Professor Camille Baker

Camille is an artist-performer/ researcher/ curator within various art forms: immersive experiences and virtual storytelling, interactive art & design, participatory performance, haptics/e-textiles/wearables, responsive interfaces and environments, mobile media art, and digital art curating.

She has developed methods and approaches to exploring and extending the senses of the body, within performance & interactive art contexts, using emerging technologies.

Her research has sought ways to create embodied participatory performance and immersive, interactive arts experiences, using emerging technologies since 2001, most recently through immersive extended sensory installations, but in the past with bespoke e-textiles costumes and wearable electronics, mobile media art, responsive interfaces and environments.

Camille is a maker of participatory performance and immersive installation artwork. Her work is focussed on extended embodiment and presence in real and mixed reality and interactive art contexts, expressive non-verbal modes of communication, using XR, haptics/ e-textiles, wearable devices, mobile media and other emerging technology to tell stories and alternate forms of bodily communication and sensing.

1. Her current immersive VR / haptic installation artworks are:
   INTER/her: Intimate Journey Inside the Female Body; which was shortlisted for the LUMEN Prize 2021.
2. Mammary Mountain, with collaborators Maf’j Alvarez and Tara Baoth Mooney.

PI for four successful, multimillion Euro funded European projects in FP7, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe frameworks since 2013 to present:

1. VOICE: Valorising Artist-led Innovation Through Citizen Engagement (2024-2026)
2. STARTS Ecosystem (2019–21)
3. WEAR Sustain (2017–19)
4. ICT&Art Connect/ FET-Art (2013-2014)

She has also had Arts Council Funding for several projects – notably:

1. 2023 – Arts Council England National Lottery Fund Artist Project Funding for Mammary Mountain project (£40,000)
2. 2020 – Arts Council England National Lottery Fund Artist Project Funding for INTER/her (£15,000)

September 2021 - shortlisted for the Lumen Prize 2021 of 65 from 1200 applicants for the INTER/her project – see also website for more info.

She has had three major art projects since 2015:

1. Mammary Mountain (2023-present) - on the experiences and stories of survivors and patients of Breast Cancer treatment in the UK and Ireland 
2. INTER/her: Intimate Journey Inside the Female Body (2019-2023) - An immersive installation and virtual reality artwork that has a narrative journey inside the female body, featuring personal health stories, with an accompanying haptic corset. Exhibiting around the UK and Canada since June 2021 until October 2023
3. Hacking the Body and HTB 2.0 (2015-2017), a practice-based arts research multi-output project with a long-time collaborator Dr Kate Sicchio.

Publications

Books

Baker, C., with Bauer, D., Dyer, M., Kofen, K., Abtan, F. and Armitage, J. (March 2019) Writers&Makers: Women & Technology in New Music, Defragmentation in Darmstadt 2018, self-published outcome of the German research project Defragmentation, that ran from Jan 2017 to March 2019, focussed on decolonisation, gender and diversity, curating and the impacts of technology on “New Music". Downloadable http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1461493311

Baker, C. C. (Aug 16, 2018) New Directions in Mobile Media and Performance – Monograph on mobile phones in performance as tool, content, guide and collaborator in immersive theatre, live art, dance, music and more. Oxford, New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis. https://www.routledge.com/New-Directions-in-Mobile-Media-and-Performance/Baker/p/book/9781472467188

Baker, C. C. and Sicchio, K. eds. (December 31, 2016) Intersecting Art and Technology in Practice: Techne/Technique/Technology. On creative process, ideation, collaboration and knowledge exchange in technological art practice. Oxford, New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis. Available online here https://www.routledge.com/Intersecting-Art-and-Technology-in-Practice-Techne-Technique-Technology/Baker-Sicchio/p/book/9781138934115

Book Chapters

Baker, C. C. (in press, due July 2024) Book Chapter: “Curating digital experiences: Insights in extending the senses and embodying technology in arts and performance, a journey through time and space.” eds. T. Giannini & J.P. Bowen (eds.), Museums and Digital Culture, Springer Series on Cultural Computing, New York: Springer Publishing.

Baker, C. C. and Nick Bryan-Kinns, (in press, due 2024) “WEAR Sustain [Wearable technologists Engage with Artists for Responsible innovation: Analysis, Insights, Outcomes and Impact”, IN Bloomsbury Encyclopaedia of World Textiles, Volume 10, Co-Chief Editors Janis Jefferies and Vivienne Richmond, London: Bloomsbury.

