Laura Beloff

Laura Beloff (Ph.D.) is an internationally acclaimed artist and a researcher in the cross section of art, technology and science. Additionally, to research articles and book-chapters, the outcome of the research is in a form of experimental art projects, that deal with the merger of the technological and biological matter at large. The research engages with the areas such as art & science, human enhancement, wearable artistic interventions, biosemiotics, biological matter, artificial life, artificial intelligence, robotics, and information technology in connection to art, humans, environment and society. She has Doctor of Philosophy degree from Plymouth University. Previously she has been a Full Professor at the Art Academy in Oslo 2002-06, a visiting Professor at The University of Applied Arts in Vienna 2009, 2011. 2012-2019 she was Associate Professor, Head of Section 2012-2016 and Head of PhD School 2017-2019 at IT-University in Copenhagen. In late 2019 Beloff accepted a position in Aalto University. She has been the Head of ViCCA-program (Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art) in 2020-2022, 2022-2024 Head of Doctoral Education in the Department of Art & Media (DAM). Currently she is Associate Professor and Vice Dean for Artistic and Creative practices in the school of Art, Design and Architecture, Aalto University. 

Research portal at Aalto: https://research.aalto.fi/en/persons/laura-beloff  

2023 commissioned public art project:

• The project 'R-Bus' has been commissioned by Helsinki Art Museum HAM and funded by the City of Helsinki 2023. https://www.r-bus.fi/    The project consists of a self-driving small bus that has been navigating in the Kalasatama area of Helsinki and audio inside the bus; a mix of real-time streams from near-by green areas and machine-learning generated sounds. The work was realized over a two-year period with a core-team of: Laura Beloff & Marko Tandefelt, Petri Ruikka, Jani Hietanen, Calvin Guillot, John W. Fail, Esther Saraste.

Funded academic projects:  

• Aalto internal funding for Radical Creativity 2022-24: Optics and nanosciences promoting new paradigms in arts and design. PI’s: Prof Ilkka Tittonen, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, ELEC & Prof. Laura Beloff, Department of Art & Media, ARTS. The doctoral candidate from the ARTS involved in the project: Katri Naukkarinen.
• Finalized: ABRA – artificial biology, robotics and art (Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership) together with Pia Fricker from Aalto University. https://www.abra-hub.net/ 2020 >>2023 - August. Students involved: Aska Mayer (MA), Marija Sumarac (MA), Aurora Del Rio (DA), Katri Naukkarinen (DA).
• Finalized: Hybrid Lab Network (Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership) https://hybrid.i3s.up.pt/ 2019 >> 2022 
 
• !! I am always happy to discuss possibilities for new interesting projects and research partnerships!!
• I am interested in practice-driven Doctoral candidates whose interests (and past projects) are in experimental arts and artistic research. In my focus is ART affiliated with other disciplines, such as sciences and technology; including theoretical, biological, philosophical, technological, environmental connections (e.g. artistic approaches to biotech/bioart at large, diverse ecologies, AI and AL, living machines, human-enhancement, robotics, wearable systems, ...) in planetary-scale and microscopic-scale, and how these developments impact our reality, values and worldview. As well as any other interesting, meaningful, unexpected, extravagance subject matters that research ours and others' terrestrial existence, futures and the past. The research group is RAT (link). RAT stands for various things, for example: Radical, Art, Transformation, or Reality, Animal, Technology,…) There is a yearly Aalto University wide call for DA students every spring (feb/march)
• On-going: I am also one of the initiators (2021) of the art & science Leonardo LASER-talks series in Aalto University together with Pia Fricker, Ksenia Kaverina and Koray Tahiroglu, Nitin Shawney and Kirsi Peltonen. https://www.aalto.fi/en/laser-talks 
 In 2023 and 2024 the LASER talks will be organized under the Aalto Radical Creativity umbrella by Riikka Mäkikoskela and her team! https://www.aalto.fi/en/our-strategy/radical-creativity

I am not that good in keeping my artist website in any up-to-date condition… By chance it may be in better or worse status: http://www.realitydisfunction.org/ But you can always mail me with questions!   Here you can find my recent portfolio as a pdf-file: PORTFOLIO BELOFF

The most of my recent years writings/publications you can find: https://mediaconcepts.academia.edu/LauraBeloff and some of them also in the Researchgate.net.    

In Aalto, I am teaching few courses that investigate implications and possibilities of art - science - technology as a cross-over field. Also, I am in charge of the Doctoral Seminar for Contemporary Art field.

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Laura Beloff (Ph.D.) on kansainvälisesti tunnustettu taiteilija, tutkija ja filosofian tohtori (Plymouth University), joka työskentelee taiteen, teknologian ja tieteen välimaastossa. Hänen taide-painotteinen tutkimus tuottaa perinteisten akateemisten artikkeleiden ohella kokeilevia taideprojekteja, jotka usein käsittelevät teknologisen ja biologisen materian kohtaamista tai yhdistymistä. Tutkimuksen ja kiinnostuksen kohteina ovat mm. seuraavat aihepiirit; ihmisen muokkaus, biosemiotiikka, keinoelämä, robotiikka, keinoäly ja yleisesti informaatio teknologian kytkeytyminen taiteeseen, ihmisiin, ympäristöön ja yhteiskuntaan. Beloff on toiminut vuosina 2012-2019 professorin (Associate Professor) tehtävässä IT University of Copenhagenissa Tanskassa ja lisäksi osaston ja PhD-koulun johtajana. Aikaisemmin hän on ollut vierailevana professorina Wienin taideteollisessa korkeakoulussa University of Applied Arts Vienna sekä taiteen professorina Oslo National Academy of the Arts taideakatemiassa. Loppu vuodesta 2019 hän on ollut professorina Aalto Yliopiston taiteen osastolla ja johti kansainvälistä ViCCA (Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art) koulutusohjelmaa 2020-22. Vuosina 2022-2024 hän oli Tohtori koulutusohjelman johtaja Taiteen ja Media osastolla. Syyskuusta 2024 Beloff on Professori-pestin lisäksi taiteellisen ja luovan toiminnan varadekaani Aalto Yliopiston Taiteen ja Suunnittelun koulussa.

Contact: laura dot beloff at aalto dot fi 

Research portal: 

https://research.aalto.fi/en/persons/laura-beloff