Profile

Byrke Lou was born in West Berlin, Germany in 1986. She completed higher education in Berlin and in 2005 moved to Bremen, Germany to pursue university studies. She returned to Berlin in 2013.

Byrke Lou completed a Bachelor of Physics specializing in a field of theoretical physics, Complex Systems. In parallel, she studied the Philosophy of Science and Epistemology. She completed a master in Digital Media at the University of Art Bremen as part of which she completed courses at Bremen’s Music Conservatory on Electro-Acoustic Composition and Audio Technology. Later she studied dance at the Broadway Dance Center, New York and the Millennium Dance Center Los Angeles.

In 2015, she founded “movLab”, an open research group that discusses the impact of digitizing human bodies, builds diy motion capture systems and produces works of art. In 2017 she was the first to give courses on performance in virtual and augmented realities (University of the Arts, Berlin). From 2018 she additionally taught AI music production and composition (University of the Arts, Berlin). In 2017, she was social media manager for Michela Magas, who was European Woman Innovator 2017 and advisor on innovation for the G7. Byrke Lou codes in over ten programming languages and speaks four natural languages. She works internationally.

Background of Work Titles

We all know “c” as the symbol for the speed of light, and we know “∞” to symbolize infinity. My work’s names are a notation system of coordinates, that mark current and future technological developments.

CV

Personal Information

Byrke Lou
Born in 1986 in Berlin, Germany
Resides and works in Berlin, Germany

Education

2006-10: B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2010-15: M.A. in Digital Media, University of the Arts Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2013: Side listener Sound Studies, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016: International Student, Broadway Dance Center, N.Y.C., New York
2017&18: International Student, Millenium Dance Complex, Los Angeles, California

Grants, Awards and Residencies

2023, Artist in Residence, “Intelligence Unbound” by Foreign Object & THE SPACE. Gallery, San Francisco, California
2020, Virtual Partner Residency, Goethe-Institut, Munich, Germany
2019, Artist in Residence, Factory Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016, Artist in Residence, Multimadeira, Funchal, Portugal
2016, CityTax funds “movLab“ Community as Part of SPEKTRUM Berlin
2015, Art and Science Award, Art and Science Hackathon Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2013, Scholarship holder, Mentoring Program HfK Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Exhibitions in Physical Space (Selected)

2023 Intelligence Unbound, THE SPACE. Gallery, San Francisco
2022 Artist Lab, hub.berlin by BITKOM, Berlin, Germany (Topic: Digital Future)
2021 Superfluidity, MMOMA, Moscow, Russia
2020 Audiosfera, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
2018 RAW [0.3,y,0.75], modular+ gallery, Berlin, Germany
2017 Inner Other, Gossamer Fog, London, United Kingdom
2016 Long Night of Sciences, Max Planck Institute (MPI-CBG, for Molecular Cell
Biology and Genetics), Dresden, Germany
2016 There’s Nothing Left but the Future, 3hd festival, Berlin, Germany
2016 Afaid of Falling, Studio Nihil Baxter, Berlin, Germany
2015 Metamatter, SPEKTRUM Berlin, Germany
2013 addicted to random, Händel-Haus Halle, Halle, Germany
2013 xXz, Galerie Flut, Bremen, Germany

Exhibitions in Mixed Reality Space (Selected)

2023 Intelligence Unbound, THE SPACE.Gallery, online
2021 Venice Biennale VR Expanded, Venice, Italy
2021 SXSW Online XR, SXSW, online
2020 Transformation, CTM Festival, online
2013 BWPWAP, Transmediale, Berlin, Germany
2012 Farbfest Bauhaus Dessau, Bauhaus Dessau, Dessau, Germany
2012 THE BIG PICTURE – Weltbilder für die Zukunft, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria

Performances Physical Space (Selected)

2023, bayes{xix}, xix Gallery, online
2022, CityLab, Rosinenbar Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin, Germany
2019, SXSW official showcasing artist at opening night, SXSW, Austin, Texas
2018, From Germany to L.A.: 50 years of sister cities, Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California
2017, FearAngerLove, CTM Festival opening night, Berlin, Germany
2016, New Geographies, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2016, There’s Nothing Left but the Future, 3hd festival, Berlin, Germany
2014, Afraid Of Falling, Studio Nihil Baxter, Berlin Germany

Performances in Mixed Reality Space (Selected)

2023, bayes{xix}, xix gallery, Online
2021, SXSW Online XR, SXSW XR space, Online
2018, The Wrong Biennale, Panke Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2017, xoxo, xxxx virtual space, Online
2017, AI & Blockchain & Algorithms, SAVYY Funk at documenta 14, Berlin, Germany
2013, xXz, The Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Commissions

2023, nxm{fi} for hub.berlin, Berlin, Germany
2022, ixi as video work, for hub.berlin, Berlin, Germany
2022, code_xiT for cityLab, Berlin, Germany
2021, code_ixj + ixi as VR experience for SXSW, Austin, Texas
2020, ixi for CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2017, xixi for Goethe-Institut, Los Angeles, California

Collections

Byrke Lou is collected by various private collectors in Germany, U.S.A., UK, Spain, Russia, and Serbia.