Baker, C. C. (July 2020) “Wearing Data: intentions and tensions of art and design in performance using wearables”, IN: The Routledge Companion to Mobile Media Art, edited by Larissa Hjorth, Adriana de Souza e Silva & Klare Lanson, Oxford, New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis. Details https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Mobile-Media-Art-1st-Edition/Hjorth-de-Souza-e-Silva-Lanson/p/book/9780367197162

Baker, C. C. (June 2019) “What is or where is the human in technology?” IN: Defragmentation: Curating Contemporary Music (Darmstädter Beiträge zur Neuen Musik. Sonderband Defragmentation in original German), Sylvia Freydank, Michael Rebhahn (Ed.) Schott, Music: Darmstadt, Germany Available Online https://en.schott-music.com/shop/defragmentation-no404791.html

Baker, C. C. (Sept 26, 2017) Book chapter: “Critical Interventions in Wearable Tech, Smart Fashion & Etextiles in Art and Performance”, In Digital Bodies: Creativity and Technology in the Arts and Humanities, edited by Susan Broadhurst and Sara Price, Palgrave Publishing, MacMillan: Hampshire, UK. Focuses on the ongoing collaboration with Kate Sicchio on the Hacking the Body and HTB 2.0’s wearable technologies in performance research and practice. https://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781349952403

Baker, C. C. (July 2016) “ICT&ART Connect: Connecting ICT & Art Communities Project Outcomes” IN Curating the Digital: Space for Art and Interaction, Editors: David England, Thecla Schiphorst, Nick Bryan-Kinns, Switzerland: Springer, pages 89-105. Available online at: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319287201 - based on CHI 2014 workshop on Human Computer Interaction and Art Curating.

Interview

Schleser, Max (November 2021) Smartphone Filmmaking: Theory & Practice.: Chapter 3 - features a discussion between Schleser and I on my art practice. Bloomsbury, London. Details https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/smartphone-filmmaking-9781501360350

Journal articles

Baker, C. C. (April 2023) “INTER/her: An immersive journey inside the female body - Experience Reflections” IN Virtual Creativity, Volume 12, Issue 2, p. 181 - 194. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/vcr_00067_1 Available online at https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/vcr_00067_1

Baker, C. and Boddington, G. (June 2023) ‘Extended senses: Embodying Technology,’ and editors of special issue of Virtual Creativity, Bristol: Intellect Publishing 12(1), pp. 3–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/vcr_00057_2 Available online at https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/vcr_00057_2

Baker, C.C. (February 14, 2023) ‘INTER/her: An immersive journey inside the female body – Creative Processes, Reflections and Revelations’, IN Body, Space and Technology Journal, Volume 22, 2023, pages 1-19 DOI: https://doi.org/10.16995/bst.9724. Available online at https://www.bstjournal.com/article/id/9724/

Baker, C. C., Bryan-Kinns, N., Greinke, B., Ranaivoson, H., Wu, Y., Liu, S., (Nov 2018) “WEAR Sustain Network: Wearable Technology Innovation” 6th GLOBAL FASHION CONFERENCE, London College of Fashion conference proceedings online http://gfc-conference.eu/proceedings/

Baker, C. C., Bryan-Kinns, N., Greinke, B., Ranaivoson, H., (June 2018) “WEAR: Wearable technologists Engage with Artists for Responsible innovation: Processes and Progress”, IN Journal of Virtual Creativity, Intellect Journal, Vol.8.1, Denise Doyle, Editor-in-Chief, Bristol: Intellect Publishing https://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-issue,id=3433/

Baker, C. C. and Sicchio, K. (March 2018) “Hacking the Body 2.0: Dancing Between Commercial and DIY Wearable Technology“, IN Special Issue: Bodily Extensions and Performance (Avatars, Prosthetics, Cyborgs, Posthumans), Vol 14.1, ed International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, Oxford, New York: Taylor & Francis http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rpdm20/current

Exhibitions & Performances

INTER/her Immersive Experience and Installation, details at https://inter-her.art and https://camillebaker.me/inter-her:

