Andy Best-Dunkley

Andy Best-Dunkley is a Doctoral Student and Lecturer in Sculpture at Aalto University's School of Arts, Design and Architecture, where he leads sculpture teaching within the Center for General Studies. He serves as a Board Member of the Association of Finnish Sculptors (2018-present) and forms half of the internationally acclaimed artist duo Andy and Merja with his wife Merja Puustinen. His practice merges media art, sculpture, and participatory design to create provocative interactions in physical galleries, public urban spaces, and virtual environments.

Education:

• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Best-Dunkley's research centers on social empowerment through physical computing and electronics, specializing in playful yet politically charged installations. His work spans media art, interaction design, and contemporary sculpture, with core themes including disability inclusion (e.g., personalized musical interfaces for disabled performers), urban space interventions, and critical examinations of power structures. He actively bridges art and technology to foster community engagement and challenge societal norms.

His 66 artistic outputs since 2009 reveal consistent evolution toward socially engaged practice, with recent works like OBJEKTI 6 (2020) and Cul-de-sac (2019) emphasizing participatory design in public spheres. The portfolio demonstrates increasing integration of physical computing with community-driven narratives, particularly through projects addressing marginalization in urban contexts.

Scientific recognition includes national media coverage in Helsingin Sanomat (2019) and presentations at Ars Electronica (2020). His activities encompass conference keynotes on radical creativity, membership in professional networks, and curatorial projects that position art as an actor for social change.

Within Aalto ARTS, he develops sculpture pedagogy while maintaining an active studio practice. His collaborative approach extends to the artist duo Andy and Merja, which produces internationally exhibited works that blend carnivalistic aesthetics with political commentary, as seen in the geisha sculpture covered by Finnish national media.