Amir Bastan

Amir Bastan is an artist and researcher with a background in fine arts, philosophy, and interaction design. His work explores human consciousness, artificial intelligence, and robotics within media arts and interactivity frameworks.
Currently a researcher at Creative Robotics and lecturer at Kunstuni Linz, Amir’s research focuses on “The Parallel Interaction”, which examines connections between psychoanalysis theories and human-robot interaction.
Through his academic and artistic practice, Amir has developed expertise in real-time robotic control and simulation as part of The Bunraku Project, a software which enables real-time control, visualization, and simulation of industrial robots.

His interests are analysing human-robot interactions and understanding how contextual properties affect human behaviour. Amir’s research focuses on creating a dynamic framework that can observe and categorize actions within an interactivity framework, interpreting the factors driving behavioural changes in advanced interactive systems.

Talks

2025
Creative Robotics Masterclass | NODE Institute | Online - Berlin, DE | thenodeinstitute.org
2025
Introducing Bunraku | NODE SESSION II | NODE Institute & B-Dome | Berlin, DE | youtu.be
2025
Parallel Interaction Series | Analysis of context in Interaction Design | VCUarts Qatar - Innovative Media Studios | Online
2025
The Human Robot Transference | You Okay Robot? | NODE Forum for Digital Arts | Frankfurt, DE | nodeforum.org
2025
Uncertain-Incomplete-Uncanny | Research Collective After Dark | Kepler Salon | Linz, AT
2024
Kinematic Dreams Series | Artist Talk - Parallel Interaction and Human Robot Interaction | Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology | Linz, AT
2024
Kinematic Dreams Series | Artist Talk - Robotics in Art | Waag Futurelab | Amsterdam, NL
2024
Kinematic Dreams Series | Guest Lecture - Human Robot Interaction | Interface Cultures Master Program | Linz, At | www.kunstuni-linz.at
2024
Kinematic Dreams Series | Guest Lecture - Interactivity and AI within the New Media Arts | Art & Science - dieAngewandte | Vienna, AT
2023
An Astrolabe for Computational Arts | FestivalX Workhops | Alserkal | Dubai, UAE | festivalx.ae
2023
GAZE: About Looking and Being Looked At | Founding Lab - IDSA X Ars Electronica | Linz University of Arts | Linz, AT
2023
The Bunraku Project | Real time robot control with vvvv | vvvv worldwide meetup | Online | youtu.be
2023
The University Portal - Fast Forward to the Future and Back | Panellist at FestivalX | Alserkal | Dubai, UAE | festivalx.ae
2022
Cloud Gazing and Offensive Sceneries | The Unknown Series | Theatre Rotterdam | Rotterdam, NL
2022
Creative Robotics and Artistic Research | H22 City Expo | Helsingborg, SE
2022
Designing Real-Time interaction for Boston Dynamics' Robot; "Spot" | Robopsychology Department | Johannes Kepler University | Linz, AT
2022
Fantastic Robots and Where to Find Them | Festival University Program | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2022
Human, Robot and AI in artistic practice | Festival X - Talks | Alserkal Avenue | Dubai, AE
2022
Making of Split Subject | Hope Conference | Online, DE
2022
Robot Small (a) | HFF Munich | Munich, DE
2021
Thing Your Paretns Did Not Tell You About Robots | Festival University Program | ARS Electronica Festival - JKU | Linz, AT

Publications

2025
Empowering Non-Expert Users in Fashion Remanufacturing: Enhancing Human-Multi-Robot Interaction through Real-Time Visualization | dl.acm.org
2025
Envisioning Individualized Fashion Remanufacturing: Empowering Non-Experts through Visualization-Enhanced Human-Multi-Robot Interaction | dl.acm.org
2025
FadingColours: An Interactive Installation Connecting Algae Cultures with Real-Time Coral Bleaching Data (In Proceedings of the 2nd International Online Conference on Biomimetics (IOCB 2025), 16–18 September 2025. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland) (proceedings forthcoming)
2025
Tactile Data Translation and Parallel Interaction in ZOE: A Fungal–Robotic System. (Radical Matter: International Journal for Art. Philosophy. Wild Science., no. 2. Vienna)
2025
ZOE: Real-Time Interaction Between Reishi Mushrooms and a Custom-Made Robotic System (In Proceedings of the 2nd International Online Conference on Biomimetics (IOCB 2025), 16–18 September 2025. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. (proceedings forthcoming)
2025
disarming II | dl.acm.org
2025
“MycoGravity: A Robotic Installation for Observing Fungal Growth Under Altered Gravity Conditions ( In Proceedings of the 2nd International Online Conference on Biomimetics (IOCB 2025), 16–18 September 2025. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland) (proceedings forthcoming)
2023
Intra-Acting Body and Textile Expressions Becoming with Digital Movement Translation: Exploring relational expressions of the body and textiles using a human-robot-textile installation | dl.acm.org
2022
Towards AR for Large-Scale Robotics | ieeexplore.ieee.org
2021
Microbiospheric engineering | dl.acm.org

