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hi, my name is cyanne van den houten (they/she). i am a media artist based in utrecht . . .

. . . my media artworks stem from the drive to uncover mysteries around the digital. opposing the idea that the invisibility of technology is something to be feared; instead examined, dissected and molded into something tangible.

i’m the founder of art-meets-tech collective telemagic. together with ymer marinus and roos groothuizen (and other makers) i make tools, installations and manifestations that focus on a closer magical connection towards tech developments. 
within media-lab .zip in rotterdam we organize hackathons, programs and exhibitions that resonate with queer futures, digital culture and alternative artforms. besides that i work for my communication design studio tripcode.

my most recent exhibition was unstable image in centraal museum (dec 2023 - feb 2024). the outcome of my year of research on the imagination of generative (image) algorithms made possible by the k.f. hein stipend 2022 . . . currently i’m working on a new solo exhibition in tetem opening in september and doing a residency at the university of the arts utrecht focussed on what imperceptible new art forms AI tools can bring . . .

feel free to send me a message . . . drop by at my instagram for more side projects, you can also find me on linkedIn.

for inquiries please get in touch via email: info@cyannevdh.nl


selected cv




EDUCATION

2015 – 2017
2011 – 2015

MA of design in fine arts, sandberg instituut
BA of graphic design, university of the arts utrecht


HIGHLIGHTS RESEARCH

2025 january - february
continuation of chance.operator: aleatory.agent
prototyping a toolkit of experimental instruments that guide generative AI tools and myself in real-time creation
artist in residence: umarts artist researcher in residence TAIGA ARIR (art and ai), umea sweden

2024 april - december
chance.operator
 developing methodologies to incorporate algorithmic chance operations in realtime creation processes, utilizing computer-controlled machines like hacked CNC machines and drawing robots
focus area: incorporating chance-based interventions to expose biases embedded in pretrained ai models to give insight in ethical concerns
supported by digitale cultuur, stimuleringsfonds

2022 - 2023
k.f. hein stipend 2022 + unstable image
 research on the imagination of generative (image) ai’s from a queer feminist perspective
outcome: the exhibition unstable image in centraal museum
supported by k.f. hein stipend 2022

2022, january - december
new drag who dis
 visual design research exploring how 3D-printing and generative ai can expand post-human non-binary drag
research initiated by queer arcana supported by stimuleringsfonds

2019 - 2020
talentontwikkeling
 selforganizing telemagic as a media lab (.zip) + developing the 1 euro cinema.online during the pandemic
supported by talentontwikkeling stimuleringsfonds

2018, may - december
vnine: musical ai
 telemagic research on discovering new musical genres with AI icw valentin vogelmann, arran lyon and mrinalini luthra
outcome: the experimental deep learning AI tool vnine
supported by SIDN fonds, pioneer responsible AI

concert in ai
telemagic concert in ai development with the goal to make the behavior of ai vnine tangible in a everchanging series of live concerts of the future
supported by AFK + co-produced by frascati theater

2017 – 2018
the sineaters
 experimental research on hidden labor of content moderators and development of prototype of the game: the sineaters
supported by masterclass sandberg @ mediapark

2016, february
open-set seoul sessions stipend
supported by stimuleringsfonds


INITIATIVES

2022 – now

founder of .zip
.zip is a rotterdam based artist space and media lab for interdisciplinary makers with an affinity for technology. the .zip file is a philosophy for knowledge sharing, unpacking as a way of exploring and being together in a compressed space.
.zip focusses on digital culture, queer futures and alternative art forms. The space is managed by 9 makers who actively fight to make the experimental use of tools and space more accessible to artistic peers.
︎︎︎ website 

2019 - now 
founder of telemagic
telemagic is an arts meets tech collective making sense of the mysteries that revolve around digital technology. we create artistic interventions, manifestions and tools that focus on a closer human connection towards tech developments. telemagic is a collaboration between ymer marinus, roos groothuizen and cyanne van den houten.
︎︎︎ website

