (2018) “Micro, Meso, & Macro Data Collection & Analysis as a Method for Speculative Artistic Exploration”, in Politics of The Machines, EVA-Copenghagen (DK).
Didakis, S. (2016) “The Search for DomoNovus”, in International Symposium on Electronic Arts ISEA2016, Hong Kong.
Didakis, S. (2016) “Spatializing Invisible Matter; Atoms and Sensor Technologies”, in Leonardo, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Didakis, S. (2015) “DataGrid: Sensor Agents of Domestic Space“, in Media City 2015, Athens.
Didakis, S. (2015) “Hex Space – Domestic Environments and Personalization”, in Hybrid City: Data to the People, Athens.
Didakis, S. (2014) “Spatializing Invisible Matter; Atoms and Sensor Technologies”, in 4th International Conference on Arts & Technology, Istanbul.
Didakis, S. (2013) “Pulse Mode“, in ΑΩ Magazine Publication, Issue 27, Athens.
Didakis, S. (2013) “Computational Media and Interior Space”, in Hybrid City II: Subtle Revolutions, Athens.
Didakis, S. (2012) “The Myth of Symbiosis, Psychotropy, and Transparency Within the Built Environment“, in Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research, 9 (2+3), 307-313.
Didakis, S. & Phillips, M. (2013) “Objects of Affect: The Domestication of Ubiquity“, in Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research, 11 (3), 307-317.
Didakis, S. (2011) “Plinthos Pavilion“, in ArchDaily, Architizer, DesignBoom, Monitor Magazine.
Didakis, S. (2007) “The Cube: An Audiovisual Interactive Installation“, in Proceedings of the 4th Sound and Music Computing Conference (SMC’07), eds. C. Spyridis, A. Georgaki, G. Kouroupetoglou & C. Anagnostopoulou, Lefkada, pp. 64-67.
Public Talks / Presentations
2023, “Co-Creating Realities: Generative AI and the New Aesthetic Dialogue in Synthetic Cities“, in AI versus ART, Athens School of Fine Arts, November 10 (Symposium, Athens, GR)
2023, “Realm-Oscillations & Organic Emergences“, in Shanghai Industrial Museum, October 19 (Seminar, Shanghai, CN)
2023, “Logico-Fantastic Machines & Synthetic Realities“, in Shanghai Curators Lab, Tongji University, October 9 (Lecture, Shanghai, CN)
2023, “In the Pursuit of Originality” in Going Upstream, Design Innovation Institute, September 28 (Symposium, Shanghai, CN)
2023, “Synthetic Cities“, in Synthetic Cities Symposium, New York University NYU Shanghai & DigitalFUTURES (Shanghai, CN)
2023, “One Thousand Cities“, in Media Architecture Biennale MAB23, July 8 (Toronto Ontario, CA)
2017, “The Future of Home“, in Future Innovators Summit, Ars Electronica: “The Other I” (Presentation, Linz, AT)
2013, “Pulse Mode – An Interactive Installation“, in Code Control Festival (Keynote, Leicester, UK)
2012, “The Myth of Symbiosis, Psychotropy, and Transparency within the Built-Environment”, in Technoetic Arts (Conference, Kefalonia, GR)
2011, “Media & Architecture“, in PechaKucha, Heraklion Vol.2 (Symposium, Heraklion, GR)
Teaching/Pedagogy
2024, Synthetic Media, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2023, Emerging Technologies & Computational Arts, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2020-23, Capstone Studio I, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2020-23, Capstone Studio II, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2019-23, Media Architecture, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2021-22, Responsive Environments: Designing Interactive, Sentient, and Intelligent Spaces, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2021, Thesis Project, MA Low-ReS New York University, TISCH (US)
2021, “Creative Coding & Generative Design”, Workshop, 2 weeks, ArtScope (Shanghai, CN)
2020, Extended Perception, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2019-20, Communications Lab, New York University, Shanghai (CN)
2017-19, Final Year Project, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2017-18, Everyware, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2018-19, Reflexive Design, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2018 “Generative Design with P5.js”, Workshop, 2 weeks, OF Course – http://www.ofcn.io, (Shanghai, CN)
2018, Datacloud, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2018, “Sensing The City: Psychogeography, Cyberception, Wearables”, Workshop, 2 weeks, Nanjing University of the Arts (Nanjing, CN)
2018, “Internet of Things, Node-Red & IBM Watson”, Workshop, 4 weeks, IBM Smarter Planet (Plymouth, UK)
