✨ We’re excited to share that Simulacra Naturae – Entangled Biomes will be presented at the @acmsiggraph 2026 Art Gallery, Los Angeles Convention Center.
The work is a multisensory installation exploring how aesthetic experience emerges through the interaction of biological activity, generative algorithms, and embodied agents. Driven by brain organoid data, the project unfolds as a living ecosystem where neural dynamics, computation, and human interaction co-evolve across time and material scales.
Developed with brain organoid data from the Kosik Neurobiology Lab at UCSB. Produced by Metaesthetica (supported by @sbcast ) in collaboration with @mat_ucsb transLAB and supported by @expressivecomputationlab , MAT PhD students and alumni. @nefeliman@mertoka@viscousvoid@deejay_tekton@nulltools@stejaraiulia
We are grateful to be part of this collective effort and to share this work with the SIGGRAPH community.
See you all in LA this summer!
#SIGGRAPH2026 #MediaArts #BioArt #GenerativeArt #InteractiveArt UCSB MATUCSB Metaesthetica
👽👾So excited for our coming workshop! 👾👽
⭕TD Data Unbound⭕
TouchDesigner Workshop
TouchDesigner goes off-grid.
A two-day, hands-on workshop led by Jarrett Smith (co-founder of Derivative / TouchDesigner), with Nefeli Manoudaki (@nefeliman )and Iason Paterakis (@deejay_tekton )
Bring your own inputs — audio, datasets, sensors, controllers, cameras — and turn them into living, responsive systems.
We’ll explore how data moves, reacts, and performs inside TouchDesigner through real-time experimentation and play.
In Person only @transLAB , @mat_ucsb University of California, Santa Barbara
⚡🎛️📡
#touchdesigner #creativecoding #RealtimeMedia #interactiveart #matucsb
"Simulacra Naturae" was showcased as part of the IEEE VISAP Collective Care (@visapnet ) exhibition at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. This collaborative installation, by MAT PhD students/alumni Nefeli Manoudaki, Iason Paterakis, Mert Toka and Diarmid Flatley, explores the brain organoid activity that drives simulated ecosystems and generative forms.
Additionally, the team presented a research paper related to the "Simulacra Naturae" project during the IEEE VISAP paper session. You can find the paper here: /abs/2509.02924.
"Simulacra Naturae" is a collaboration between MAT’s transLAB, led by professor Marcos Novak, and the Kosik Neurobiology Lab, led by professor Kenneth Kosik, with additional support from the @expressivecomputationlab , led by professor Jennifer Jacobs, as well as the MAT AlloPlex Studio/Lab at SBCAST.
We are pleased to announce that the upcoming exhibition IEEE VISAP includes our latest collaborative installation, "Simulacra Naturae." This piece explores the brain organoid activity that drives simulated ecosystems and generative forms.
This work will be featured in the IEEE VISAP "Collective Care" exhibition and will be installed alongside other exciting artwork installations at the atrium of the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien (University of Applied Arts, Vienna).
We are also presenting a paper at the IEEE VISAP paper session on our Simulacra Naturae work.
Simulacra Naturae is a collaboration between the @mat_ucsb MAT transLAB led by professor Marcos Novak and the Kosik Neurobiology Lab led by professor Ken Kosik, with additional support from the Expressive Computation Lab (@expressivecomputationlab ) led by professor Jennifer Jacobs, and the MAT AlloPlex Studio/Lab at @sbcast .
Artists: Nefeli Manoudaki, Mert Toka, Iason Paterakis, Diarmid Flatley
@nefeliman , @mertoka , @deejay_tekton , @nulltools , @metaesthetica_
Brave New Work "Osmosis x Amalgam" artwork by @nefeliman , @deejay_tekton (Osmosis) @nulltools (Amalgam). "Osmosis x Amalgam" opened the Brave New Work Santa Barbara Library Michael Townes Library projection mapping show.
The projection mapping event featured works by:
Nancy Baker Cahill · Richelle Ellis Gribble · Victoria Vesna · Beatie Wolfe · Yuge Zhou
Art Directors: Iason Paterakis (@deejay_tekton ) & Nefeli Manoudaki (@nefeliman ) (PhD students, MAT)
Lead Audio Engineer/Designer: @Diarmid Flatley (@nulltools ) , PhD, MAT UCSB
Stay tuned for more.
Excerpt from our KEYT interview. Media Arts & Technology and Google Quantum at the core of today’s media + AI shift - research to real-world practice.
Join us at Brave New Work. @mat_ucsb@sbcast@deejay_tekton , Dr.JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, @foreststearns #googlequantum #mat #ucsb #california
Video credits: KEYT news
full interviews: /news/special-reports/2025/09/29/santa-barbara-artists-and-scientists-explore-ais-role-in-shaping-the-future-of-creativity/
Brave New Work:
/artists
We were thrilled to welcome @philip.beesley for an inspiring guest talk as part of the Media Arts & Design (MAD) Summer Minor at UCSB! ✨
He joined students from MAT 110CF (Fundamental Concepts, led by Teaching Associate Iason Paterakis @deejay_tekton ) and MAT 111FS (Fundamental Skills, led by Teaching Associate Nefeli Manoudaki @nefeliman ), in the transLAB, sharing his visionary approach to responsive environments, living architecture, and the future of media arts.
Huge thank you to Philip, Kevan Cress and Alan Macy @alanmacy for the generosity, imagination, and thoughtful provocations they brought into our classroom!
#MADUCSB #mediaartsanddesign #mediaartsandtechnology #ucsb
We are very excited to present our work “Organoid Protonoesis II” which is exhibited at @iseainternational in the @seoul_arts_center
Project team: @nefeliman , @deejay_tekton , @nulltools , Ryan Millett , @alien90291
Organoid Protonoesis is a neurobiological, data-driven, interactive installation that gives form and expression to the intricate relationship between brain cell organoid firings and AI. Protonoesis is fusing architecture, generative audio & generative AI. Collaboration with the Ken Kosik Neurobiology lab at USCB. Scientific collaborators: @alanmacy@tjitsevandermolen
This project is supported by @mat_ucsb and @sbcast #neurobiology #neuroarchitecture #bioart #isea2025 #mediaart #organoids #touchdesigner