Representation & Agents

Current Gallery Representation and agent for Greater China: Vlatka Javonovic, Modern Sky Beijing

Bibliography

Byrke Lou, “Imagining Space” at https://digitalart.kuenstlerinnenpreis.nrw/blog (2021).
Greg J. Smith, “MMOMA Show Parses Superfluidity in a Moment of Crisis” in holo.mag (2021).
Byrke Lou, Arabian Prince, Helen Sartory, Luann Williams, “More Communication, Less Consumption
– How music tech can respond to chrisis” in Music Tectonics podcast (2021).
Byrke Lou, “math x art” in Your Mom’s Arts x Music x New Tech – Episode 8: fourculture podcast (2020).
Byrke Lou, “math x art” in Your Mom’s Arts x Music x New Tech – Episode 8: reboot.fm podcast (2020).
Christoph Schrag, “Unsigned” in Radio Fritz (2020).
Weaver, Rick, “SXSW Music Review – German physicist scans for life and structure with digital soul” in Austin Chronicle (2019).
Weaver, Rick, “16 Experimentalists to Help You Get Weird at SXSW” in Austin Chronicle (2019).
Kastrup, Dennis, “Mit dem Plattenspieler kreierte Gedankenwelten” at Deutschlandfunk Kultur (2019).
weiz, “I’m Super Happy to See Our Art Influence Technology” in Modernsky Magazine (2019).
Kastrup, Dennis, “Byrke Lou” in Strom und Drang by Radio Eins (2018).
Poemproducer, “AI & Blockchain & Algorithms” at SAVYY Funk the radio of documenta 14 (2017).
Jenny Genzmer, “Wie lernen Computer menschliche Bewegungen“ in Deutschlandfunk Kultur (2017).
Byrke Lou, “Physics and Aesthetics of Digital Archiving” in Intangible Cultural Heritage and Innovation Blog (2015).

Teaching Post-Graduate University Courses

2023, AI in Fine Art, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria
2023, Transformations between analogue and digital space, University of Music and Performing Arts x IEM, Graz, Austria
2019, Exploring AI – Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2018, Alien Habitats – Virtual Reality Performance, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2018, Artificial Intelligence Music, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2017, Virtual Reality Club Experiences, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2017, Music Performance in Virtual Reality, UdK Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016, Sound and Space for Fashion Performance, University of the Arts Bremen, Berlin, Germany
(with students of UdK Berlin producing the sound concept for a performance by students of HfK Bremen)

Mentor

2022, Portfolio consultation, University of the Arts Bremen department Integrated Design, Bremen, Germany
2020, Official SXSW Tech Hackathon, SXSW 2020, Austin, Texas
2018, _OUT Professionalisation and career entry, University of the Arts Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2015-19, Community founder & Mentor movLab, SPEKTRUM Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Jury

2021, Art Prize NRW 2022 (first time awarded in the field of Digital Arts), presented online & at K21, Düsseldorf, Germany
2017, Hybrid Music Lab, TOA Berlin 2017
2017 CTM Hacklab, CTM Festival 2017

Curating

2017, The Virtual Club, VR exhibition, Most Wanted: Music conference, Berlin, Germany
2016, ReSense Festival, five day performance art happening for reinventing sensing for virtual realities, SPEKTRUM, Berlin, Germany

Talks

2023, Ethical AI, MWM, Berlin, Germany
2023, Female Role Models, deGUT, Berlin, Germany
2020, AI and Music, SXSW Austin, Texas
2019, The Impact of Pop Culture on VR, International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart (ITFS), Stuttgart, Germany
2019, AI for Music Creation, Musik und Technologie, Stuttgart, Germany
2019, VR, AR and XR for Musicians and the Music Business Eco System, ITFS , Stuttgart, Germany
2019, AI for Music Creation, SXSW Interactive Festival, Austin, Texas
2018, The Future of Entertainment, Sequencer Tour re:publica, Los Angeles, California
2018, Music and Emotion in Immersive VR, EmoJam2 by Melodrive, Berlin, Germany
2017, The Virtual Club, Stadt nach 8 conference, Berlin, Germany
2017, VR Music Technology Lab, Hybrid Music Lab at TOA Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016, MovLab: Reinventing Human Sensing for Virtual Realities; DIY, European Citicen Science Association, Berlin, Germany

Research

2015 – ongoing, movLab, community founder, movLab research lab, Berlin, Germany
2017, VR Music Technology Lab, host and organizer, Tech Open Air, Berlin, Germany
2017, CTM Music Makers Hacklab, co-host, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2016, Transhumanism Performance Lab, Fellow, Music Tech Fest, Berlin Germany
2016, MusicMakers Hacklab, Fellow, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2015, Master Thesis in Digital Media Art, artistic research on the new in science and technology, Bremen, Germany
2011, Bachelor Thesis in Physics Complex Systems, numeric analysis of a mathematical model, Bremen, Germany
2009, Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (IFISC), analyzing u plotting voter model, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2010, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM), analysis of heat transportation in the Atlantic Ocean,
Bremen, Germany

Releases

2020, bayes, digital release + audio cassette, x_ByrkeLou, Berlin, Germany with Detroit Underground, Los Angeles California
2018, CODE, vinyl record, Research & Waves with ZCKR records

Skills

C, C++, C#, Python, Fortran, Java Script, MaxMSP, HTML, Latex, Matlab, Autodesk, Rhino, Solidworks, Adobe Creative Suite etc.

English (fluent), German (native), Spanish (fluent), French (solid), qualification in Latin

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