2017-18, Creative Coding I, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2017-18, Creative Coding II, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2017, Netscapes, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2017, “Creative Coding – P5.Js, Javascript, Node.Js”, Workshop, 4 weeks, Plymouth University (Plymouth, UK)
2017, “Future Innovators Summit”, Workshop, 4 days, Ars Electronica “The Other I”, (Linz, AT)
2017, “Cyberception – Becoming Cyborgs”, Workshop, 2 days, Shenzhen University of Science and Technology (Shenzhen, CN)
2017-18, Strategies for Digital Art & Technology, Digital Media Design, University of Plymouth, (UK)
2014-17, Cyberception, Technoetic Arts, DeTao Masters Academy / Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (CN)
2016-17, Behavior, Identity, Environment, Technoetic Arts, DeTao Masters Academy / Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (CN)
2016-17, Critical Integration, Technoetic Arts, DeTao Masters Academy / Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (CN)
2016 “Artificial Ecology – Sensorial Behaviours”, Workshop, 6 weeks, DeTao Group (Shanghai, CN)
2014-17, Tools, Software & Systems, Technoetic Arts, DeTao Masters Academy / Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (CN)
2011-14, Final Year Project (AL), Digital Art & Technology, University of Plymouth (UK)
2011-14, Creative Coding (AL), Digital Art & Technology, University of Plymouth (UK)
2014, “Raspberry Pi & Python”, Workshop, 4 weeks, Digital Art Technology, University Of Plymouth (Plymouth, UK)
2014, “Processing & Collective Sentiment”, Workshop, 2 weeks, Shanghai Maritime University (Shanghai, CN)
2013, “Sensorama”, Workshop, 16 hours, DI-EGY Festival, German University in Cairo (Cairo, EG)
2012, “Data Ecologies Symposium”, Workshop, 4 hours, i-DAT, University of Plymouth (Plymouth, UK)
2012, “Media Technology in Architectural Spaces“, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (Heraklion, GR)
2011, “Eco-OS (Ecological Operating System) and Prototype Development“, i-DAT, University of Plymouth (Plymouth, UK)
2011, “Bio-OS (Biological Operating System): Biometric System Development“, i-DAT, University of Plymouth (Plymouth, UK)
2011, “Confluence Workshop“, i-DAT, University of Plymouth (Plymouth, UK)
2011, “Ableton Workshop“, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (Heraklion, GR)
2011, “DJ Workshop“, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (Heraklion, GR)
2010, “Processing Programming Language” MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (Heraklion, GR)
2009-10, Interactive Narratives, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (GR/UK)
2009-10, Virtual Environments, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (GR/UK)
2009-10, Multimedia Design Practice I, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (GR/UK)
2009-10, Multimedia Design Practice II, MBS College / Nottingham Trent University (GR/UK)
Funding / Awards
2023, Sponsored Exhibition, “Synthetic Cities“, Linso | Leyard LED, MANA, Riverside Project Space / TANK Shanghai (CN)
2022, Commissioned Artwork, “Xenoforms“, Flexiv & AMAN, Art021, Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair (CN)
2021, Commissioned Exhibition, “Neo-Imaginaria”, BCA (Block Create Art), The Brownie Project (CN)
2018, EU Research Funding: “PARTICIPATE”, STARTS H2020, 2018-2020, Information & Communication Technologies
2017, Art Residency: “Beyond Digital Towards Biological”, Chronus Art Center (CN) / IT University of Copenghagen (DK) / Plymouth University (UK)
2017, Research Funding: “Protolab – A Technoetic Ecosystem”, Songjiang Municipal Funding Program (CN)
2016, Research Funding: “Techno-Organic Practices”, Danish Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (DK) 2015 Commissioned Artwork: “HexSpace”, DeTao Group (CN)
2013, Commissioned Artwork: “This City’s Centre”, Arts and Humanities Research Council AHRC, (UK)
2013, Catalyst Award: “Pulse Mode”, Code Control Festival, Leicester Arts Centre & AHRC (UK)
2012, PhD Scholarship, Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (GR)
2007, Commissioned Artwork: “Royal Victoria Hospital: A Sonic Installation”, CETL Northern Ireland (UK)
2007, Commissioned Artwork: “The Cube“, CETL Northern Ireland (UK)
2006, Postgraduate Studies Funding, Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (GR)
Development Training
2012, NVIVO Workshop (Plymouth, UK)
2012, EndNote Workshop (Plymouth, UK)
2012, Full-Dome Environments/Lectures (Leicester, UK)
2012, IBM Smarter Planet Workshop (Plymouth, UK)
2012, Interactive Art and Technoetics. Research training with Roy Ascott (Shanghai, CN)