About
Press


Works


2023
2023
2017-22
2022
2021
2019

2018-on 2019
2016
2016
2015
About
Press



Works



2023
2023
2017-22
2022
2021
2019

2018-on
2019
2016
2016
2015







Bio


Ali Eslami (b.1991) is an Iranian Artist based in Amsterdam. His work deals with long-term, practice-based research that builds and grows through speculative thinking and world-building.

His work engages and plays with temporal and spatial investigations of memory, human cognition, and emotions. Often results in the form of poetic engineering as journeys to seek the potential that lies in the blurred lines between the real and unreal.

His engineering background and passion for video games nurtured an obsession with cybernetics and computation and continue to build his curiosity towards the shifting roles of form and function that create virtual worlds.

Often utilizing various mediums such as VR, Film, Writing, Installation, and performance lectures. He is an alumni of Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Amsterdam 2021-23.
In 2016, his VR project won the IDFA DocLab Award for “Best Immersive Non-fiction”. and in 2020 the Golden Calf for Best Interactive at Nederlands Film Festival with fellow artist Mamali Shafahi for Nerd_Funk project.


Degrees


2010-2014    Bachelor of Civil Engineering - Zanjan National University (Zanjan, Iran)


Artist in Residence


2021-23     Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, (Amsterdam. NL)
            [ Fellowship Prince Bernhard Fonds ]
2020        Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Guest resident (Amsterdam. NL)
2018-19     3Package Deal, Amsterdam fonds voor de kunst (Amsterdam. NL)
            [ Coalitions: IDFA - Eye Film , Nederlands Film Academy ]
2016        Age of Wonderland, Baltan Laboratories (Eindhoven, NL)



Selected Exhibitions


> Homā's Phantom , 2023

Interactive Simulation, Prints [ Comissioned by  Nieuwe Instituut and media art platform LI-MA ]

2023  Het Nieuwe Instituut , Group Exhibition (Rotterdam, NL)

> Line of Sight, 2023

Video Installation, Prints, Publication (22 mins)

2023  Rijksackademie Open Studios, Solo Exhibition (Amsterdam, NL)

     Sara’s World Gallery, Scrapyardsscreenings (NY, US)

> A Stretch of Time, 2022

Film Installation (22 mins)

2022  Rijksackademie Open Studios, Solo Exhibition (Amsterdam, NL)
      IDFA Festival paradocs section, Film Screening (Amsterdam, NL)


> Nerd_Funk, 2018-on

VR Installation (5 chapters - 8 mins each)
[ Supported by Nederlands Film Fonds, Stimulering fonds, AFK ]

2023    LEV Festival (Madrid, SP)
2022    Sonar Festival (Barcelona, SP) / CTM Festival (Berling, GE)
        Melkweg Expo (Amsterdam, NL)
2021    Patty Morgan Gallery (Amsterdam, NL)
2020    Impossible-bodies Festival (Den Bosch, NL)
        Nederlands Film Festival (Utrecht, NL) [Golden Calf Winner]
        Geneva International Film Festival (Geneva, SW)
        CPH:DOX (Copenhagen, DK) / Ambulante Film Festival (Mexico)
        Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Opendoclab R&D
2019    IDFA Doclab (Amsterdam, NL)


> ECLIPSE, 2020

VR Installation (20 mins)   
[ Supported by Stimulering Fonds, AFK, TETEM ]

2021    TETEM Solo Exhibition [Enschede, NL]
        Dutch Design Awards showcase [Eindhoven, NL]
2020    IDFA Festival [Performance] (Amsterdam, NL)


> Sacred Hill, 2019

VR Installation (8 mins)
[ Supported by Stimulering Fonds, AFK, Mondrian Fonds ]

2021    Geneva International Film Festival (Geneva, SW)
2020    Meta Marathon (Dusseldorf, GE)
        IMPAKT - commissioned online Video Essay (with Jason Mohaghegh)
2019    Museumnacht Amsterdam (Amsterdam, NL)
        Nederlands Film Festival (Utrecht, NL)
        Het Nieuwe Instituut ,Neuhaus Artistic Research (Rotterdam, NL)

 

> False Mirror, 2017-22

VR Experience Interactive (video, performance lecture)

2022    Sumac Space, Group show (Florence, IT)
2019    The Overkill Festival (Enschede, NL) / Getxophoto Festival (Bilbao, SP)
        AMaze Festival (Berlin, GE) / Ambulante Film Festival (Mexico)
        Galerie Cinema, Diversion Cinema Showcase (Paris, FR)
2018    IDFA Doclab Spotlight (Amsterdam, NL)


> DeathTolls Experience, 2016

VR Experience (10 mins)

2019    Nexus Gallery (Melbourne, Aus)|  Ambulante Film Festival (Mexico)
2018    Published online at Oculus Store | War on Screen Festival (Paris, France)
2017    Published online at Steam and Viveport  |  Global Health Film Festival (London, UK)
        Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (Montreal, CA)  |  Bergen Film Festival (Bergen, NO)  
        British Council South American Tour | Paris Virtual Film Festival (Paris. FR)
        Sheffield DocFest (Sheffield, UK)  |  Kaleidoscope VR Showcase Vol 2
        SXSW Virtual Cinema (Austin, USA)
2016    IDFA Festival (Amsterdam, NL)  |  Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, NL)


