Dr Simon Katan

Simon Katan is a digital artist with a rich background in music and a deep interest in games and play. His artistic work features hidden mechanisms, emergent behavior, paradoxes, self-reference, inconsistency, abstract humor, absurdity, and a sense of wonder. Katan develops software that leads users on musical journeys through animated worlds and designs games that transform players into unwitting performers of quirky and sometimes absurd rituals. In recognition of his creative contributions, he received a Prix Ars Electronica Honorary Mention in 2012 and has collaborated with various organizations across Europe, including IEM in Graz, ZKM in Karlsruhe, the Borealis Festival in Bergen, the Royal Opera House, Roundhouse, Spitalfields Festival, and Tyneside Cinema. His current research focuses on leveraging machine learning and co-adaptation in the performing arts to enhance accessibility for diverse audiences.