1. Oct 26-29th, 2013 Frequency Festival 2023, The Drill and the Lincoln Centre for the Arts, Lincoln, UK https://frequency.org.uk/events/inter-her/
2. Sept 5th-10th, 2023, as part of the Ars Electronica Campus Exhibition for the RCA Showcase "Digital Under Commons" https://ars.electronica.art/who-owns-the-truth/en/digital-undercommons/ and https://ars.electronica.art/who-owns-the-truth/en/inter-her/
3. July 10 to Dec 30th, 2023, CAS (Computer Arts Society) Members’ Exhibition at the British Computer Society London, Moorgate location, London UK online here https://computer-arts-society.com/exhibitions/cas-members-2023.html
4. March 10th-13th, 2023, South by Southwest 2023, Austin Texas as part of the RCA School of Communication Showcase at the UK House presenting the Narrative Ecologies Interactive Event (side bar) and speaking at The RCA convenes: XR stories panel (UK House, The Courtyard) https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/meet-the-rca-in-uk-house-sxsw23/
5. February 2-5th, 2023 Peckham Digital: Festival of Creative Computing, Eagle Wharf, 42 Bonar Road, Peckham, London https://www.peckhamdigital.org/artists/2023/camille_baker/
6. (2022) The Extended Senses Symposium and Exhibition, Stephen Lawrence Gallery, University of Greenwich, London 
   https://www.extendedsenses22.co.uk/team-4-2
7. (2022) University of Toronto and University of York’s ArtSci Salon, co-hosting exhibition as part of the Technologies of Care project. Exhibition details here https://artscisalon.com/who-cares/camille-baker/ Opening Thursday, April 7, 5 pm Exhibition location: Ivey Library, New College, 20 Willcox Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8. (2021) hosted by game:play lab ay Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) and the University of Toronto’s ArtSci Salon for a scaled down version and artists talk, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
9. (2021) NeOn Digital Festival, https://neondigitalarts.com/festival-2021/ Dundee, Scotland;
10. (2021) Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton, UK;
11. (2021) Ars Electronica 2021, UCA Artistic Presentation for the UK Garden “In The Invisible Garden – https://ars.electronica.art/newdigitaldeal/en/uca-artistic-presentation/ AND Art in Flux: Reclaimed - virtual exhibition relaunch.
12. (2021) Access Space https://access-space.org/portfolio/inter-her-a-multi-sensory-immersive-art-installation-that-takes-you-inside-the-womb/ at the Food Hall, Sheffield, UK
13. (2021) EVA Conference - Artist Demo Paper and exhibition demo, in London (as well as a Keynote Speaker presentation on the STARTS project) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyxj03uIZA0
14. (2021) The Brewery Tap Project Space, Folkestone, Kent, UK
15. (2021) Art in Flux: Reclaimed - virtual exhibition relaunch at Kensington & Chelsea Art Week. See the virtual exhibition via the link in previous listing.
16. (2021) UCA FMPA Doctoral lunchtime talk - discussing the project from a research and theory perspective for current FMPA PhD students.
17. (2021) National Gallery X - Showcase for Art in Flux: Reclaimed virtual exhibition https://www.artinfluxlondon.com/reclaimed-exhibition.html
18. (2020) Immerse UK Presents: XR & Femtech, The Knowledge Transfer Network, online Tuesday, 17 March 2020 from 17:30 to 20:00, on my new work INTER/her and on a panel, speaking more broadly on Women and Technology. Video available online here https://tinyurl.com/vjaxdwl and presentation here https://www.slideshare.net/secret/3QdsXIlcWbUZiR

Other exhibitions

(2018) Attempts, Failures, Trials and Errors exhibition of our video documentation of Hacking the Body live performances of Flutter /Stutter and Feel Me, curated by Hillevi Munthe and Tincuta Heinzel in Bucharest at the "Salon de Proiecte". See it online at http://salonuldeproiecte.ro/exhibitions/attempts-failures-trials-and-errors/ and the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1786684551415496/. Images available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/heinzelmenschen/sets/72157666073147048

(2017) Attempts, Failures, Trials and Errors exhibition video of Hacking the Body live performances of Flutter /Stutter and Feel Me, curated by Hillevi Munthe and Tincuta Heinzel, at Piksel art gallery, Bergen, Norway. Online at http://17.piksel.no/?p=432 and http://trials-and-errors.com/projects.

(2017) Refest2.0 ITP NYU, New York City, a telematic performance via the Internet of Things protocol of X-OSc of our Feel Me dance and wearables piece between one dancer in New York City and in London, UK https://hackingthebody.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/performance-at-refest2-0-at-nyu-itp/

(2016) International Conference on Live Interfaces, Brighton, UK, performance of our Flutter /Stutter dance and wearables piece, created for February 2016 performances below. www.liveinterfaces.org/ proceedings are here https://thormagnusson.github.io/liveinterfaces/proceedings2016.html and video here https://youtu.be/wDD1tQEJNJk.

