Louis-Philippe Demers

Louis-Philippe Demers combines several roles: Artist, Freelance Designer, Professor, Researcher, and Entrepreneur. He employs hybrid and transdisciplinary approaches and has worked on the conception and production of various large-scale interactive robotic installations, so far realising more than 400 machines. His robotic works can be found in theatre, opera, underground stations, art museums, science museums, music events, and trade shows. He also conceives and realises interactive and experiential environments, exhibited and used in museums, festivals, corporate events, and public spaces. Additionally, he acts as a stage, lighting, and exhibit designer, as well as a consultant for the integration of technology in the arts. Since 1988, he has participated in over 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 awarded multiple prizes and featured at major international festivals and venues such as Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Lille 2004, Expo 1992, Expo 2000, Sonambiente, ISEA, SIGGRAPH, and Sonar. Throughout his career, his works have 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 in 2010 and 2014, the first prize of artificial life at Vida 2.0, and two special mentions at Vida 12.0 and 15.0. His major stage work, *Devolution*, received seven awards, including the Ruby Innovation Award in South Australia, Outstanding Performance from the Australian Dance Awards, and two Helpmann Awards for Best New Show and Best Lighting Design, the Australian equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards. Demers has also been awarded a New Chapter Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, an exceptional award to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.

He combines postgraduate studies in computer science, education in media arts, and stage/lighting design for theatre. He was an intern and later an 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 in his role as President of Kunst Macchina Production Company, a group specialising in the commercialisation and R&D of software solutions for the entertainment industry. Demers completed a practice-based PhD on the topic of machines as stage performers. This transdisciplinary thesis spans areas including Artificial Intelligence, Performance Theory, Biological Perception, Psychology of HCI/HRI, and Social Robotics.

Demers frequently delivers workshops, keynotes and lectures. He also curates and organises artistic events and colloquiums. His academic career spans over three decades. He was a Full Professor of Digital Media and Exhibit Design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe, the academic institution affiliated with the world-renowned ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie). He was also Full Professor of Creative Innovation and Director of the Creative Lab at the School of Creative Practice at Queensland University of Technology. Demers was a tenured Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). At NTU, he was also Principal Investigator at the Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre (IERC) and ADM’s Associate Chair for Research in 2008/09. Demers has also held visiting professorships at the University of the Arts London, as well as at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and the Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien. He is currently a Full Professor in Kinetic Imaging at VCU Arts Qatar.