Sirbu, Daniela
Faculty
Fine Arts - New Media Department
- Phone
- (403) 394-3932
- Fax
- (403) 382-7127
- daniela.sirbu@uleth.ca
Lab
- Phone
- (403) 332-5248
Office Hours
Wednesday: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
About Me
Education:
Ph.D. - Thesis topics: Computational Creativity in Visual Arts (encompassing topics in automatic control, natural computing, systems engineering, visual arts, cognitive science/ neuroaesthetics as related to creativity) - Politehnica University of Bucharest.
M. Arch. (Design and Technology) - School of Architecture, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Diploma Engineer in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Faculty of Control Engineering and Computer Science - "Politehnica" University of Bucharest
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Arts) - Faculty of Fine Arts, National University of Art, Bucharest
Ph.D. - Thesis topics: Computational Creativity in Visual Arts (encompassing topics in automatic control, natural computing, systems engineering, visual arts, cognitive science/ neuroaesthetics as related to creativity) - Politehnica University of Bucharest.
M. Arch. (Design and Technology) - School of Architecture, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Diploma Engineer in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Faculty of Control Engineering and Computer Science - "Politehnica" University of Bucharest
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Arts) - Faculty of Fine Arts, National University of Art, Bucharest
Biography
Daniela Sirbu is an Associate Professor of New Media at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Her research interests are essentially interdisciplinary at the confluence between new media, fine arts, architecture, systems engineering, and evolutionary computing. Most of her research was based on Canada Foundation for Innovation grants won as Principal Investigator and totaling $254,500. Her current research focus is in animation, computational systems for creativity in visual arts, 3D computer reconstruction of unbuilt architecture, 3D visualization, human movement, human perception and cognition, unconventional forms of film and animation, interactive arts, and photography.
Before coming to the University of Lethbridge, Daniela worked for 6 years as animator, 3D modeler, and graphic designer in the video games industry. As an Artech Digital Entertainments artist she worked on contracts with Hasbro Interactive, Lucas Arts, Infogrames, and Sony Interactive and has credits on video games including Monopoly 2000, Monopoly Star Wars , Wheel of Fortune II, and My Little Pony. Among these video games, Monopoly Star Wars won the Software Publishers Award for "Best Use of Visual Arts in Multimedia."
Daniela also taught human and animal anatomy for artists, character design, 3D modeling and animation, acting for animation, and storyboarding for animation at the Ottawa School of Art. Teaching of these disciplines builds on many years of studio practice and continues to provide grounds from which Daniela's current research evolves in her animation, in her general new media artistic practice, in her more traditional artistic practice, as well as in her research in computational systems for artificial creativity in visual arts.
Her work and research interests were previously centered on human-computer interfaces in visual arts creative processes, interdisciplinary methods in aesthetic education, and robotics.
Daniela won a 4-month research fellowship at the University of Barcelona, Faculty of Fine Arts, which was awarded by the Commission of the European Communities, PECO Program (Program for Economic Collaboration). She had personal and group exhibitions in Ottawa, Barcelona, Vienna, Paris, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Cincinnati, Boston, and Bucharest.
Some of the venues where Daniela has exhibited new media artwork and delivered live performances include: La Triennale di Milano, Palazzo dell'Arte, Milan; Art Museum of Ravenna; Auditorium of CRF Foundation, Historic Downtown of Florence; Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia, Venice; Gallery of the Fondazione Bevilaqua La Masa, Palazzeto Tito, Venice (Ancient Centre); Galleria Angelica, Downtown, Rome; Galleria Cervantes, Piazza Navona, Rome; Cité internationale universitaire de Paris; Classense Library, Mosaic Hall, Historic Downtown of Ravenna; Museo di Storia Naturale, Verona and more.
Research Interests
My research is interdisciplinary at the confluence between new media, fine arts, architecture, systems engineering, and evolutionary computing.
Part of my latest work is focused on computational creativity in visual arts. I am interested in developing computational systems, which can autonomously produce original artwork or aid artistic production in interaction with a human user. This provides the grounds for my artistic practice blending art studio approaches with natural computing, systems engineering, cognitive science, and aesthetics.
In the same time, I continue my research on digital exploration of unbuilt architectural projects based on the graphical analysis of the architect's drawings and their cinematic reconstruction in a multi-dimensional environment. Research on human movement, human perception and cognition, unconventional use of digital animation and cinematic techniques are meant to support a metaphorical investigation of architectural projects through navigation in digital virtual spaces.
My research platforms are often based on 3D computer reconstructions and visualization, Virtual Reality, and programming involving computational paradigms such as evolutionary computing, and in particular genetic algorithms.
I continue my traditional art practice and I am currently working on various series, one of these being titled "Draped Movements." This series is building on the opposing forces of motion and confinement. Movement appears as expression of life, of the need to explore and expand knowledge. Confinement in various forms limits or fractures movement and the exploration of the unknown. This clash of forces between motion and confinement provides inspiration for many direction of development for the "Draped Movements" series. The series naturally extends into my new media artistic practice taking cinematic and/or interactive forms of explorations based on 2D and 3D platforms (currently in development).
My photography often serves documentation purposes, often takes a photo journalism approach in candidly capturing life in its natural progress, or it takes an artistic approach in an attempt to find new meaning in the surrounding environments in everyday life. One of my latest photo series is titled "Sculpture Graveyards" and attempts to give new interpretations to form and texture in discarded sculpture.
Part of my latest work is focused on computational creativity in visual arts. I am interested in developing computational systems, which can autonomously produce original artwork or aid artistic production in interaction with a human user. This provides the grounds for my artistic practice blending art studio approaches with natural computing, systems engineering, cognitive science, and aesthetics.
In the same time, I continue my research on digital exploration of unbuilt architectural projects based on the graphical analysis of the architect's drawings and their cinematic reconstruction in a multi-dimensional environment. Research on human movement, human perception and cognition, unconventional use of digital animation and cinematic techniques are meant to support a metaphorical investigation of architectural projects through navigation in digital virtual spaces.
My research platforms are often based on 3D computer reconstructions and visualization, Virtual Reality, and programming involving computational paradigms such as evolutionary computing, and in particular genetic algorithms.
I continue my traditional art practice and I am currently working on various series, one of these being titled "Draped Movements." This series is building on the opposing forces of motion and confinement. Movement appears as expression of life, of the need to explore and expand knowledge. Confinement in various forms limits or fractures movement and the exploration of the unknown. This clash of forces between motion and confinement provides inspiration for many direction of development for the "Draped Movements" series. The series naturally extends into my new media artistic practice taking cinematic and/or interactive forms of explorations based on 2D and 3D platforms (currently in development).
My photography often serves documentation purposes, often takes a photo journalism approach in candidly capturing life in its natural progress, or it takes an artistic approach in an attempt to find new meaning in the surrounding environments in everyday life. One of my latest photo series is titled "Sculpture Graveyards" and attempts to give new interpretations to form and texture in discarded sculpture.