(2016) Hacking the Body live performances of Flutter Stutter and Feel Me, in London 1) Watermans Arts Centre, February 16th, and 2) Access Space Sheffield, February 18th – with dancers wearing custom wearable technology and etextiles garments to trigger interaction between dancers and sound for the audience. See more on the performances here: hackingthebody.wordpress.com, and https://vimeo.com/168129310

(2015) Wear_NEXT Exhibition, Brisbane, Gallery Artisan of Hacking the Body, touring Australia and Asia - online catalogue https://www.weekendnotes.com/wear-next-exhibition-gallery-artisan/. Radio review here: http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2015/09/bst_20150903_0843.mp3 and video made during R&D residency at UCA and Siobhan Davies https://hackingthebody.wordpress.com/ (https://vimeo.com/133353621) featured in the exhibition.

2022 – present – Development and production of Mammary Mountain VR/ Haptic Installation - collaboration between Camille Baker, and artists 1) Tara Baoth Mooney – Irish based musician, singer, fashion designers and illustrator, and 2) Maf’j Alvarez, creative technologist and 3D artist / VR developer https://mammary-vr.art/

2020 Oct—Nov (6-week) Access Space online commission for Intangible Threshold, collaboration between Camille Baker and Susanne Palzer for the Access Space Online Residency Programme 2020. The Project investigated collaboration and the meaning of connection over distance, through screens -available technology in COVID times in 2020. https://access-space.org/portfolio/coming-up-online-residency-event-with-camille-baker-susanne-palzer/

2020 May - November – Sensory Spaces, a StoryFutures AHRC Creative Clusters, as part of UCA’s participation in the larger consortium, as an academic fellow on the Storytelling fellowship collaboration scheme, with colleague Dr Birgitta Hosea and CTO and co-founder of Valkyrie Industries, Dr Ivan Isakov, to develop a virtual reality sculpting software for use with Valkyrie’s haptic gloves. Duration: May - October 2020. Details here https://www.storyfutures.com/news/immersive-storytelling-fellows and the StoryFutures Consortium https://www.storyfutures.com/

2015-2017 A long-time collaboration with media artist choreographer Dr Kate Sicchio Hacking the Body 2.0 (2015-2017), practice-based arts research multi-output collaboration.

EU Collaboration Projects

2024-2026 – EU Horizon Europe HUMAN-33 VOICE: Valorising Artist-led Innovation Through Citizen Engagement

2019-2021- EU Horizon 2020 ICT-32-2018-2, Community Support Action, name: cosystem: Support to STARTS Community and Lighthouse Projects through the creation of an ecosystem for hybrid talent, PROJECT WEBSITE: starts.eu

2017-2029 – EU Horizon 2020 ICT-36-2016-1 Innovation action, WEAR: Wearable technologists Engage with Artists for Responsible innovation. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/206415/factsheet/en.