Awards

2025
(Best Video Award) ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction | As part of the Team Fashion & Robotics - University of Arts Linz | Melbourne, AUS | dl.acm.org
2024
(Honorary Mention) Prix Ars Electronica | ZOE (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | Linz, AT | calls.ars.electronica.art
2024
(Second Place) The European Rising Innovative City | Represented Creative Robotics as one of six key contributors in the city of Linz, in collaboration with Innovation Hauptplatz | Lisbon, ES | eic.ec.europa.eu
2024
(Silver) Sustainability Award | As part of the Team Fashion & Robotics - University of Arts Linz | Vienna, AT | www.umweltbildung.at
2023
(Finalist) KUKA Innovation Award | As part of the Team Fashion & Robotics - University of Arts Linz | Munich, DE | www.kuka.com
2023
Media Architecture Bienale Award | ZOE (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | Toronto, CA | awards.mediaarchitecture.org

Exhibitions

2025
Immersion v2 | European Robotics Forum 2025 | Stuttgart - DE | erf2025.eu
2025
Immersion v3 | Syndex | Bern - CH
2025
MycoGravity | PANIC yes/no | Ars Electrinoca | Linz - AT | photos.ars.electronica.art
2024
FadingColours | European Space Education Exhibition | Ars Electronica Center | Linz, AT | ars.electronica.art
2024
Goldbergs Dream | Stuttgarter Kammerorchester | Liederhalle | Stuttgart - DE | stuttgarter-kammerorchester.com
2024
Immersion | IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. | Abu Dhabi, UAE | iros2024-abudhabi.org
2024
Mycobotics | SheRobots | TU Delft | Delft, NL
2024
Vanishing Mediator | AI+Exhibition | S-Place, Kuntsuni Linz | Linz, AT
2024
ZOE (Data Carpets) | Becoming Mycelial | Aarhus -DK
2024
ZOE (Research Video) | Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts | Taipei, TW
2024
ZOE (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | Radical Matter | AIL - Applied Interdisciplinary Lab | Vienna, AT | ail.angewandte.at
2023
Fashion and Robotics (with Johannes Braumann, Christiane Luible-Bär, Emanuel Golob) | KUKA Innovation Award | Munich Messe | Munich, DE
2023
Vanishing Mediator | Festival X | Alserkal Venue | Dubai, UEA | festivalx.ae
2023
ZOE (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | Who Owns The Truth | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT | ars.electronica.art
2022
Rewasted | Welcome To Planet B | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2022
The Candle | Show Me Three, Give Me Five | Atelierhaus Salzamt | Linz, AT
2022
ZIEN (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | Ministry of Finance | The Hague, NL
2022
ZOE (with Noor Stenfert Kroese) | The Unknown Series | Theater Rottedam | Rotterdam, NL
2021
Fascination Robotics | A New Digital Deal | RS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2020
RoboDrum, (with Johannes Braumann, ABELTON) | In Kepler's Gardens | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2019
As promised | Best before: 17.01.19 | SPlace | Linz, AT
2019
As promised | Transcode | Interface Culture Exhibition | Linz, AT
2019
Pinocchio, (with Johannes Braumann, Katharina Halus, FutureLab) | Understanding AI | Ars Electronica Center | Linz, AT
2019
The Shell | Out of the Box | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2019
Underbody, (with Johannes Braumann, silke grabinger and Futurelab) | Ars Electronica Concert Night | ARS Electronica Festival | Linz, AT
2016
Bridged Particles | TADAEX Festival | Mohsen Gallery | Tehran, IR
2015
Circular Piece (Setup) | "Informed Body", NODE Forum for Digital Arts | Mousonturm | Frankfurt, DE
2015
Circular Piece (Squar) | "Informed Body", NODE Forum for Digital Arts | Mousonturm | Frankfurt, DE
2015
Little Hermann’s phobic dreaming | TADAEX Festival | Mohsen Gallery | Tegran, IR
2014
It's Normal | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | Berlin, DE
2014
I’m so Glad to Tell You | NODE-TADAEX Exchange Program | Mohsen Gallery | Tehran, IR
2014
PARISHANI | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | Art Cinema Offoff | Gent, BE
2014
Part of Me | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | Paris, FR
2014
Second Part of me | LIMITED ACCESS FOUR | Aaran Gallery | Tehran, IR
2014
THE INVISIBLE PRESENT | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | San Francisco, USA
2014
THE INVISIBLE PRESENT: video section of IRANIAN PULSE | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | Berlin, DE
2014
VIDEO THERAPY: SESSION AND RECOVERY | Curated by Amirali Ghasemi | New York, USA
2014
WORN OUT MIRRORS | Solo Exhibition | ParkingGallery | Tehran, IR
2014
he wandering Islands | LIMITED ACCESS FOUR | Aaran Gallery | Tehran, IR
2013
Live video operator for the theatre Play "Le retour De Fils Prodigue" | By Ali Razi | Tehran, IR
2013
Live video operator for the theatre Play "Pink Footprints" | By Arvand Dashtaray | Tehran, IR
2013
Live video operator for the theatre Play "The Gardener of Death" | By Arvand Dashtaray | Tehran, IR
2013
Videographer for theatre “Sweat of sun, Tears Of The Moon” | By Attila Pessyani | Tehran, IR