HOMAGE TO QUAN ÂM @ AREBYTE - WINNER OF HOTEL GENERATION 2024
So I’ve been selected as the winner of this year’s arebyte’s Hotel Generation program 2023/2024!
Part of arebyte 2023/24 programme The Body, The Mind, The Soul
PRESS:
- Homage to Quan Âm in Anti-Materia (2024)
- Homage To Quan Âm in Something Curated (2024)
-
Homage To Quan Âm in FishEye Immersive (2024)
-
Homage To Quan Âm in Woo (2024)
-
Homage To Quan Âm in Art Plugged (2024)
- Homage To Quan Âm in DVAN (2024)
DATES
THURSDAY 28 MARCH - 19 MAY 2024
Curated Tour
Sat 30 Mar 2024, 1:30 - 2:15pm
@ arebyte Gallery, Java House, 7 Botanic Square, London City Island E14 0LG
Homage To Quan Âm, by artist Maria Than, delves deep into the intricate layers of personal identity, cultural assimilation, and the evolution of self-discovery. Quan Âm, the Viet name of Bodhisattva (Buddhist deity) of Compassion, Mercy and Medicine, has been the favourite goddess of many, including Maria. Drawing inspiration from Maria’s own experiences growing up in a Vietnamese-British-French Buddhist family, the exhibition serves as a visual and emotional exploration of the complex journey away from refusal, and towards acceptance and understanding.
Homage To Quan Âm forms part of arebyte’s artistic focus for 2023/26 themed The Body, The Mind, The Soul and traverses buried childhood memories, mortality, and identity through animation, CGI, AI-generated imagery, interactive digital works and virtual reality to unfold a personal, but relatable, account of staying with the trouble of becoming. Homage To Quan Âm suggests an assimilation with other narratives through the lens of Buddhist philosophy, fostering personal connections that transcend cultural divides and resonate on a deeply human level.
Growing up, Maria’s childhood was marked by the dichotomy between familial and religious traditions, and a desire to conform with more mainstream cultural environments, those that felt more like her non-religious peers. Facing external racism and discrimination, Maria “denied her Vietnamese roots, leading to a fractured sense of self”.
Artist: Maria Than
Artwork assistants: Caleb Sharpe, Jasan Waldura, Petter Schölander, Mathilde Rougier, Tam Than
Sound design: Maria Than, Ariel Karsh, Ben Ibbotson
Exhibition Production: arebyte
Exhibition Curation: arebyte
Fabricators/technicians: George Browne, Dmitry Timofeev, Peter McNelis, Bertie Simpson, Debbie Spink
Graphic design: Camilla Does
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBOR (2023) -RESIDENCY @ AIXDESIGN
Did I tell you about the one where I collaborated with animator Connie He as a creative technologist to make an animated teaser using AI?
Dear Upstairs Neighbor is a story about a tired artist who goes to bed after a hard day of work, only for her upstairs neighbor to throw a massive flat party.
COLLABORATION with Connie He,
MENTORED by Mark Veerkampf
Role: Prompt engineering, 2D animation, Video-editingSoftwares: Stable Diffusion, RunwayML, OpenAI, Midjourney, Premiere Pro and Photoshop.
Sound Design: Shu Hui Yao
Screened at:
- NEW INC @ New York City
- MACA @ Amsterdam
- The Wrong Biennale @ online
This work was developed as part of the STORY&CODE program - an artist residency and research project by AIxDESIGN and Sublab experimenting with and reflecting on the role of AI in animation specifically, and storytelling at large.
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
READ ABOUT THE PROJECT ON AIXDESIGN WEBSITE’S!
HOME AGE TO AVALOKITEŚVARA (2023)
Did I tell you about the one where I used AI and archival footage to explore my childhood as a second generation Vietnamese Buddhist?
COLLABORATION with AI image and video generators
Role: Prompt engineering, Script writing, Sound design and recording with Benjamin Ibbotson, Creative Direction, Video editing
Software: RunwayML, DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Augmented Reality x AI artworks: my symbiotic relationship with technology (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where I created a series of Augmented Reality x AI artworks to emulate and mirror my symbiotic love-hate relationship with technology?
COLLABORATION with AI image generators
Role: Prompt engineering, Augmented Reality, Sound design
Software: DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Spark AR, Blender
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Welcome to SpiderPlant MV (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where we made a music video by 3D-scanning our flat?
COLLABORATION with Ben Ibbotson (aka SpiderPlant)
Role: 3D scanning, camera in Unity, editing
Software: 3D scanning app on iPad Pro, Unity, Premiere Pro
Shortlisted for a London International Creative Competition in 2023 (Photo / Video category)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
A Renaissance painting of an Asian woman with green hair wearing a VR headset (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where I generated a bunch of AI-generated Renaissance paintings?
Experimentation + blog post
Role: Prompt engineering
Software: DALL-E 2, no-code AI image generator by OpenAI
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
The Pollinator’s Revenge (2020)
Did I tell you about the one where I digitally assault the user with swarms of bees?
SOLO work
Role: Augmented Reality, Poster Design
Software: Spark AR, Photoshop
Exhibited in Paris, France (CADAF, 2021) and Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax (2020) as part of the climate change ‘Business As Usual’ show
Awarded as a Finalist by the London International Creative Competition Award in the Create (Art) category in 2023
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
MUCCHASE (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where we created an AR treasure hunt in Munich, Germany?
