Bio
Carl Emil Carlsen (1982) is an independent artist who explores computation as a means of creating sensory experiences. Most of his installation and performance works employ various sorts of mixed reality techniques to integrate virtual simulations into physical environments. In this hybrid space, his works unfold interactively, always generating new variations of synthetic patterns, form, motion and behavior. Inspired by biological and natural phenomena, he investigates new ways of making digital expression appear authentic and alive.
For his audiovisual performances, notably Silicium with electronic musician Bjørn Svin, the focus is to unite auditive and visual expression while retaining the vitality of a live music experience. This line of work involves the continuous development of personalized live instruments for improvising generative graphics.
Carl Emil has contributed to the interactive art scene since 2003 and has received multiple grants from the Danish Arts Foundation for his productions. Most recently, his work has been featured at the Ars Electronica (Linz), Nikolaj Kunsthal (Copenhagen) and Click Festival (Helsingør).
Apart from his personal artistic practice, he collaborates with groups and cultural companies to create interactive experiences and new formats. He also has a history of giving lectures and conducting workshops on interactive media.
CV
Performances
- 2019 Silicium - Primordial @ Art & Text Days, Kunsthalle.
- 2019 Nordic Fractals @ Klang Festival, Koncertkirken.
- 2019 Silicium 04 @ CPH Stage, Pakhus 11.
- 2019 Silicium - Primordial @ CPH:DOX, Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
- 2018 Silicium 04 @ Ars Electronica, Lentos Art Museum.
- 2018 Silicium 04 @ Click Festival, The Culture Yard.
- 2017 Silicium 03 @ Click Festival, The Culture Yard.
- 2016 Silicium 02 @ Click Festival, The Culture Yard.
- 2015 Silicium 01 @ Click Festival, The Culture Yard.
- 2014 Flight @ Naesus 3, Tycho Brahe Planetarium.
- 2014 Orphx Live @ ROI 13, Mayhem.
Exhibitions
- 2016 Colony 02 @ Hybrid Matters, Nikolaj Kunsthal.
- 2015 Silicium 02 (Screening) @ ARTE/SCIENZA/BIOTECNOLOGIA, Palazzo Costanzi.
- 2015 Synaesthetic Experiments @ Urban Collection, Digital Interactive Art Space (DIAS).
- 2014 Colony 02 @ Annual meeting, Danish Agency for Culture.
- 2014 Seasonal Skin @ Click Festival, The Culture Yard.
- 2014 Voxelized Virgin @ Bring Your Own Beamer (BYOB), The National Museum of Denmark.
- 2014 Has-Been Trash Bin @ Art Hack Day, Transmediale.
- 2011 Colony 01 @ Bring Your Own Beamer (BYOB), Nikolaj Kunsthal.
- 2010 Metroplex @ New Media Days, Carlsberg Tap2.
- 2009 Life-Like @ Notch, Sanlitun Village.
- 2009 Infested Area @ KURS The Lake, Sorø Kunstmuseum.
- 2008 Metasyn @ Total Action, Museum of Contemporary Art.
- 2008 Nerve @ eARTS, Feng Shui Omniscience Stage.
- 2008 Nerve @ SPOR Festival, Århus Musikhus.
- 2007 Lightbender 02 @ Sound Around, Københavns Musikteater.
- 2007 Word Rain @ Roskilde Festival, Spoken Word Stage.
- 2007 Lightbender 01 @ Social Aktion, Museum of Contemporary Art.
- 2007 Soundcatcher @ Sonic Playground, Western Front.
- 2006 Life-Like & Splash Screen @ Kontur Festival, Københavns Musikteater.
- 2006 Life-Like @ Half Machine, Grey Hall.
- 2006 Splash Screen @ Dansens Dag, ARoS Århus Kunstmuseum.
- 2005 Infected Area @ DiGi-wave, DGI-byen.
- 2005 Scattered Stories @ RAMA, Århus Musikhus.
- 2004 Splash Screen @ Kontur festival, DGI-byen.
- 2004 Splash Screen & Star Gate @ Half Machine, Grey Hall.
- 2004 Splash Screen @ Nordic Music Days, Borups Højskole.
- 2003 Electronic music instruments @ Half Machine, Gray Hall.
Education
- 2008 MA @ Interactive Media, Design School Kolding.
- 2007 Exchange semester @ Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design.
- 2006 Internship @ Art+Com.
- 2003 Semester @ Multimedia Design, Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (KEA).
- 2002 Semester @ Technology & Communication, Next (Former KTS).
- 2002 Semester @ Kunsthøjskolen.
- 2001 High School @ Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasium.
