Member Profile: Scottie Huang
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I am a media artist, designer, and an Assistant Professorteaching in Industrial Design at theChung Hua University since 2012. Where I founded and directs theBiologically Inspired Objects (BIO) Lab, focus upon developing biological mechanism on interactive media for explore digital aesthetics, kinetic sculptures, and futuristic products.
2. What was your first job?
My first job worked as theater design assistant to Mrs. Zhang Wei-Whjen in “Norma Opera” at National Concert Hall, Taiwan.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I completed my MS degree in architecture (the Digital Architecture Group) at the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Then, I finished my PhD degree in architecture (Group of Architectural Synergy) at the National Taiwan University of Science & Technology (NTUST) in Taipei.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
My first SIGGRAPH experience was in New Orleans, 2009. I presented my interactive kinetic installation – MSOrgm at Art Gallery. After attending SIGGRAPH, I presenting my work to SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 in Singapore and SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 in Shenzhen. I also joined ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community (DAC) Committee, coordinator of SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 Digital Art Lounge. Recently, I am the SIGGRAPH Asia 2016 Art Gallery Chair (with Cynthia Beth Rubin) in Macau.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
In my first SIGGRAPH in 2009, here has a special Galleries & Experiences regarding design, architecture, and art topic. I have a nice experience to meet many digital artist and designer here, especially to see my respected artist Philip Beesley. He exhibited his “Hylozoic Soil” work, a artificial forest driven by dozens of microprocessors, generating waves of reflexive responses to those drawn into its vast array of acrylic fern stalagmites, inspired my a lot.
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
I enjoy extending the beauty of interactive art more involving to our living space.My artwork focuses upon developing biological mechanism on interactive media for explore novel aesthetics, kinetic sculptures, and futuristic products.I use my interactive installation for explore the relationship between object, people, and the environment. As in my recently work – Breathing Pinecone, used pneumatic system to mimic living system. Metaphor from blood, muscle, and skeletons into compressed air, pneumatic cylinder, and foldable structure in human body, demonstrating new life form moving in artificial way. It has showed in Milan design week 2016, demonstrate as novel transformable lamp for public space. You may please see more detail through my website:shkinetic.com
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
I would be very honored if to have dinner with Mr. Walter Elias. Not for his commercial success, but for he founded amazing disney animation, always contains wisdom words inside, encourage people to pursue their dream. I would also very like disney movie bring CG technologies and art skill together arriving at a higher level storytelling.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I love music, I also have street performer licence in Taipei city. Continuing by my current creature, I would going to integrate sound factor inside my interactive mechanism to develop as novel musical instrument in opera, maybe in the future.
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
There were few people in particular that taught me important for a path approaching computer-aided design and computer art: Shen-Guan Shih, my PhD thesis advisor, taught me observed from sociobiology into programing. June-Hao Hou, my MS thesis advisor, taught me fundamental computer programing skill for implementing into a user interface. Tristan d’Estrée Sterk, by he taught responsible architecture workshop inspired me a lot, encourage me to use the knowledge from architectural technology into digital Art boundary.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I am appreciative to Cynthia Beth Rubin for encouraging me to become actively involved in the SIGGRAPH community.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
I was proud to become an ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community Committee (DACC) member, foster dialogue between visual artists with the larger ACM SIGGRAPH community, especially help forward into Asia culture – It was my proudest moment here.