Bio

Paola Tognazzi artist and physical interaction designer studied industrial design at the IED of Milan, Philosophy at the University of Bologna. In 2001 graduated from the Amsterdam University of the Arts, specializing in Choreographic storytelling within 3Dimentional interactive audio visual installations. Worked as assistant of Sasha Waltz in Nobody, with Min Tanaka in Japan, Executive Producer of interactive operas at Studio Azzurro Milan.

In 2008 founded Wearable_Dynamics. She produces interactive immersive environments that invite participants to become performers. She takes inspiration from the sensuality of electronics and the erotics of movement control systems, to design wearable systems that give sensing and expressive superpowers, allowing wearer’s to sense, connect and be touched by their own data to develop physical awareness and expressive control.

Her expertise is to embed movement in structures like codes, sound, visuals or 3D material. Her skills lies in body anatomy, analyze, filter and map data that make movements individual, special, different, and the application of movement capture sensors to design body informed mutually informing systems allowing the participants to be simultaneously audience and performers of their own identity and transformation.

With Wearable_SuperNow, and Aurora she develped interactive wearable instruments, embedded with movement capture sensors, that allow wearers to produce and control audio visuals with the dynamics of their bodies. These systems can be applied to create games and narrative performances.

Within the platform Conexiones Improbables, she directed and designed the project «Humanising the Software» with the I+D department of the Software company I68. Since 2009 has been giving Wearable_dynamics workshops: Applying creativity/Defying interactivity” in Asia and Europe.

In 2014 with The Dragon is Alive, a 3D printed wearable skin able to change shape, interacting with the movements of the wearer she proved the concept of REACTIVE 3D PRINTED WEARABLES. The project was developed at the Wearable Senses department of Tu/e University of Eindhoven in collaboration with the dutch companies Xsens, Freadom of creation (3D Systems) and fashion designer Pauline Van Dongen.

Since then she has been developing body informed morphing wearable systems with 3D printing technology, tutoring PhD students at the Tu/e Eindhoven, teaching Electronics and interactive wearables prototyping at the IED Fashion Futures Master.
Part of her research is motivated to find artistic structures and cheap accessible DIY technology to develop interactive games for persons with movement disabilities and conditions like Parkinson and Muscular dystrophies.

Currently she is doing a PHD at the Universities of Napier and the University of Edinburgh collaborating with Dovecot Studio on: Future Skins, 21st Century tapestry. Interactive performing textiles able to amplify our sensorial perception and augment our reality.

Her interactive audio visual installation Autopsy, W_Space; Wearable_SuperNow, Aurora, The body Evaporated, Why do we have organs in pair and only one heart?, Metamorphosis happens in the space in-between have been shown and supported at STEIM, Melkweg, Sophiensaele, Bek, Medialab-prado, Festival TRANSMEDIALE Berlin, Matadero, La Casa Encendida, La Noche en Blanco Madrid, Monty, Festival Evolution Milano In Digitale, University Complutense, Feria RetroMadrid, Camon, Arte Beijing, Instituto Cervantes, Teatro Pradillo, CSA la Tabacalera, Casa de las Conchas Salamanca, Festival Avlab, ExperimentaClub, La Laboral Gijon, San Telmo Museum, La conservera Museum.

SPANISH BIO

Bio: Paola Tognazzi desarrolla sistemas interactivos y crea experiencias artísticas que involucran, física y emocionalmente a la audiencia y fomentan el desarrollo de su conciencia sensorial. Artista multimedia y coreógrafa, estudió diseño industrial en el IED de Milán, Filosofía en la Universidad de Bolonia y se graduó en el MTD y SNDO Art Academies en Ámsterdam, especializándose en dirección de teatro con instalaciones audiovisuales interactivas. Trabajó como asistente de Sasha Waltz en Nobody, con Min Tanaka en Japón, y como productora ejecutiva de óperas interactivas en el Studio Azzurro, Milán. En 2008 funda Wearable_Dynamics Research. Ha dado talleres de creatividad en Asia y Europa.

En 2011 trabaja con Grupo i68, una ingeniería de software de Donostia, en el marco de Conexiones improbables, como I+D creative couching de innovación en idear interfaces para acceder a sistemas de información.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

