Maria Smigielska is a researcher, creative designer and educator based in Zurich, Switzerland, oscilating between architecture, arts and digial technology.

Graduated from Architecture department at TU Poznan (Poland, 2009) and the postgraduate program at the chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design at ETH Zurich (Switzerland, 2013).

Balancing between research and the applied world, joined Baierbischofberger Architects, Zurich in 2014 to implement computational design methods and rationalize complex geometries, specially facades of art-oriented buildings, as well as  assisted in various innovative academic project of smaller scale (Digital Grotesque, ETH).

Independently explores varied computational design and develops robotic processes for fabrication (f.ex. robotic rod bending – bendilicious.com) in order to simplify over constrained industrial systems in architectural production.

Continuously shares professional experience and knowledge within varied collaborations (Edyta, Augustynowicz, AREA Institute, The Object), teaching during educational workshops (ENSA Paris Malaquais 2017, Industrial Design FHNW Basel, Fashion and Technology UfG Linz) and exhibiting/presenting during conferences and Biennales (Tallinn Architecture Bienale 2017, Design Modelling Symposium 2017, Paris, Ars Electronica Linz 2018).

Maria is currently a researcher at FHNW Basel, and runs her design practice in Zurich.

Art works are represented by Art[n+1] in Paris.

recent talks:

2019.10, ZHdK, Interaction Design, students lecture, Zurich, Switzerland

2019.10, AIAAF conference talk, Cottbus, Germany

2018.11 Research Design Methods Festival, HKB, Bern

2018.10 ‘Expanding Immersive Design’ conference talk, ZHdK, Zurich

2018.10  University of Art and Design FHNW, Basel

2018.06  “Uneasy art to collect” Czapsky Art Foundation, Poznan, Poland
2018.06  “Robots, creativity and the need of fiction” Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland

2017.09  ENSA V, Paris, Design Modelling Symposium,  ‘Application of Machine Learning Within the Integrative Design and Fabrication of Robotic Rod Bending Processes’

2017.03  TU Graz, Open Lecture at the Institute of Architecture and Media in Graz / link

2017.06  Zurich, maker talk @Fablab Zurich

2017.03 AREA Institute, Paris PLEXUS PARIS #02

recent publications:

2019.04, “Automation in design’, Places of Design, FHNW, Industrial Design

2018.05, chapter “The future is now” from Czapski Art Foundation publication ‘Akademia Rynku Sztuki #2’

2017.09, paper publication ”Application of Machine Learning within the integrative design and fabrication of robotic rod bending processes” during Design Modelling Symposium 2017 conference

recent exhibitions:

 2019.10, Lab 30 Media Festival, group exhibition, Augsburg, DE

2019.05, Design Festival Bern, group exhibition, CH

2018.10,  ‘The first dance’ performance, ZHdK, Zurich, CH

2018.10, ‘The first dance’ performance, Kulturfolger, Zurich, CH

2018.10, Bits Bots and Brains duo exhibition with Pierre Cutellic, Tetem, Entschede, NL ( curated by Ella Buzo)

2018.09, Proteus 2.0, with Pierre Cutellic, Ars Electronica Festival AT/ link

2018.05, ‘The Means’ project with Mateusz Zwierzycki, Ars Electronica Center, Linz AT/ link 

2018.05, ‘Proteus’ project, with Pierre Cutellic, Creative Robotics exhibition ( curated by Johannes Braumann and Kristina Maurer), Ars Electronica Center, Linz AT / link

2017.10,  ‘drawN’ project, DRAWBOT exhibition (curated by Emmanuelle Chiappone-Piriou, Leslie Ware), ART[n+1] gallery Paris FR / link

2017.09,  ‘The Means’ project with Mateusz Zwierzycki, Tallinn Architecture Biennale ( curated by Claudia Pasquero) EE / link 

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