Professional Activities

• Residency Co-curator London-Barcelona Immensiva Exchange 2024 with Elliott Burns of Offsite.org and in collaboration with Alejandro Marin at Espronceda, Barcelona https://www.immensiva.com/
• Scientific Committee member for the STARTS Symposium Exploring the intersections of Science, Technology, Arts and Society as catalysts for change. A S+T+ARTS Symposium to reflect on impact and shape the future, organised by six STARTS Regional Centres: GLUON, HacTe, Ars Electronica, Inova+, Kersnikova Institute and MEET, Digital Culture Centre, within the framework of STARTS in the City May-October 2024 https://starts.eu/opportunities/starts_symposium/
• Science and the Arts President for the British Science Festival 2024 from January 2024 to January 2025, nominated by Anna Dumitriu https://britishsciencefestival.org/
• External Evaluator for promotion panel for Dr Brigitta Zics by UCL's Faculty of Education and Society for UCL Institute of Education - Spring 2024 (Date: TBD);
• Evaluator for UKRI MyWorld XR Funding Scheme since April 2022 https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/myworld-collaborative-research-and-development/;
• Member of ImmerseUK since 2020 https://www.immerseuk.org/
• Peer Evaluator for UKRI Talent Peer Review College (PRC) Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme since 2019 https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/future-leaders-fellowships/
• Advisory Board of EVA Conference since October 2022 http://www.eva-london.org/
• Advisory Board of British Computer Society – Computer Arts Society branch since September 2022; Affiliate Member since 2018 https://computer-arts-society.com/
• Conference review board member for Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA London) conference 2014, 2015, 2022
• External for Professor Hiring Panel for Northumbria University, Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences, Department of Arts, March 25, 2022
• External Evaluator for Promotions Panel for the University for the Arts London, for London College of Fashion, for two Readers (Dr and two Professor applications, October 2021.
• External Evaluator for promotion to Associate Professor, for Dr Max Schleser’s application, for Academic Promotions Committee, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria, Australia, August 2021.
• External Evaluator for promotion to Assistant Professor, for Dr Afroditi Psarra, for the Department of Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, US, August 2021.
• External Evaluator for promotion to University Lecturer, for Susan Clements-Vivian, School of Interactive Arts & Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, Canada
• e-stitches collective 2014-2023 London – e-textiles meetup, which I founded, co-organised with Melissa Coleman (2014-2020) and Irini Papadimitriou (2014-2017), with Emilie Gilles (2020-2023), advisor since 2023to present;
• Mentor and curator for the Immensiva virtual reality residency program, since February 2020, as well as part of an Immensiva Virtual Art Think Tank since November 2020, as well as External Jury Member for the Quintessence Dome Prize 2020 & 2021: for best Artistic Virtual Reality Residency project , all hosted by Esprocenda Institute of Art and Culture, Barcelona, Spain, https://www.espronceda.net/ Editorial Board for the academic journal, Intellect’s Virtual Creativity, ISSN 23979704, ONLINE ISSN 23979712, Editor Dr Denise Doyle https://www.intellectbooks.com/virtual-creativity since January 2021
• Expert Evaluator, European Commission Funding Evaluation Panel for ICT-55 Immersive Technologies, European Commission offices, Luxembourg – to select 8-10 projects to be funded at 2.5 million Euros each. Duration: December 15, 2019 – January 31, 2020. Details on the programme here https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ict-55-2020
• External Jury Member for the REFREAM STARTS.eu funding application selection at Department of Fashion and Technology, Seminarraum 1, Tabakfabrik Linz, Linz, Austria - for Call 1 https://www.re-fream.eu/meet-the-jury/ July 10 -11th, 2019;
• Artistic Advisor STARTS Prize 2019 – submission of curated selection of potential artistic prize winners, https://starts-prize.aec.at/en/jury2019/ April 30th, 2019;
• External Jury Member for the VERTIGO STARTS Residencies STARTS.eu funding application selection at IRCAM headquarters in Paris, 1 place Igor Stravinsky 75004 Paris, France, for Call 2 - January 31 online and in person February 12-13, 2018, Call 3 - May 14th online and in person May 24/25, 2019 https://vertigo.starts.eu/vertigo-project/2018-jury/
• External Technology Advisor, Defragmentation – Curating Contemporary Music research project from February 2017 - March 2019 - addressing themes of “Gender & Diversity”, “Decolonization”, “Technology” and “Curation” in new music, toward better practices and more adequate discourses in these areas. Funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes Germany, developed jointly by MaerzMusik – Festival for Time Issues, Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Donaueschinger Musiktage, and in cooperation with Ultima Festival Oslo. Advisory fee €10,000, as well as expenses to travel to various meetings in Berlin, Darmstadt, and Oslo .
• Professional member of the Computer Arts Society, British Computer Society, since March 2017 https://computer-arts-society.com/
• Editorial Board for The Body, Space Technology Journal, http://bstjournal.com since November 2015
• Paper Peer-reviewer, HCI International 2016 conference (Human Computer Interaction) since November 2015
• Academic Research Consultant, product development, Pling Toys, April–Dec 2015
• Journal Peer reviewer for MIT’s Leonardo Journal http://www.leonardo.info/leoinfo.html 2013–2015.

External Examiner for UK Courses

• External Examiner for MA Virtual Reality, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, May 2024- 2026
• External Examiner for MA/MSc Creative Computing course, Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London, March 1st, 2020 to July, 2024
• External Examiner for BA (Hons) User-Experience (UX) and User-Interaction (UI) Design course, Ravensbourne University London, February 2020 to July 2023
• External Assessor for re-approval for BA (Hons) Immersive Media and Mixed Reality course, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, February, 14, 2023
• External Quality Panel Member for Programme Review for the University for the Arts London, London College of Fashion, School of Communication and Media. March 14-16, 2022
• External Revalidation Examiner for Postgraduate Media Courses, Herefordshire University, School of Creative Arts, January 7-31, 2022
• External Panel Member for Postgraduate Media Course Revalidation, Postgraduate Studies, School of Creative Arts, Hertfordshire University, January 2022
• External Referee for Reader and Professors Promotion for London College of Fashion, School of Communication and Media August- October 2021
• External Examiner for BA (Hons) User-Experience (UX) and User-Interaction (UI) Design course, Ravensbourne University London, February 2020 to July 2023
• External Examiner for the Validation for New Stamford College, FD/BA Visual Communication, Stamford, UK – administered by The Open University Validation Services, June 20 & 21, 2019 and January 2020
• External Examiner for Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute (TLRH), MSCA COFUND Visiting Research Fellowship Programme, January 2016.