2012 Technology Programming for 3D printing models for Kinect.
2011 Interactive interface technology, Programming for Kinect: Golan Levine
2010 Programming in Processing at Medialab-Prado: Golan Levin, Chris Sugrue
2007 International workshop of the technologies of the body with: Stelarc, Donald Glowinski-InfoMus Lab, EyesWeb, Daniel Schorno, André Gonçalves, Jaime del Val.
2001 graduated in: Direction of theater and dance within interactive audio visual installations, at the MTD/SNDD school for the arts in Amsterdam.
2000 Etching at Amsterdam Beeldende Academy: Studying with Lies Verdenius
1999/2000 Interactive Scenography & Media with Sher Doruff.
2000 Harmony and the use of Time and Rythms at Amsterdam Conservatory, studying with Paul Schepper.
1993 University of Philosophy, specializing in Estetica with Dr. Carlo Gentile in Bologna. While furthering her studies on Contemporary performance with Paola Palmi, Elisabetta Colace, Michele Abbondanza, Luisa Casiraghi, Contact Improvisation with Monica Francia and Dieter Heitkamp, Butoh with Masaki.
1992 Industrial Design, I.E.D Instituto Europeo di Design Milan, meanwhile studying performing arts with Franca Ferrari and Dominique Dupuy.

Works:

2011-12 I+D Developing and Coaching for Innovation at the Software Company I68 in San Sebastian. Project «Humanising the software» the new interface.
2008-12 Director of Wearable_Dynamics: Develops ergonomic interactive tools and interfaces.
2009-10 Technology for simultaneously stream and interact within 4 different cities. European Tele-Plateaus Transnational Sites of Encounter.
2005-06 Executive Producer, STUDIO AZZURRO, Interactive technologies for Operas and Museums.
2003 Executive Producer, Total Brutal.
2002 Assistant Sasha Waltz in «Nobody».

Collaborations:

Since 2007 she is collaborating with Medialab-Prado at projects like:
Interactivos? ’08 VisionPlay Immodesty by Karolina Sobecka,
Avlab 08 with her own project W_Space (Francisco Lopez, Hans…)
Interactivos’?09 Hormiga Interactibus by Adrian Santuario Hernandez
HelloWorld!: Contemporary stage creation and new technologies 09
Guests: Zachary Lieberman and Marcel.li Antunez.
Single loop, double loop by Mika Satomi.
Jugando con numeros 2010 by Chris Sugrue, Daniel Sanchez.
26.000 pixels for the facade of Medialab-Prado by Chris Sugrue Massimo Avvisati.
In 2008 participated at SummerLab in Laboral

Awards:
2012 ECLAP conference Information Technologies Florennce
2011 Conexiones improbables for Gene Sublimation
2011 Residency at Plataorma 0 Laboral
2010 DRHA Sensual Technologies Conference at Brunel University
2009 Milano in Digitale Co-produced Wearable_SuperNow
2008 STEIM & Medialab-Prado subsidy for W_Space
2006 BEK subsidy and co-production for Autopsy
2003 STEIM co-production for Room 2.6/Budget Motel
2001 Scholarship to go to work in Japan with Min Tanaka
2000 Subsidy Practicum Generale for “Lost Labyrinth…”
1999 STEIM residency for Portraits of a Ghost multimedia video installation
1996 Full european scholarship to study at the art academy in Holland.

Expositions interactive installations & multimedia theater:

Aurora:
Laboral Gijon
Museo San Telmo San Sebastian
REC International Festival of Electronic Art & Technology
ECLAP: Information Technologies Conference
Camon Madrid.

¿Por que tenemos organos pares y solo un corazon?:
Teatro Pradillo
Noche en Blanco Madrid
Instituto Cervantes Beijing

Wearable_SuperNow:
Laboral Gijon
Camon Alicante
DRHA ‘Sensual Technologies’ Conference Brunel University
Festival RetroMadrid
Complutense University
Festival Arte Beijing
Instituto Cervantes Pekin
La casa de las Conchas Salamanca
Milano in Digitale
Festival Evolution
La Tabacalera Madrid
Festival Critica Urbana
Festival Happenings Madrid

W_space:
Transmediale Berlin
STEIM
Medialab-Prado
Festival Avlab
La Casa Encendida
ExperimentaClub
La Noche en Blanco Madrid
Matadero

Autopsy:
Festival BEK
STEIM
La casa de las Conchas Salamanca
La Tabacalera
Festival Periferie Urbane

Room 2.6/ Budget Motel:
Melkweg Amsterdam
Monty Amberes
Festival Junge Hunde
Festival De Droome Holland
STEIM Amsterdam
Zaal 100 Holland
Pick-up Theater Holland

Lost labirinth of frozen words:
BeeldMedia Theater Holland
Muiderpoort Theater
STEIM
Overtoom 301
Ahk Theater

Wearable_Dynamics workshops: “Applying creativity defying interactivity”
with Wearable_SuperNow around Spain and China.

Video-Installations:
Take me home “finalist at the MovilfilmFest 09”
Autopsy of a dream
Ghosts
The Lizard
Trilogy: Operation Brainwashing
Fragility of the Supergirl
Iben
Barrio Gotico: «Portraits of a ghost”