معرفی
Freya Björg Olafson serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba School of Art since 2021, following her Assistant Professorship in York University's Department of Dance (2017-2021). Her academic foundation includes an MFA in New Media from Transart Institute/Donau Universität (Austria) and a BA (Honors) from the University of Winnipeg.
Educational background:
- MFA in New Media, Transart Institute/Donau Universität, Austria
- Bachelor of Arts (Honors), University of Winnipeg
Olafson's research critically examines technology's impact on bodily perception and identity through intermedia frameworks. Her practice integrates video, audio, motion capture, and XR technologies to deconstruct digital embodiment, drawing extensively from internet-sourced narratives and ready-made digital assets. She investigates how VR/AR mediates human experience, particularly regarding altered states of consciousness and virtual identity construction, often incorporating Fluxus and Bauhaus influences within contemporary digital contexts.
Her creative output demonstrates consistent thematic focus on virtual reality's destabilization of corporeal boundaries. Works like "MÆ - Motion Aftereffect" synthesize motion capture data, 3D modeling, and live processing to create immersive experiences that interrogate technological mediation of reality without requiring headsets. This trajectory reflects broader digital art movements exploring internet culture's influence on perception while maintaining rigorous technical innovation in performance frameworks.
Her honors include the Buddies in Bad Times Vanguard Award (2010) and Winnipeg Arts Council Making A Mark Award (2018), alongside Sobey Art Award longlisting (2020) and Lumen Prize recognition (2021).
- Buddies in Bad Times Vanguard Award for Risk and Innovation (2010)
- Making A Mark Award, Winnipeg Arts Council (2018)
- Combustible Artist Residency Award (2017)
- Sobey Art Award Longlist (2020)
- Lumen Prize longlist (2021)
- York Research Leader (2020)
Olafson secures substantial research funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council, and international partnerships like UK-Canada Immersive Exchange. Her collaborative projects involve technologists and performers across North America and Europe, with mentorship occurring through Video Pool Media Arts Centre and núna Festival engagements.
She actively contributes to Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts & Technology (York University), FADO Performance Art Centre (Toronto), and Video Pool Media Arts Centre (Winnipeg), while leading núna Festival's Canada-Iceland cultural exchange initiatives that foster transnational artistic dialogue through contemporary media practices.
