Reza Safavi

At the Coalesce residency Reza will be working to use and integrate life sciences technologies and the tools and technologies used in genomics and explorations of the microbiome in his artistic practice. For the last number of years Reza has been involved in creating interactive participatory projects/research on migratory flow patterns through waterways, and, in preparation for an upcoming Arctic Circle research expedition he will be working with local critters and the Coalesce team and resources to explore and learn about specific microbial communities, leading to the creation of a participatory interactive art installation.

http://www.hi-reza.com

Reza’s research examines how the ubiquity of technology in daily life shapes experience. He uses video, code, sound, drawing, performance, sculpture, analog and digital devices as well as living elements to create interactive experiences that highlight the interfaces, both macro and micro, among communities, technology, consciousness and the environment.

Reza has been a member of a number of artists’ groups and, in addition to his solo work, he regularly participates in trans-disciplinary collaborative projects. His artwork has been exhibited and presented nationally and internationally, including at many locations of ISEA(International Symposium of Electronic Art festival),  Medialab Prado, Madrid, SP Urban Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ionian Center for the Arts, Kefalonia, Greece, Hangar, Barcelona, Performance Studies International (PSi), Daegu, South Korea, the Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA and at The New York Electronic Arts Festival (NYEAF) at Harvestworks, NYC. Reza holds an MFA from the University of Oregon and a BFA from the University of Victoria. He is an Associate Professor, in the Department of Fine Arts at Washington State University, Pullman, WA.