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Visual & Media Cultures Colloquium - Theo Triantafyllidis

Escapism: The Boundaries of Virtual Space
Studio Visit (2018), Theo Triantafyllidis
Friday, October 23, 2020 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
online event
Presented by: 
Arts Division
Film and Digital Media
History of Art and Visual Culture

VIA ZOOM, PLEASE RSVP TO RECEIVE THE LINK

In this lecture, artist Theo Triantafyllidis will present recent work together with a sneak peek into current projects and behind the scenes material. The focus of the presentation will be on the use of the game engine as an artistic tool and the construction of alternative realities, performative systems, and open narratives.

Theo Triantafyllidis is an artist who builds virtual spaces and the interfaces for the human body to inhabit them. He creates complex worlds and systems where the virtual and the physical merge in uncanny, absurd, and poetic ways. These are manifested as performances, mixed reality experiences, games, and interactive installations. He uses awkward interactions and precarious physics to invite the audience to embody, engage with, and challenge these other realities. Through the lens of monster theory, he investigates themes of isolation, sexuality, and violence in their visceral extremities. He holds an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, Design Media Arts, and a Diploma of Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens. He was part of Sundance New Frontier 2020, Hyper Pavilion in the 2017 Venice Biennale, and the 2018 Athens Biennale: ANTI-. Triantafyllidis is based in Los Angeles.

The annual Visual and Media Cultures Colloquia (VMCC) at UCSC are a collaboration between the graduate programs in Film and Digital Media Department and Visual Studies in the History of Art and Visual Culture Department. The series brings an array of cutting-edge scholars to speak on a broad spectrum of subjects. Talks are free and open to the public.