Lian Loke is an artist, designer and researcher, with the body as the central focus of her interdisciplinary practice. Her work explores the creation of body-centred artistic works and human-centred design approaches to interactive technologies and spaces. She has a background in design, human-computer interaction and software engineering, with extensive experience as a lecturer and researcher. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Design Lab, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney and holds an Adjunct position with the Interaction Design and Human Practice Lab, University of Technology, Sydney. She is co-founder of the Pork Collective, a group of artists working in performance installation in festival environments. She is currently training in the Bodyweather system of dance with De Quincey Co and has performed solo works in Platform 1 (2010), Platform 3 (2011) and 6 Women Dance (2013). Recent collaborations include A Carriage(Work) by The Conductors, Expanded Architecture 2011; the Urban Disorders Clinic, Urban Realities Landscape Urbanism 3 Day Design Challenge, Melbourne Docklands; solo performer in Spin, a video work by Elena Knox; the Luscious Apparatus project – research and creative development of a participatory live-art installation comprising ritual interactions focused on breath, heartbeat, constriction and compression, amplified by biofeedback-responsive soundscapes; and the Breath Temple, an interactive installation with George Khut, SEAM Symposium 2011.
Current projects include:
- My Mind Y/Our Body (with Michaela Davies) – investigating the choreographic possibilities of brainwave sensors and electric muscle stimulation technologies. Supported by Critical Path Choreographic Research Centre and the Design Lab
- Black Spring (with Dagmar Reinhardt) – an interdisciplinary exploration of interactive kinetic structures and choreography of computationally enhanced spatial environments.
Previous projects include:
- Luscious Apparatus, research into body-focused interaction and wearable, biofeedback technologies for interactive and live art contexts. Funded by The Australia Council, Inter-Arts Office 2010-2011.
- The Art of Participatory Design, PDC2010 (http://www.pdc2010.org/art-of-pd/). Co-curator with Dr Lizzie Muller (UTS) and facilitator of the Sydney Lab of the Remnant/Emergency ArtLab project (The Bat-Human project) led by Dr Keith Armstrong (QUT), in collaboration with Visiting Fellow Natalie Jeremijenko (NYU) http://remnantartlab.com.
- Thinking Through The Body (http://thinkingthroughthebody.net), exploring aesthetic experience, interactive art and somatic bodywork. ArtLab 2008/2009. Led by Dr George Khut and Dr Lizzie Muller (UTS).
- The Bystander Field, an interactive, immersive interface for engaging with curatorial collections. ARC Linkage Project 2003-2005. Led by Dr Ross Gibson (UTS) and Dr Toni Robertson (UTS).
Email: drlianloke@gmail.com