Tim O'Riley

Tim O'Riley is a Professor in the School of Arts & Humanities at the Royal College of Art, where he leads the Sites & Situations Research Cluster. His academic career spans over two decades since completing his PhD at Chelsea College of Art and Design in 1998, with significant recognition through an Arts and Humanities Research Council Fellowship (2004-2008).

His research interests focus on the intersections between art, science, and literature, with particular emphasis on technology and subjectivity, fact and fiction, and the relationship between still and moving images. O'Riley approaches research as a means of thinking that generates knowledge and enables new ways of conceptualizing artistic practice beyond mere outcomes.

His most significant scholarly contributions appear in the form of artist's books including Endlessness (2020), Twenty-Seven Kilometres (2013), A Farmer's Almanac (2011), and Accidental Journey (2010), which explore historical narratives through contemporary artistic lenses. His publications reveal consistent engagement with scientific phenomena, Antarctic exploration history, space missions, and the philosophical implications of scientific scales beyond human experience.

• Arts and Humanities Research Council Fellowship (2004-2008)

O'Riley has maintained significant collaborations with scientific institutions, notably CERN in Geneva, where he documented the Large Hadron Collider installation. His work bridges artistic practice with scientific inquiry, examining how scientific concepts operate within contemporary life both practically and philosophically. His exhibitions at prestigious venues including the Science Museum in London, Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève, and PS1 New York demonstrate the international recognition of his interdisciplinary approach.