Profile
Byrke Lou is a trans-disciplinary hybrid artist and physicist. Born in Berlin, West-Germany she is currently based in Berlin and working internationally.
For her bachelor thesis in theoretical physics, she numerically analyzed a mathematical model that was suspected to open up a new class of systems. Subsequently, in her M.A. in Digital Media, she studied media informatics, media theory, media design, interaction design, fine art, and media art. Her master thesis is situated in the field of new media art. She studied with Prof. Dr. Andrea Sick, Hannes Hoelzl, Dennis P. Paul, and Frieder Nake. In a theoretical and practical part, Byrke Lou analyzed how culture and human-object relations are translated through virtual media, how humans generate knowledge and technology, and which roles culture, economics, and technology play in the process.
In 2015, she funded “movLab”, an open, interdisciplinary group where people discuss the impact of digitizing human bodies, build DIY electronics and motion capture systems, and produce works of (performance) art. From 2017 to 2019, she created and held the first courses on VR, AR, and AI at the University of Arts (UdK) Berlin, and probably the first VR courses at an art university. 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.
Background of Work's Names
When I studied physics, I was immediately fascinated by how letters and symbols were used to store meaning. We all know “c” as the symbol for the speed of light, and we know “∞” to symbolize infinity. These symbols are abbreviations, which make discussing scientific topics (by writing formulas) a lot faster.
In my work, I examine how an increasingly virtual world will impact our future lives. How will humans feel, think, and move in virtual worlds? In order to find answers to these questions, I analyzed the involved systems. Whatever happens in the virtual world needs to follow not the laws of physics but the laws of computation. My work’s names are the names of the coordinate systems and symbols that will create the virtual space in which future virtual worlds exist.
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
2020, Virtual Partner Residency, Goethe-Institut, Munich, Germany
2019, Artist in Residence, Factory Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016, Artist in Residence, Multimadeira, Funchal, Portugal
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, California
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, Max Planck Institute, Dresden, Germany
2013, addicted to random, Händel-Haus Halle, Halle, Germany
Exhibitions in Mixed Reality Space (Selected)
2023, Intelligence Unbound, THE SPACE Gallery, online
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)
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, xxxo, 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).
University Lecturer
2023, (upcomming)
2023, (upcomming)
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
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), Arabic / Russian / Chinese: beginner, qualification in Latin