Profile
Byrke Lou was born in West Berlin, Germany, in 1986. She completed her higher education in Berlin before moving to Bremen in 2005 to pursue university studies. She returned to Berlin in 2013.
Byrke Lou holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, specializing in Complex Systems, a field within theoretical physics. In parallel, she studied the Philosophy of Science and Epistemology. She later earned a Master’s in Digital Media from the University of Art Bremen, which included courses in Electro-Acoustic Composition and Audio Technology at Bremen’s Music Conservatory. She also studied dance at the Broadway Dance Center in New York and the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles.
In 2015, she founded movLab, an open research group focused on the impact of digitizing the human body. The group develops DIY motion capture systems and creates art projects. In 2017, she became the first to teach courses on Performance in Virtual & Augmented Realities at the University of the Arts, Berlin. From 2018 onward, she also taught AI Music Production & Composition at the same institution. That same year, she served as social media manager for Michela Magas, the European Woman Innovator of 2017 and innovation advisor for the G7.
Fluent in four natural languages, Byrke Lou is proficient in over ten programming languages and works internationally.
Background of Work Titles
We all know c as the symbol for the speed of light, and ∞ to symbolize infinity. My work titles are a notation system of coordinates, that mark future technological developments.
CV
Byrke Lou
Born in 1986 in West Berlin, West Germany
Lives 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
2008 – 15 Visiting student: Epistomology, Philosophy of Science, fine art classes of Franka Hörnschemeyer, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Jean-François Guiton, Paco Knöller and side listener Sound Studies, UdK Berlin, Germany
2016 International Student, Broadway Dance Center, N.Y.C., U.S.A.
2017 & 18 International Student, Millenium Dance Complex, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Grants, Awards & Residencies (selected)
2023/24, Artist in Residence, Foreign Object & THE.SPACE Gallery, San Francisco, U.S.A.
2022, Invited mentor, Integrated Design University of the Arts Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2020, Selected artist, Listen to Berlin: Compilation by Berlin Music Commission, Berlin, Germany
2020, Invited mentor, SXSW Hackathon, Austin, U.S.A.
2020, Virtual Partner Residency, Goethe-Institut, Munich, Germany
2019, Artist in Residence, Factory Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2018, International Tour Fund, Initiative Musik, Berlin, Germany
2018, Invited speaker on professionalization, Integrated Design University of the Arts Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2016, CityTax Berlin, movLab Community SPEKTRUM Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2015, 1st. place Art and Science Award, Art and Science Hackathon Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2013, Scholarship holder, Mentoring Program, University of the Arts Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Collections
Byrke Lou is collected by various private collectors in Germany, U.S.A., UK, Spain, Russia, and Serbia.
Representation & Agents
Gallery Representation and agent for Greater China: Vlatka Javonovic, Modern Sky Beijing
Exhibitions
Physical Space (selected)
2023, Intelligence Unbound, THE.SPACE Gallery, San Francisco
2021, Superfluidity, MMOMA, Moscow, Russia
2020, Audiosfera, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
2019, SXSW official showcasing artist at opening night, SXSW, Austin, U.S.A.
2018, From Germany to L.A.: 50 years of sister cities, Globe Theatre, L.A., U.S.A.
2017, AI & Blockchain & Algorithms, SAVYY Funk by S A V V Y Contemporary, official radio of documenta 14
2017, FearAngerLove, CTM Festival opening night, 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, New Geographies, CTM Festival; Berlin, Germany
2016, There’s Nothing Left but the Future, 3hd festival, Berlin, Germany
2015, Metamatter, SPEKTRUM Berlin, Germany
2014, Afraid Of Falling, Studio Nihil Baxter, Berlin Germany
2013, addicted to random, Händel-Haus Halle, Halle, Germany
Mixed Reality Space (selected)
2023, bayes{xix}, xix gallery, online
2021, Venice Biennale VR Expanded, Venice Film Biennale, Venice, Italy & online
2021, SXSW Online XR, SXSW, online
2021, SXSW Online XR, opening ceremony SXSW, online
2020, Transformation, CTM Festival, online
2018, The Wrong Biennale, Panke Gallery, Berlin, Germany & online
2017, code_xi, xxxx, Byrke Lou’s Galerie in virtueller Realität
2013, BWPWAP, Transmediale, Berlin, Germany & online
2013, xXz, The Louvre Museum, Paris, France
2012, Farbfest Bauhaus Dessau, Bauhaus Dessau, Dessau, Germany & online
2012, THE BIG PICTURE – Weltbilder für die Zukunft, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria & online
Academia
Bibliography
Byrke Lou, Crying AI, European Future: Philosophical and Educational Studies, Kherson National Technical University (2024).