> Snow VR, 2016

VR Experience (6 mins)

2018    WoW Masquerade 24H West (Amsterdam, NL)
2017    IndieCade Showcase at E3 Expo (Los Angeles, USA)
2016    Todaysart Festival (The Hague, NL)  -  Mutek VR Salon (Montreal, CA)



> RECEPT, 2015

Single channel video (16 mins)

2022  Utrecht down under, Group show (Utrecht, NL)


Activities


2024       Tutor at Sandberg Institute, Masters Design (Amsterdam, NL)


2020-on    Program Advisor and Co-curator at STRP Festival (Eindhoven, NL)                
2019-22    Program Advisor at IDFA Festival (Amsterdam, NL)

2022       Jury Member Netherlands Film Festival

2019       Jury member of goEast Film Festival VR Competition (Wiesbaden, GE)

2018       Jury member of IDFA Doclab’s Competition for Immersive non-fiction
           CPH:Lab participant (Copenhagen, DE)
           IDFA’s Cross-Media Forum Participant (Amsterdam, NL)
2013       TADAEX Festival, Temp-Illusion AudioVisual Performance (Tehran, IR)



Selected Talks / Conferences / Workshops


2023    Telepresense Conference, kunstakademie münster (münster, GE)
        Art in the Age of Metaverse, de Balie (Amsterdam, NL)
2022    IDFA Industry Talk, panel discussion (Amsterdam, NL)
        IDFA Official Publication, writing commission on ‘Senses’ in new media
        St. Joost Academy of Art & Design, Artist talk (Breda, NL)

2021    Hogeschool van Amsterdam - Multimedia Design - Lecture (Amsterdam, NL)
        University of Applied Arts, Vienna - Lecture (Vienna, AU)
        Netherlands Film Academy - Master of Film - Lecture (Amsterdam, NL)
        MIT University Hacking XR, False Mirror Lecture (Boston, US)
2020    We Are Public Livestream, False Mirror VR Lecture (online)
        Meta Marathon, False Mirror VR Lecture (Dusseldorf, GE)
        Johns Hopkins University, False Mirror VR Lecture (New York, US)
        MoMA Museum of Modern Art - False Mirror Showcase (New York, US)
        The University of Denver, False Mirror VR Lecture (Denver, US)
2019    Eindhoven Film Festival,  False Mirror VR Lecture (Eindhoven, NL)
        Unpackaging 3Package Deal, False Mirror VR Lecture (Amsterdam, NL)
        GetxoPhoto Festival, False Mirror VR Lecture (Bilbao, ES)
        Mutek Montreal, False Mirror VR Lecture (Montreal, CA)
        Sensorium Festival, Virtual Embodiment VR Lecture (Bratislava, SL)
        A Maze Festival, Live lecture from VR, (Berlin, GE)
        Salwa Foundation, VR Workshop (Amsterdam, NL)
        The Hmm. Presentation (Amsterdam, NL)
        Artez University, ‘Behind the Net’ Workshop, (Arnhem, NL)
        Sharjah Art Foundation, Panel speaker at Sharjah Film Platform (Sharjah, UAE)
2018    Speculative Design VR Workshop, University of Applied Sciences, Master of Digital Design
        IDFA Doclab, False Mirror VR Presentation (Amsterdam, NL)
2017    Tumo center for creative technologies, VR workshop (Yerevan, Armenia)
        Forum Des Images, Why Virtual Reality?! Roundtable, (Paris, FR)
        Royal College of Arts, VR Symposium (London, UK)
        Sheffield DocFest, Join The Resistance Panel (Sheffield, UK)
        Tehran ACM Siggraph, VR Production Workflow Workshop (Tehran, Iran)
2016    Artez University, VR Masterclass (3 Days) (Arnhem, NL)
        IDFA Doclab, Interactive Conference Talk (Amsterdam, NL)
        Dutch Design Week, Advanced VR Development and Design (Eindhoven, NL)
        Dutch Design Week, VR as new Medium, Workshop (Eindhoven, NL)
        STRP Scene, Introduction to VR (Eindhoven, NL)
        VPRO Medialab’s Meet the Makers (The Hague, NL)
2014    Expanded Reality Presentation, Re-Shape Tehran (Tehran, Iran)



Awards
2020    Golden Calf best Interactive for > Nerd_Funk
2016    IDFA Doclab’s Best Immersive non-fiction for >Deathtolls_Experience



Nominations
Dutch Design Awards 2021
IFFR Director’s Forum Award 2020
Geneva International film festival 2020
IDFA Festival competition for Immersive-nonfiction 2016 & 2019
Sheffield DocFest 2017
SXSW Virtual Cinema 2017
Kantar’s Information is Beautiful Awards 2015
Lumen Prize Shortlist 2017
One World Media Award 2018