Joel Simon

Instagram: joelsimonart

Website: https://joelsimon.net/

Bio: Joel is a multidisciplinary artist, toolmaker, and researcher based in Berkeley. He is currently in residence at Stochastic Labs and is the founder and director of Morphogen, a company that transforms new machine learning technologies into playful and accessible creative tools. He is the creator of Artbreeder, a massively collaborative, machine learning/artist interface. Previously, he conducted bioinformatics research at Rockefeller University and studied computer science and art at Carnegie Mellon. His works have been featured in numerous exhibitions, conferences, and press outlets, including Ars Electronica, NeurIPS, and Science Friday.

Statement: I am interested in creating new metaphors for interacting with technology, aiming to enhance our ability to think and create in novel ways. How can computation meaningfully augment our creative processes and enable us to imagine the previously unimaginable? To explore this question, I develop artificial life simulations, machine learning tools, and massively online collaborative social networks. My work has been applied in various domains, including generative architecture, AI imagery, creative social networks, and tools for fighting gerrymandering. My experiments and artworks are motivated by the beauty of emergent systems observed in nature and the creative process.