Louise Lessél is a Danish New Media artist and Creative Technologist based in New York. She creates digital projections and interactive light installations based on scientific facts and data input, often exploring the limits of the human perceptual system or raising ecological awareness. All of her projects are interactive and uses various sensors and tracking technologies for user input.

Previously exhibited works include the internationally renowned installation ‘The Wave’, made during her time at the artist collective Vertigo, in Denmark.

She currently works with James Clar Studio, Future Media Lab and DE-YAN, when she is not creating her own artworks.

Read bio by Washington Square News.
Watch InSession with TouchDesigner Derivative Team.
Watch Artist Talk for the SFA Projects 2021 Exhibition.

Programming

C#, Processing, Javascript, Arduino, Python, GLSL, CG, C++, MATLAB, p5.js, SonicPi, Open Frameworks

Software

Unity, Touchdesigner, Madmapper, VDMX, Unreal Engine, Max MSP, Ableton, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop

CV.

I am interested in creating artworks that tell tales of non-human perceivable phenomenons, be it computer algorithmic thinking or plant system symbiosis. I base my art on scientific discoveries and exploration of the blind spots in human perception and the unnoticed social conditions under which we live.

Then I try to create new social spaces that humans can attempt to exist in, based on rules extracted from these phenomenons. All with the aim to describe the human condition and how focused we are on making things exist on human terms.

Education

2018 – 2020 :: MPS. Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York University, Tisch, USA
Graduate degree in digital media art and interactive technologies.

Camera & Sensor technologies, VR, AR, Motion capture, Volumetric capture, Special effects, Open source software, Data collection and visualization, Machine Learning, Exhibition design, Projection mapping and Live performance technologies, Physical computing and Lighting design. Thesis: Homo ex Humo. Interactive sculpture with luminous robotic branches forcing humans to slow their presence to plant time scales.

2015 – 2018 :: BSc. Medialogy, Aalborg University, Denmark
Undergraduate degree in researching, programming and prototyping interactive installations.

Interaction design and programming, Augmented reality, Sensor technologies, Sound design, Signal processing, Computer graphics, Rendering, Game theory, Animation, 3D modeling, Virtual reality, Interactive storytelling, AV production. Bachelor project: The Black Queen.  Creating a system for autonomous agents and projection mapping in Unity, within the context of interactive live theatre.

2009 – 2012 :: BSc. Digital Media & Design, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Undergraduate degree in interaction design, user research, digital media strategy and communication.

Interaction design, Co-design, Research, Innovation and entrepreneurship, E-business, Prototyping, Project management, Concept development, Crossmedia, Storytelling, Communication strategy and Social media. Bachelor project: Ebooks and eye tracking. Transforming ebooks into interactive reading experiences, using eye tracking and attention theory to let natural reading patterns propel the narrative.

Exhibitions

Illumination Light Art NYC, October 2021
Under the Kosciuszko Bridge, Brooklyn, New York,  link

SFA Projects, January 21 – March 30 2021
Manhattan, NYC, SFA Projects,  link

[POSTPONED 2021] Roskilde Festival, June 27-July 4 2020
Denmark, Roskilde Festival,  link

Invited showcase for Engineering Everywhere event, February 22, 2020
Liberty Science Museum, New Jersey,  link

Processing Day NYC, February 8, 2020
The New School, New York,  link

NYC Media Lab, September 26, 2019
NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York,  link

Figment Festival NYC, June 1 – 2, 2019
Roosevelt Island, New York, Figment Festival,  link

NYCxDesign Exhibition, May 10 – 22, 2019
Times Square, New York, American Design Club,  link

ITP Spring Show 2019, May 21 – 22, 2019
NYU Tisch, New York,  link

ITP Winter Show 2018, December 17 – 18, 2018
NYU Tisch, New York,  link

NYC Media Lab, September 20, 2018
The New School, New York,  link

Digital Arts Festival, December 12 2018 – January 7 2019
Stavros Niarchos Park, Athens, Greece,  link

River of Light festival, November 4-5, 2018
Liverpool, United Kingdom,  link

Lumiere Festival, January 18-21, 2018
London, United Kingdom,  link

CPH Light Festival, 4 February – 2 March 2018
Copenhagen, Denmark,  link

ENIGMA Museum, October 1-30,  2017
Copenhagen, Denmark,  link

Plugout Festival 2017, September 1, 2017
Exhibition “Future visuals: Mobile AR Visuals”,  link  link

SMILE Samsung VR lab, November 23, 2017
Conference showcase  “Augmented Reality Visuals”,  press

Oticon Audio Explorers, June, 2016
Design pitch winner for hearing aid company,  link

Awards and scholarships

Fulbright Denmark
American-Scandinavian Foundation
Interactive Telecommunications Program NYU

Nordisk Film
Danmark-Amerika Fondet
Bikubenfonden Academic Guest House
Laurits Andersen Fonden
Augustinus Fonden
Glashof Legatet
Knud Højgaards Fond
Marie & M.B. Richters Fond

Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansen Fonden
Konpa Legat
Direktør Ib Henriksens Fond
VP Legat
Oticon Fonden
Fonden Julius Skrikes Stiftelse
Henry og Mary Skovs Fond
Frederiksborggenser legatet
Fonden af 3. november 1973

Lectures, critiques & artist talks

Published research

HCI International 2017 conference
Published Paper “Mix and Match: Designing an Installation for Music Festivals Aiming to Increase Social Sustainability” in DUXU 2017: Design, User Experience, and Usability: Designing Pleasurable Experiences 
Available at: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-58637-3_1

SIDeR conference 2012
Published Paper “Introducing Magical Experiences in UX” in Student Interaction Design Research conference proceedings 2012.
Available at: http://www.cse.chalmers.se/research/group/idc/ituniv/sider12/?presentation=introducing-magical-experiences-in-ux

Lydkultur Rapporten 2012
Research Publication Contributing author and academic researcher for Lydkultur Rapporten, Part of the work done by the Danish collective LiveLaboratoriet. “Lydkultur” (Sound culture) is a major project for development and networking in the live music business in Denmark, supported by the Danish Government with a project funding budget of 500.000 DKK. Throughout 2012, six venues have discussed and shared ideas in an attempt to innovate the live music experience and create bottom-line value. The report examines these ideas, which were developed during creative workshops and tested in a series of events.
Available at: https://www.yumpu.com/da/document/view/18195699/lydkultur-2012-1-vega