SELECTED SHOWS

2024 nov - 2025 jan

wheel of telefortune
chroniques - biennial of digital imaginaries, marseille

2024 october
echo.imager
cinekid festival
2024 sep - 2025 feb
solo exhibition: model collapse
tetem, enschede
2024 june
before the deluge act 1: monere
w/ erik peters and ymer marinus
transmedia research institute, pesaro italy
2024 june
museum is closed + dream.pylons
creatieve technologie, hku
2024 may
wheel of telefortune
novio magica, stevenskerk nijmegen
2024 april
dröm by guenter råler x telemagic
centraal laat x centraal museum, STRP, design museum den bosch
2024 march
1 euro cinema.online gamestation
kultkino x stranded.fm
2023 dec - 2027 dec
archive.dweller
collectie centraal, centraal museum
2023 nov - 2024 feb
solo exhibition: unstable image
utrecht lokaal, centraal museum
2023 september
the museum is closed
kunsthal kade
2023 july - november
concert in AI installation
oyfo hengelo
2023 july
the oracle
parksessies haarlem
2022 july
1 euro cinema x m leuven
m-idzomer, museum leuven
2022 june
telepythia
lentekabinet festival
2022 may
dröm by guenter råler x telemagic
freaky dancing
2022 april
1 euro cinema
korte film festival, sickhouse enschede
2021 nov - jan
wheel of telefortune
galerie de meerse
2021 november
telepythia
het cultuur gebouw haarlemmermeer
2021 september
1 euro cinema online gamestation x susanne janssen + louisa teichmann
roodkapje
2021 june
1 euro cinema x jujulove
roodkapje
2020 october
quantum.dweller
quantum supremacy, gogbot festival
2020 july
concert in AI
radiant voids, tec art festival
2020 january
1 mop cinema exchange x biyi zhu
vondel cs
2019 oct - 2020 jan
wheel of telefortune
screen it, stadstriënnale, hasselt genk
2019 september
concert in AI intervention
graphic matters, breda
2019 september
telepythia
into the great wide open
2019 augustus
concert in AI
pukkelpop
2019 july
1 mop cinema exchange x biyi zhu
macau design center, china
2019 june
wheel of telefortune
planet b, de waag
2019 april
concert in AI: the promethean promise
frascati theater
2019 april - june
the haiku generator
digitaal dilemma, bureau europa
2019 april - may
the oracle
kabbalah-maand, kriterion
2018 november
wheel of telefortune
infinite lives, the overkill festival
2018 november
1 euro cinema selects
museumnacht, stedelijk museum amsterdam
2018 oct - nov
rss readings
the new newsroom, MU dutch design week
2018 july
1 euro cinema selects
wildeburg festival
2018 may
televape
lentekabinet festival
2018 april - may
the haiku generator
the small museum, paradiso
2018 april
wheel of telefortune + interventions
concerning the spiritual in art, paradiso
2018 feb - march
1mb = 10gr
policy of disappearance, studio bwa wroclaw gallery
2018 february
the oracle
nacht voor de nacht, doka
2018 february
1 euro cinema
not for profit art party, roodkapje
2017 november
magic mirror
v2 testlab: function_creep
2017 november
total eclipse
museumnacht, waag society
2017 october
residency: 1 euro cinema
worm rotterdam
2017 september
residency: telestate
de school
2017 june
the oracle
shelter amsterdam
2017 april
nightfestival: midnight teleshopping
worm rotterdam

SELECTED TEACHING, TALKS, ORGANIZING AND MORE
2024 july
interactive talk: queer AI + model collapse, art track & queer fem tech ESDiT, university of twente
2024 june
organizing: salon des refuses (trash hacking benefit) with roos groothuizen, .zip
2024 may
development week: nexus, tetem enschede
2024 may
organizing: AI afterschool club with telemagic, university of the arts utrecht
2024 may - june
artist researcher in residence: AI, creative technology, university of the arts utrecht
2024 april
jury member: k.f. hein stipend 2024

2024 april
organizing: vape live into your sex toys with louisa teichmann, ghost hardware hackathon, .zip
2024 april - june
teaching: skills lab interaction with ymer marinus, GD, university of the arts utrecht
2024 march
workshop: co-creation with AI in education for teachers, grafisch lyceum utrecht
2024 march
interactive talk: co-creation with AI in education for teachers, university of the arts utrecht
2024 march
interactive talk: embodied AI and tangible algorithms, PD, university of the arts utrecht
2024 february
workshop: scrying through AI with ymer marinus, GD, university of the arts utrecht
2023 september
interactive talk: art and reproduction in the time of AI, sint joost

2023 april
interactive talk: chaos magic and generative AI with ymer marinus, ARTxCODE, fontys
2022 january - may
coaching: talenthub de machinerie
2021 october
workshop: combinatory algorithms, soul of the beast with telemagic, roodkapje
2020 december
presentation: concert in AI online, ID2020 gemeente overijssel
2020 october
lecture: measuring the aesthetics of music generating AI vnine with valentin vogelmann, nederlands film festival
2020 february
lecture: quantum supremacy symposium with roos groothuizen, TEC ART, WORM rotterdam
2019 october
talk: selfbuild design tools and hacking, medianight, beeld & geluid
2019 may
lecture: possible futures, between magic and technology, here comes the summer
2018 january
lecture: the urge of design absurdism, brekend!beeld, kapitaal

2017 november
talk + intervention: magic mirror with telemagic, V2: function_creep
2017 october
talk: dutch design week talks with hansje van halem, klokgebouw
2017 october
talk: tussen kunst en glitch, wheel of telefortune, nederlands film festival
2017 september - now
curating: film program of telemagic 1 euro cinema, de school, macao, m leuven, stedelijk museum
2017 april
organizing: first paranomal technology fair with + 30 artists, worm rotterdam
2017 january
workshop: B4K a month strategy development with loes claessens, university of the arts utrecht 
2016 february
talk: speculative design research, openset seoul sessions, kookmin university seoul


FEATURED + PRESS

interview: unstable image and co-creation with AI, gonzo magazine 2024-01
article: magical thinking and unstable image by laurie cluitmans
article: meeklappen met het algoritme, de standaard
article + video: concert in AI op pukkelpop, studio brussel
article: een algoritme gaf voor het eerst een live-concert in amsterdam, vice
interview: telemagic - magic and technology, glamcult
article: selected by hansje van halem, bno dude magazine
article: the weight of media art, strategie niewidzialności blok magazine



SELECTED DESIGN OF LARGE SCALE EXHIBITIONS (FOCUSSED ON QUEERNESS AND TECHNOLOGY)
2022 september - 2023 march
2022 june - july
2022 - now
2021 june - august
2021 august
2020 - now
exhibition design + campaign: brAInpower, museum boerhaave
festival identity + exhibition design + campaign: COME ALIVE, niet normaal
queer club night identity + campaigns: FLUID, WAS.
festival identity + exhibition design: FAKE ME HARD, niet normaal + PLANETART
festival identity stationsplein: infocalypse now, GOGBOT, PLANETART
graphic designer for multidisciplinary breeding ground ROODKAPJE rotterdam