COLLABORATION with Ricebox Studio, 3D by Petter Schölander
Client: Responsive Fashion Institute
Role: Project lead, Augmented Reality design, UX, social media content, research
Softwares: Spark AR, Illustrator, Photoshop
Exhibited in Central Munich for 1 month
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
A Load of Waffle (2018)
Did I tell you about the one where we built a waffle piano to criticise political waffling?
COLLABORATIVE with Hope Roalfe, Suphorn Somboonchai, Suprina Gurung, Gene Kulkosa
Role: Conceptual & technical lead, physical computing, code
Softwares: Processing, MakeyMakey, Photoshop
Exhibited at Lumen Awards x V&A Digital Futures
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
TELL ME ABOUT IT!
Simply Complicated (2019)
Did I tell you about the one where I co-developed a video-game about our biggest design failure?
COLLABORATION with Bristy Azmi, game development help from Jude White, music by Ben Ibbotson
Role: Branding, video-game design and development, 2D animation, electrical engineering, physical computing, 3D design, social media content
Softwares: Unity, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Arduino
Exhibited at Somerset House, London (Digital Edge 2019)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 (never again)
Tell me about it!
On Your Side (2022 upcoming)
Did I tell you about the one where we developed the UK’s first national helpline system to support our fellow Asians victims of hate crimes?
COLLABORATIVE client work with Ricebox Studio
Client: Protection Approaches
Role: UX/UI web design, Typeform design
Softwares: Figma
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
I'll tell you once i'm ready 🤫
Static Resolution (2018-2021)
![]()
Did I tell you about the one time I did fashion, designed a lookbook about Black Friday and developed an AR canvas?
SOLO work, model: Krystyna Pezinska
Role: Augmented Reality, fashion design, publication design, photography, editing
Softwares: Nikon, InDesign, Laser printer, Photoshop, Artivive
Exhibited at Copeland Gallery, London (Every Woman Bieniale, 2021) and Truman Brewery (Made In Arts London, 2019)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 (the fashion + photography, not the AR)
Tell me about it!
Check-out (2019)
Did I tell you about the one where we made people buy a chicken on a fake Amazon website?
COLLABORATION with Anna Tsuda, 3D help from Kelvin Yuen
Role: Branding, video-game design, research, publication design, 3D design, UX/UI, web design and development
Softwares: Illustrator, Photoshop, CNC cutter, HTML/CSS/JS
Exhibited at Somerset House, London (Digital Edge 2019)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Welcome to Happyland (2020)
Did I tell you about the one where I built an emotion recognition machine about the dangers of AI surveillance?
COLLABORATION with the Digital Maker Collective and CRIN
Role: Project leader, creative producer, coding, machine learning, workshop design, social media
Softwares: Python, Photoshop, InDesign, Arduino, OpenCV, Processing
Exhibited at Tate Exchange, Tate Modern, London (2020)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Indulgences (2021-ongoing)
Did I tell you about the one where I use AR to illustrate my shifty moods on period days?
SOLO work, music by DANKMUS
Role: Augmented Reality, Illustration
Softwares: Procreate, Photoshop, Artivive
Exhibited at Superchief Gallery NFT (New York City) and Copeland Gallery, London (Every Woman Bieniale, 2021)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶
Tell me about it!
Children’s Access to Environmental Justice (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where I co-designed 43 reports on environmental justice based in 43 countries?
COLLABORATION with Ricebox Studio
Client: Child Rights International Network
Role: Project manager, Web design, HTML/CSS/JS, social media
Softwares: InDesign, Squarespace, Illustrator
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
TECHBOX (2020-ongoing)
Did I tell you about the one where we are teaching AR to hundreds of people across the globe?
COLLABORATION with Ricebox Studio
Clients and partners include: Artivive, Daisie App, Central Saint Martins, Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbleon College of Arts, Hyper Island, UAL Creative Computing Institute, Peckham Levels, Responsive Fashion Institute, Three UK, Our Sisterhood, Westfield Creative Futures Bank and many more
Role: Workshop designer and co-host, Spark AR tutor, design ideation tutor
Softwares: Artivive, Spark AR, Photoshop, Canva
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Red Cloud Project (2019-2020)
Did I tell you about the one where we developed a period education campaign?
COLLABORATION with Ricebox Studio
Client: Fellowship with Child Rights International Network
Role: Publication design, research, interviews, user research and testing, web design, illustration, 3D design
Softwares: Illustrator, Procreate, InDesign, Arduino
Exhibited at Tate Modern, London for International Women’s Day (Tate Exchange 2020)
#MenstruationConversation won a Creative Conscience Award (2021) and was presented at Sheffield University’s Menstruation in the Media Conference (2022)
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Envisions Paper (2022)
Did I tell you about the one where I contributed to a paper on the future of AI and young people?
Client: Feminist Internet
Role: Research, workshop design and host
Published in an international paper led by Feminist Internet and Goethe Institute co-authored by 30 other creative technologists, artists, educators and activists.
Stepping out of comfort zone: 🌶🌶
Tell me about it!
Watch my AR showreel (2021)
For my Spark AR filter work (Instagram + Facebook AR filters), check out my Instagram account (mobile only). If you don’t have Instagram, check out my portfolio here. (Only works done on my own, for collaborative projects refer to work above, some effects are missing too).