Tyler Calkin

Tyler Calkin is an Associate Professor and Head of Digital Media at the University of Nevada, Reno within the Department of Art, Art History and Design. He received his MFA in Art and Integrated Media from the California Institute of the Arts in 2011 and his BA in Art from Whitman College in 2009 (with Minor in English, Magna Cum Laude). Prior to joining UNR, he taught in the Program in Art and Technology and The Center for Integrated Media at CalArts, where he developed an experimental VR lab.

Calkin's interdisciplinary practice spans objects, performance, video, augmented and virtual reality, machine learning, and motion capture, often in recursive combinations. His research focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning, human-robot interaction, 3D modeling and fabrication with motion capture, and XR interactivity and social experience. He constructs interactive and immersive propositions for interpersonal experience, responding to current developments in consumer technologies and pandemic-era tech practices.

His recent body of work demonstrates a strong focus on virtual reality, motion capture, and digital fabrication, with numerous international exhibitions including venues in Berlin, London, Venice, Beijing, Kathmandu, Seoul, Mexico, New York, and Los Angeles. His 2022 work 'Agreement Collapse' explores climate change through a gravity simulation featuring a pink mocap model in a blue cloudy sky, commenting on international climate accords. His publications and presentations reveal an ongoing exploration of digital interfaces, social interactions in virtual spaces, and the philosophical implications of emerging technologies.

Calkin teaches critical theory and experimental practices in video, immersive and interactive media, and digital fabrication. His teaching emphasizes critical discourse and experimental approaches to creative coding, performance, and game design. As Area Head of Digital Media, he leads curriculum development in emerging digital art forms and technologies.