David Rokeby Headshot

David Rokeby

Faculty Affiliate

Assistant Professor, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto

David Rokeby’s early work Very Nervous System (1982-1991) was a pioneering work of interactive art, translating physical gestures into real-time interactive sound environments. It was presented at the Venice Biennale in 1986.

Several of his works have addressed issues of digital surveillance, including Taken, and Sorting Daemon. Works such as The Giver of Names and n-cha(n)t critically examination of the differences between human and artificial intelligence.

He has exhibited and lectured extensively in the Americas, Europe and Asia. His awards include a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, a Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica for Interactive Art, and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts “BAFTA” award in Interactive Art.

He is currently the Director of the BMO Lab for Creative Research in the Arts, Performance, Emerging Technologies and AI at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto.

Research Interests

  • Ongoing Research Project: Beyond the Pose – Towards and Interdisciplinary Understanding of Dynamic Human Movement
  • Presented my lab’s real-time voice to panoramic image system “Voice Scroll” at Neurips 2023. “Voice Scroll” featured in performances by performance artist Laurie Anderson

Highlights

  • Human movement and AI
  • User interfaces for AI
  • Navigating latent space
  • Real-time Inference