Byrke Lou, Of Quantum Godesses, Foreign Object Blog (2024).
Byrke Lou, Imagining Space, https://digitalart.kuenstlerinnenpreis.nrw/blog (2021).
Smith, Greg J., MMOMA Show Parses Superfluidity in a Moment of Crisis, holo.mag (2021).
Byrke Lou, More Communication, Less Consumption – How music tech can respond to chrisis, Music Tectonics podcast (2021).
Byrke Lou, math x art, Your Mom’s Arts x Music x New Tech – Episode 8: fourculture podcast (2020).
Byrke Lou, math x art, Your Mom’s Arts x Music x New Tech – Episode 8: reboot.fm podcast (2020).
Schrag, Christoph, Unsigned, Radio Fritz (2020).
Weaver, Rick, SXSW Music Review – German physicist scans for life and structure with digital soul, Austin Chronicle (2019).
Weaver, Rick, 16 Experimentalists to Help You Get Weird at SXSW, Austin Chronicle (2019).
Kastrup, Dennis, Mit dem Plattenspieler kreierte Gedankenwelten, Deutschlandfunk Kultur (2019).
weiz, I’m Super Happy to See Our Art Influence Technology, Modernsky Magazine (2019).
Kastrup, Dennis, Byrke Lou, Strom und Drang, Radio Eins (2018).
Poemproducer, AI & Blockchain & Algorithms, SAVYY Funk the official radio of documenta 14 (2017).
Genzmer, Jenny, Wie lernen Computer menschliche Bewegungen, Deutschlandfunk Kultur (2017).
Byrke Lou, Physics and Aesthetics of Digital Archiving, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Innovation Blog (2015).
Byrke Lou (20.04.2015): On Modelling the Milky Way. Master Thesis on the history of explanations of the Milky Way.
Byrke Lou (25.10.2011): Coarsening Dynamics in a Model of Immunity Spreading, Bachelor Thesis, University Bremen.
Byrke Lou (28.12.2008): Mathematics in Biology – a short introduction to the use of mathematics for biological research.
Byrke Lou (31.01.2008): Der Begriff vom Sinn [German], Applying Gilbert Ryle’s methods of language analysis from “The Concept of Mind” on the word “sense”.
Releases
2023, xix {*+}, NFT release, via: Your Moms Agency, Berlin, Germany & Guzzo, Barcelona, Spain
2020, bayes, digital release + audio cassette, Detroit Underground, L.A., U.S.A. & x_byrkelou, Berlin
2018, CODE, vinyl record, Research & Waves with ZCKR records, Bremen, Germany
University Teaching
2023/24, AI in Fine Art, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria
2023/24, 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
Talks (selected)
2024, Artist Talk, realtime.affairs, Berlin, Germany
2024, crying AI, European Future: Philosophical and Educational Studies, Kherson National Technical University in Ukraine, online
2023, Artist Talk, xix Gallery, online
2023, Ethical AI, MWM, Berlin, 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, Hybrid Music Lab at TOA Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016, MovLab: Reinventing Human Sensing for Virtual Realities; DIY, European Citicen Science Association, Berlin, Germany
Curating
2017, The Virtual Club, VR exhibition, Most Wanted: Music conference, Berlin, Germany
2017, CTM Music Makers Hacklab, co-host, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2016, ReSense Festival, five day performance art happening for reinventing sensing for virtual realities, SPEKTRUM, Berlin, Germany
Research
2015 – ongoing, movLab, community founder, movLab research lab, Berlin, Germany
2017, VR Music Technology Lab, Tech Open Air, Berlin, Germany
2016, Transhumanism Performance Lab, Fellow, Music Tech Fest, Berlin Germany
2016, MusicMakers Hacklab, Fellow, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2015, Master Thesis in New Media Art, finding “the new” in science and technology, Bremen, Germany
2011, Bachelor Thesis in Physics Complex Systems, numeric analysis of a mathematical model, Bremen, Germany
2009, Analyzing a voter model, Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2010, Analysis of heat transportation in the Atlantic Ocean, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences MARUM, Bremen, Germany
Jury
2025, VIA Awards, Category Best Experiment, ongoing
2021, Art Prize NRW 2022, awarded for the first time for digital art, K21 Düsseldorf & online, Germany
2017, Hybrid Music Lab, TOA Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2017, CTM Hacklab, CTM Festival 2017, Berlin, Germany
Natural Languages
German
English
Spanish
French
Qualification in Latin
Programming Languages
C, C++, C#
Python
Fortran
MATLAB
Java
JavaScript
PHP
Csound
SuperCollider
Max
Processing
& more