Jury Alumni

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  James Auger

  Partner, Auger-Loizeau

  2015 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  James Auger is a designer, researcher and lecturer whose work examines the social, cultural and human impact of technology and the products that exist as a result of its development and application. On graduating from Design Products (MA) at the Royal College of Art in 2001 James moved to Dublin to conduct research at Media Lab Europe (MLE) exploring the theme of human communication as mediated by technology. After MLE he worked in Tokyo as guest designer at the Miyake Design Studio developing new concepts for mobile telephones.In 2005 he returned to the RCA to teach on the Design Interactions program. During his time in DI he has been a Philips research fellow exploring the human experiential potential of smell as part of their probes program (2006-2007) and more recently completed a Ph.D (December 2012). The thesis questions the process through with emerging technologies enter everyday life using the robot as a focus for the study. James is a visiting professor at both the Haute +cole d'Art et de Design in Geneva and Musashino Art University in Tokyo. He is a partner in the speculative design practice Auger-Loizeau whose projects have been published and exhibited internationally, including MoMA, New York; 21_21, Tokyo; The Science Museum, London and Ars Electronica, Linz. Their work is in the permanent collection at MoMA. Before moving into the field of design James completed an Engineering apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce, Derby (aero engines) and worked for several years as a model-maker and special effects technician in the film industry.

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  Ghislaine Boddington

  Creative Director, body>data>space

  2015 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Creative Director, body>data>space - curator, researcher, producer, presenter, UX expert - a future thinker placing the live body at the centre of digital interaction, Ghislaine is recognised internationally since the early 90’s as a thought leader and global pioneer in full body telepresence, with deep expertise in body responsive technologies, immersive experiences and interactive interfaces.
  
  She has conceived, directed, commissioned and produced 100s of international projects converging telepresence, motion capture, wearable computing, intelligent materials, sense/gesture tech, robotics, social medias and virtual worlds, focusing on the fluid blending of the virtual and the physical. Her long term work has been to extend natural interface techniques, passionately advocating the use of the entire body as a digital interaction canvas. She has worked extensively across the years with ICA, Dance Umbrella, FACT, National Theatre, Kinetica Art Fair and Nesta as well as major venues and festivals worldwide.
  
  Present work includes Associate Curation of Nesta's flagship event FutureFest, the Women Shift Digital initiative with National Theatre, Research Development with IntelligentHQ and consultancies with creative industries on the body technology convergences.
  
  She holds a Research Associateship with Middlesex University since 1999, is a Tech London Advocate, a member of the TechCityInsider100 and is a godmother to the Stemettes. She has extensive experience in chairing and presenting, having keynoted in over 30 countries on the future of virtual physical body interfaces. She regularly inputs as a thought leader on tv, radio and in the press and into governmental briefings as a key UK innovator.

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  Jan Boelen

  Artistic Director, Z33

  2015 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Jan Boelen (¦1967, Genk) graduated as a product designer at the Media and Design Academy (KHLim), now the MAD Faculty, in Genk (B). He currently holds the position of artistic director of Z33 in Hasselt (B) and Head of the Masters Department Social Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven (NL).He is chairman of the architecture and design commission of the Flemish Community. Commissioned by the Permanent Deputation of the Province of Limburg, Jan Boelen reformed the Provincial Centre for the Visual Arts into Z33, a house for contemporary art.Since 2002, Z33 has been fashioning projects and exhibitions that encourage the visitor to look at everyday matters in a novel manner. It is a unique laboratory and a meeting place for experiment and innovation where one can discover cutting-edge exhibitions with contemporary art and design. Z33 does not have its own collection of works, but accommodates exhibition shows continuously.In his curatorial work, Jan Boelen has collaborated with Raf Simons, Studio Makkink Bey, John K÷rmeling, Thomas LommTe, Dunne & Raby, Marti QuixT, Aldo Bakker, Konstantin Grcic and Joseph Grima.In addition to the exhibitions at Z33 û House for Contemporary Art, Z33 also organizes projects in the open space, as well as projects commissioned by other organizations.At the initiative of Z33 and the Province of Limburg, Manifesta 9 took place in Belgium in 2012. In 2014 he curated the design biennial of Ljubljana in Slovenia and leaded a series of international debates on the future of design.

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  Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg

  Designer, Artist and Writer

  2015 Speculative Concept Jury Captain

  Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg is a designer, artist and writer. Seeking new roles for design, Daisy is developing experimental design approaches to help us imagine alternative ideals around technology. Through the design of objects, workshops, and writing and curating, her practice investigates both aesthetic and ethical futures for design. Daisy's collaborators include scientists, engineers, artists, designers, social scientists, galleries and industry around the world.
  
