Biography

Scott Snibbe is a new media artist, author, and meditation instructor. He serves as the executive director of A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment, and hosts its popular meditation podcast. In 2024, Snibbe released his first book, How to Train a Happy Mind, featuring a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

As a pioneer of interactive art, Snibbe’s installations have been incorporated into concert tours, museums, and public spaces. He has collaborated with musicians and filmmakers including Björk, Philip Glass, Beck, and James Cameron. His work can be found in the collections of New York MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other institutions. 

Snibbe has produced several bestselling art apps, including the world's first “app album” Björk: Biophilia. He was the founder of social music video startup Eyegroove that was later acquired to incorporate its augmented reality video effects into Instagram. Snibbe began his career as one of the early developers of Adobe After Effects, and spent several years at Paul Allen’s Interval Research Corporation researching interactive music, video, computer vision, and haptics.

Snibbe holds over thirty patents, and has received the Webby and Ars Electronica awards, and grants from the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He has served as an advisor to The Institute for the Future and The Sundance Institute and held teaching and research positions at UC Berkeley, NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematics, San Francisco Art Institute, and California Institute for the Arts. He is a longtime student of Tibetan Buddhism.

Artist's Statement 

The purpose of my work is to bring meaning and joy to people’s lives. My work is frequently interactive, requiring viewers to physically engage with diverse media that include mobile devices, digital projections, and electromechanical sculpture. By using interactivity, I hope to promote an understanding of the world as interdependent; destroying the illusion that each of us, or any phenomenon, exists in isolation from the rest of reality.

Humans often think of themselves as embodied beings acting separately from their environment and other people. However, when we examine the object most of us take to be “me”—the body—we find it composed entirely of non-self elements: skin, cells, our parents’ genes, food, water, atoms originating from ancient stellar explosions, and these, as far as we know today, made up of pure energy. Furthermore, our bodies’ parts are in constant exchange with our environment and with others’ bodies through eating, respiration, immunology, and genetics. Similarly, the contents of our human minds are dependent: language, thoughts, memories, and preferences only emerge from our interactions with others. Even while alone, the imprints of our lifetime’s interactions propel our thoughts and memories. Such a view of interdependence has long been central to Buddhist philosophy, and has recently gained widespread validation from neuroscientists, social psychologists, and philosophers of emergence, chaos, and complexity theories.

In my interactive artwork, I usually portray the interdependence of beings with their environments and each other through bodily interactions. Many of my works do not function unless viewers actively engage with them—by touching, breathing, or moving—so that viewers are essential to a piece’s existence as art. Furthermore, although the works involve state-of-the-art technologies, viewers’ experiences more typically occur in the context of human-to-human social interactions. In social settings, the public works provoke communication among the viewers that, more than a mere reaction to the work, becomes its very essence. For more intimate works, the experiences can be ones of concentrated creative attention more frequently associated with meditators and artists than with media consumers.

Interaction is by nature time-based, and my artistic process is rooted in my training in film and animation. The frame-by-frame creation of movement is based on an understanding that even a thirtieth of a second changes the perceptual and emotional impact of a cinematic moment. I apply a similar methodology in creating time-based interactions between humans and technology. My artistic vocabulary is comprised of the subtle changes in timing that unfold as images or objects react to viewers. These changes are encoded not as frames of film but rather as computer instructions that constantly reinterpret and update the temporal conditions of the work.

Although the ideas that my interactive art attempts to convey are complex, my artistic practice is minimalist. My working process is subtractive: removing elements until only those essential to convey a work's meaning remain. I combine this approach with the principles of phenomenology: the philosophy of how a body “thinks” through unmediated perception, rather than through reason and language. Often participants construct the meaning of my works not through analytical processes, but through their physical awareness, which, in the words of the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty: “gives us at every moment a global, practical, and implicit notion of the relation between our body and things, of our hold on them.” As applied to interactivity, this approach rewards viewers with an immediate, visceral sense of presence, while simultaneously inducing them to understand the motivation and meaning behind an individual work of art.

My interests in phenomenology and minimalism parallels my artistic influences. First and foremost is the tradition of experimental and abstract film, especially the work of Len Lye, who created direct cinema by scratching and marking celluloid film directly with his body. Lye, along with other abstract film pioneers, including Oskar Fischinger, Hans Richter and Moholy-Nagy, revealed that it is possible to create sophisticated, time-based, emotional and meaningful work without resorting to representation, and through intimate physical connection. A second direct influence on my work is the minimalist art of light and space, most notably that of Robert Irwin and James Turrell, who explored how subtle changes in an environment can make deep impressions on the viewer. My work continues in these traditions by constructing both environments on screens and in space that meaningfully react to viewers’ presence and engagement, and promote concentrated awareness.

Select essays by and about the artist

Early Influences (2003). Catalog Essay. Uijeongbu Digital Art Festival. South Korea.

Body, Screen and Shadow (2003). San Francisco Media Arts Council (SMAC) Journal.

Computation and Improvisation (2002). ICC Journal. Tokyo, Japan.

Useless Programs, Useful Programmers, and the production of Social Interactive Artworks (2006), Interview with Roberto Simanowski. Dichtung Digital.

Visceral Cinema: Chien (2005). Exhibition Catalog. Christiane Paul, Whitney Museum; Tom Leeser, CalArts; Fiona Whitton, TELIC Gallery. Los Angeles, CA.

