CYENS Thinker Maker Space to host award-winning young Canadian artist

The CYENS Thinker Maker Space in Nicosia is set to host one of five award-wining artists from Canada as part of a residency.

The CYENS Thinker Maker Space is a multifunctional creative space that works towards providing support and building collaborations with local entrepreneurs, designers, artists and researchers.

The Thinker Maker Space Residency with CYENS Centre of Excellence will go to of the five recipients of the 10th annual Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA), Canada's leading award for critical experimentation in digital media.

It was organised by EQ Bank, the digital platform of Canada's Challenger Bank™ media.

This year's EDAA recipients in their respective categories are Studio Ekosi, Carmilla Sumantry, Francisco Gonzalez-Rosas, Moni Omubor and Quinn Hopkins.

• Still Image – Moni Omubor, The Backroom (2023)
  Moni is a Lagos-born visual artist and designer based in Lethbridge, Alta., whose new media practices uses speculative fiction to explore the interconnectedness of Black diasporic realities and postcolonial Nigerian identity.
• Moving Image – Carmilla Sumantry, GRWM (2024)
  Carmilla is an interdisciplinary creative based in Vancouver, BC. Her practice explores the relationship between emerging technology and art and is informed by her second-generation Indonesian-Canadian heritage and queer identity.
• 2D Interactive – Studio Ekosi, Mikiwam (2023)
  Comprised of Caeleigh and Keara Lightning, the mixed Irish and Nehiyaw sisters based in Edmonton, Alta., create narrative games about Indigenous futures.
• Extended Reality – Quinn Hopkins, Stellar Narratives (2024)
  Quinn is a Toronto-based artist working at the intersection of Urban Indigenous culture and new media, crafting a vibrant dialogue between Indigenous history, urban life and futuristic visions. His practice is rooted in Anishinaable-Métis traditions, reimagining Indigenous iconography for the modern era.
• 3D Installation – Francisco Gonzalez-Rosas, the museum of the copy/pasted identities (2022)
  A Chilean performance and new media artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, Francisco's practice explores existing and speculative crossovers between body and technology while emphasizing the politics of these encounters.

"We couldn't be prouder to celebrate the EDAA's 10th edition. This exquisite lineup of digital artists from across the country are testament to the creative spirit, curiosity and vibrancy of contemporary art in Canada," said Andrew Moor, president and CEO, EQ Bank. "We're thrilled to recognize and support these young artists as they embark on remarkable careers challenging the conventional."

The 2024 EDAA garnered over 200 submissions from emerging digital artists across the country. Submissions were reviewed and assessed by an impressive lineup of guest judges from the digital and contemporary arts communities including Zach Blas, Skawennati, Crystal Mowry and Kara Stone, and was chaired by EQ Bank's Shannon Linde. The five recipients' works were selected for their originality, technical expertise, and critical approach to their subject matter within the field of contemporary digital art.

"This year saw the highest number of submissions from the broadest geographic representation of digital artists working across the country in EDAA history," said Shannon Linde, senior curator, EQ Bank. "I'm grateful to the guest jury for their contributions in selecting the five recipients and am excited for audiences to engage with their work, virtually and in-person, through the partnerships we've established with arts organizations in Canada and internationally."

Each artist receives a $5,000 prize for their outstanding work, which will be featured in a touring group exhibition starting at Gallery TPW in Toronto, Ont., from 11 December, 2024, to 11 January, 2025, before travelling EMMEDIA Gallery and Production Society in Calgary, Alta., and Centre for Art Tapes in Halifax, N.S., in spring 2025. The works will also be included in an expanded virtual exhibition produced by SpekWork Studio in partnership with the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Sask., from 10 December, 2024, to 30 June, 2025.

And, one of the five recipients will participate in the Thinker Maker Space Residency with CYENS Centre of Excellence in Nicosia, Cyprus.

According to the Space’s website, its aim is “To support the creative local community in developing projects that utilise digital fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping; aspiring to technology led innovation. Makerspace members are given easy access to cutting edge equipment and experienced technicians.”

CYENS Centre of Excellence is a Research and Innovation Centre specializing in Interactive Media, Smart Systems, and Emerging Technologies. CYENS is the only organization in Cyprus focusing on immersive technologies working towards empowering knowledge, and technology transfer in the region.

CYENS is a joint venture of three public universities, the University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, and the Open University of Cyprus, and two international partners, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and University College London.