  She began a PhD by practice, The Dream of Better, exploring the idea of a 'better' future, at the Royal College of Art in London, in 2013. As Design Fellow on Synthetic Aesthetics (Stanford University/University of Edinburgh, 2010-2013), Daisy curated an international research project, developing novel modes of collaboration and critical discourse between synthetic biology, art and design. Daisy is lead author onSynthetic Aesthetics: Investigating Synthetic Biology's Designs on Nature (MIT Press, March 2014). She led the curatorial team for Grow Your Own - Life After Nature, a flagship exhibition about synthetic biology at Science Gallery, Dublin (October 2013 - January 2014).
  
  Daisy studied architecture at the University of Cambridge, design at Harvard University and Design Interactions MA at the Royal College of Art. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including MoMA New York, London's Design Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Israel Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo and the National Museum of China. Daisy publishes, teaches and lectures internationally: talks include TEDGlobal, PopTech and Design Indaba; she guest-edited Current Opinion in Chemical Biology (December 2012). In 2011, her collaborative work E. chromi was nominated for Designs of The Year and the Index Awards and was collected by the new Museo Delle Scienze in Trento. Daisy won the 2011 World Technology Award for Design and received the first London Design Medal for Emerging Talent in 2012. Daisy leads Studio Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg Ltd.

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  Julia Lohmann

  Professor for Design, University of Fine Arts, Hamburg (HFBK)

  2016 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Maggots. Sheep stomachs. Seaweed. German-born designer and researcher Julia Lohmann investigates and critiques the ethical and material value systems underpinning our relationship with flora and fauna. She is Professor for Design at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg (HFBK) and directs her eponymous London-based design practice. Julia studied at the Royal College of Art, where she has also taught and is currently engaged in an AHRC-funded collaborative PhD scholarship between the RCA and the Victoria & Albert Museum. As designer in residence at the V&A in 2013, she established the Department of Seaweed, a transdisciplinary community of practice exploring the marine plant’s potential as a design material. Julia Lohmann’s work is part of major public and private collections worldwide and has received awards, bursaries and support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the British Council, Jerwood Contemporary Makers, D&AD, Stanley Picker Gallery, the Arts Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

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  Matt Malpass

  Lecturer, University of the Arts, London, Central Saint Martins

  2016 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Matt Malpass is responsible for the Coordination of MA Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins: University of the Arts London. His research and practice centre on critical, speculative and socially responsive design practice. He has written extensivly on critical design practice and is the author of the forthcoming book Critical Design in Context: History, Theory and Practice.

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  Cher Potter

  Research Fellow, Victoria and Albert Museum

  2015 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Cher Potter is an LCF/V&A Museum Senior Research Fellow. She is currently working as part of the curatorial team for a forthcoming exhibition at the V&A Museum titledThe Future: A History.As a Design Futurist, her practice has a number of applications in forecasting, research, curating and writing. Before starting at the V&A, she lead the Creative Direction at WGSN Forecasting Agencyùthe global leader in design research and trends. Here, her reports garnered a readership of over 2,150,000 people within the design industry, and became the source from which many product and fashion industry tendencies emanate today.As an expert of design futures, she curated the 23rd edition of the Impakt Arts Festival in 2012 which focused on post western arts and design practice. She has organized design symposiums, ran workshops and presented design trends globally, and her writing has appeared in various publications, including a regular feature on design futures in 032C Magazine.

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  Bruce and Stephanie Tharp

  Founders, Materious

  2016 Speculative Concept Jury Captain

  Bruce and Stephanie Tharp lead a husband-and-wife design studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan where they also are professors at the University of Michigan's Stamps School of Art & Design. Their studio has licensed and commissioned products and projects for companies like Ligne Roset, Moet-Hennessy, The Art Institute of Chicago, Crate&Barrel, Kikkerland, and Design Ideas. Educated in mechanical engineering, sociocultural anthropology, and industrial design, their practice and teaching crosses disciplinary boundaries of design, business, engineering, and healthcare, as well as the four fields of design: commercial, responsible, experimental, and discursive design. They are currently finishing a book project on discursive design.

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  Thomas Thwaites

  Founder, Thomas Thwaites Studio

  2016 Speculative Concept Jury Member

  Thomas Thwaites is a designer whose work examines the interaction of science, technology and culture in shaping our present society, and possible futures.
  
  His work has been acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum for their permanent collection, and is exhibited frequently and internationally, including at the National Museum of China, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the Science Museum (London), and the Zero 1 Biennial (California).
  
  Press includes features in national newspapers including the New York Times, Sued Detsche and The Financial Times. He has presented a four part television series, aired on Discovery Channel.
  
  His first book, The Toaster Project, published by Princeton Architectural Press, has now been translated in to Japanese and Korean editions. His second book, written about his Wellcome Trust funded project to take a holiday from being human by becoming a goat, will be published in May 2016.