Lecturing
- Roskilde University (Computer Science)
- 2020 Essential Computing 1
- Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID)
- 2019 Programming for designers (Processing)
- 2019 Programming for designers (Processing)
- 2014 Programming for designers (Processing)
- The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
- 2017 Sound visualisation & Peppers Ghost CATCH workshop (Unity)
- 2012 Procedural From & Sound Materialisation (Unity)
- 2010 Data Visualisation (Processing)
- 2010 Interactive Sound (Max/MSP)
- Design School Kolding
- 2017 Graphics Programming (Unity)
- 2012 Video Projection Mapping
- 2012 Programming for designers (Unity)
- 2011 Drawing with code (Javascript)
- 2011 AV Instruments (Max/MSP/Jitter)
- 2011 Robotics design for hospitals
- 2009 Drawing with code (Processing)
- 2008 Drawing with code (Processing)
- Independent workshops
- 2015 Peppers Ghost @ Sifenlv (Beijing)
- 2013 Procedural Form Marathon @ Science Friction (Copenhagen)
- Sonic College
- 2013 Interactive audio (Unity)
- 2012 Interactive audio (Unity)
- Copenhagen University, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies
- 2011 Lecture on sound visualisation
- Sound Field (self-initiated sound scape workshop)
- 2011 Tonespace (Esbjerg)
- 2011 Bredagerskolen (Jelling)
- 2010 Tove Ditlevsens Skolen (Copenhagen)
- 2006 Islands Brygge skole (Copenhagen)
- Kunsthøjskolen
- 2008 Summer course teacher assistent in music and video (5 years)
Talks
- 2019 Artist Talk @ Unite Copenhagen.
- 2019 Panel discussion @ Danish Visual Artists.
- 2018 Artist talk @ Visual Game & Media Design, KADK.
- 2018 Artist talk @ DJBFA, Jolene.
- 2017 Presentation @ Hack4DK, Enigma Museum.
- 2017 Artist talk @ Strøm Festival, Meat District.
- 2016 Ignite talk @ KEA Digital.
- 2016 Lecture @ The Danish National School of Performance Arts.
- 2014 Artist talk @ QA Ring (Quanta Arts Foundation).
- 2014 Ignite talk @ Hack4DK, National Gallery of Denmark.
- 2013 Talk @ Design2Innovate, Design School Kolding.
- 2013 Artist talk @ Kunsthøjskolen.
- 2012 Artist talk @ Bits & Beers, Republikken.
- 2010 Artist talk @ Kunsthøjskolen.
- 2010 Introduction @ Netfilmmakers, Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
- 2007 Artist talk @ Machine-Raum.
- 2005 Artist talk @ The Art of the Overhead.
Residencies
- 2011 Transformator @ Kontoret for Kunst i Byen.
Grants
- 2017 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Music and Drama. For Silicium 04.
- 2016 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Music and Drama. For Silicium 03.
- 2015 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Music and Drama. For Silicium 02.
- 2015 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Visual Arts. For Silicium 01.
- 2009 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Visual Arts. For the continuation of artistic work.
- 2009 Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Visual Arts. For Infested Area.
Awards
- 2014 Hackathon winner, Hack4DK. National Gallery of Denmark.
Publications
- 2009 Art magazine story, Apparatur 19. About Nerve.
- 2009 Book chapter, RE_ACTION, The Digital Archive Experience. About Metasyn.
Consulting
- Make
- 2019 Generative visual identity app, confidential client.
- The Royal Danish Theatre
- 2019 Interactive graphics for the piece Menneskebyrden, Stages of Science.
- 2014 Interactive installation displayed at Copenhagen Airport.
- The Culture Yard
- 2019 Interactive graphics for Chronicle of Light Year, Very Theatre.
- 2015 Interactive graphics for Hamlet's labyrinth.
- Vertigo (former Obscura)
- 2018 Interactive graphics for Gloria stage, Roskilde festival.
- 2017 Interactive graphics for Gloria stage, Roskilde festival.
- 2017 Interactive set design, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).
- The Alexandra Institute
- 2017 System for multi-display installation Alssund Model.
- 2007 Interactive christmas card.
- PauseAble
- 2017 Prototypes and updates.
- 2016 AR prototype.
- Makropol
- 2017 Interactive graphics for symphonic VR visual music Open Orchestra.
- 2016 Interactive timeline tools for VR film Eve.
- Ustwo
- 2016 Prototyping, Lego.
- 2015 Prototyping Playdoh Touch, Hasbro.
- 2015 Prototyping Hanazuki, Hasbro.
- QA Ring
- 2014 Mentoring on Unbreakable City, Scarecrow Contemporary Dance Company.
- Danish Technical University (DTU)
- 2014 Data visualisation, Euroscience Open Forum conference.
- Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR)
- 2013 In-house generative screen saver.
- 2013 Generative graphics for set design.
- Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID)
- 2013 Data visualisation.
- 2012 Data visualisation.
- 2012 Data visualisation.
- Oxfam IBIS
- 2013 Online campain for youth in Sierra Leone.
- 2013 Online campain against child labor in African gold mines.
- Dark Matters
- 2013 Procedural animation, Castle Museum in Vordingborg.
- 2012 Interactive graphics, Novo Nordisk.
- 2012 Large scale interactive video projection, Roskilde Festival.
- Yoke
- 2012 Interactive fish pond, The Blue Planet.
- 2010 Interactive installation, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft.
- 2009 Optimising interactive installation, V&A Museum London.
- Audioflow
- 2011 Interactive music composition tool.
- Simon Steen Andersen
- 2011 Interactive audiovisual improvisation instrument.
- Rimini Protokoll
- 2010 Procedural content for Best Before, Push Festival.
- Music To Use
- 2010 Browsing interface concept and GUI design.
- etrans
- 2010 Interactive audio for electric car installation.
- JDS Architects
- 2008 Prototyping of customised keynote software.
- Prosa
- 2007 Redesign and implementation of website.
- Shift Control Studios
- 2006 Simulated projection for flag store in LA, Prada.