Art Wants to be Ninety-Nine Cents (2010)

Music of Chance (2011)

Photos

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS

PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS AND COLLECTIONS 

Museum of Modern Art, New York
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Arizona State University Museum of Art
Tokyo Intercommunications Center
Mills College, California
London Science Museum
Phaeno Museum, Germany
Cité de Sciences, Paris, France
Yahoo! Corporation, California
Private collections worldwide

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022
Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, September 2022 - Summer, 2023
SWARM, Science Gallery Melbourne, August - December, 2022

2019
Mobile Art, Modern and Contemporary Art Fund of Montluçon, Paris, France April - June 2019

2017
Mobile Art, Parisian Art Fair Art Elysees, October, 2017

2016
Digital Abstractions, House of Electronic Arts Basel, April - May, 2016
Art of the App, Louisiana State University, February - March, 2016
This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, February, 2015 - January, 2016

2015
Björk, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, March – May, 2015
NEAT: New Experiments in Art and Technology, Conteporary Jewish Museum, October – December, 2015
Digital Revolution, Onassis Cultural Center, Athens, Greece, October – December, 2015

2014
MoogFest, April 2014
Poetic Codings, San Jose Museum of Art, September May – September, 2014
Digital Revolution, Barbican Institute, London, July – September 2014

2013
Sound in Space, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, October – November, 2013
Sonar Festival, June 2013
Poetic Codings, Fellows of Contemporary Art Curators, Los Angeles, March 2013

2012
Los Angeles International Airport

2011
Björk Biophilia Concert Tour visuals
Björk Biophilia App Album
Future/Canvas, San Francisco, February, 2011
Arizona State University, March, 2011
FILE Festival, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 2011

2010
Action! Design over Time, Museum of Modern Art, New York, February, 2010 - January, 2011
Art Rock 2010. St. Brieuc, France. May, 2010
San Francisco Fine Art Fair, with Zero1 Art and Technology Network. May, 2010

2008
Act React. Milwaukee Art Museum. October, 2008 – April, 2009
Art Rock 2008. St. Brieuc, France. May, 2008
Design and the Elastic Mind. Museum of Modern Art. New York, NY. February-May, 2008
Digital Art & Magic Moments. Shanghai eARTS Festival, 2007

2007
Metalandscapes. Miró Foundation, Mallorca, Spain, October 2007
From Mind to Hand: Artists and Graphology. Triple Base. San Francisco, California. May, 2007
Our Distance From Things. Telic Arts Exchange. Los Angeles, California. March, 2007
Play Innovation. Kitakyushu Innovation Gallery. Kitakyushu City, Japan. April-July, 2007

2006
South Korea Media Art Biennial. October, 2006
International Symposium on Electronic Art / Zero One Festival. San Jose, California. August, 2006 Global Economic Forum. San Jose, California. August, 2006
Thread. Artspace New Haven, Connecticut. June, 2006
Art & Technology Zone. Tokyo Intercommunications Center. May, 2006
Israel Museum. Jerusalem, Israel. May, 2006

2005
L'ombre a la portée des enfants: Ombres et lumière. Cite des sciences et de l'industrie. Paris, France. October, 2005
Hybrid Creatures and Paradox Machines. Ars Electronica 2005 California Institute of the Arts. April, 2005
Artefact. Belgium. February, 2005
Tilt. Perpignan, France. February, 2005

2004
Ars Numerica. Montbeliard, France. December, 2004
Reactive. Rx Gallery. San Francisco. November, 2004
MAIS: Exposition d'Installations Interactives. Brussels, Belgium. October, 2004
Art Life. The Exploratorium. San Francisco. October, 2004
Le Channel, scène nationale de Calais. France. September, 2004
Villette Numerique. La Villette. Paris, France. September, 2004
Institute of Modern Art. Brisbane, Australia. October, 2004
Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth. Fremantle, Australia. September, 2004
Eastern Illinois University. September, 2004
Social Construction. Southern Exposure. San Francisco, CA. May 2004 (curator)
Art Rock 2004. Brittany, France. May, 2004
Dreaming Butterfly: Digital Playground. Nabi Art Center. Seoul, South Korea. April – August, 2004
Contemporary Arts Services Trust. Tasmania, Australia. April, 2004
The Art of Digital Resistance. Version>04. Chicago, Illinois. April, 2004

2003
Uijeongbu International Digital Art Festival. South Korea. October, 2003
Ars Electronica 2003. Linz, Austria. September, 2003
House of Tomorrow. Experimenta. Victorian Arts Centre, Australia. September 2003
Dialogue with Light and Shadow. Toki Messe. Nigata, Japan. April 2003
Reactive Art, San Francisco Media Arts Coalition, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. January 2003

2002
Legends of Interactivity, The Kitchen, New York City. November 2002
Carnivore, Eyebeam, New York City. October, 2002
NewFangle, GenArtSF, San Francisco. October – December, 2002
Time Share, Art Interactive, Cambridge, Massachusetts. September, 2002
911+1: The Perplexities of Security, Watson Institute for International Studies. Providence, RI. September, 2002
Ars Electronica 2002, NetArt 2002 exhibition. Linz, Austria. September, 2002
CODeDOC, Whitney Museum Artport. September, 2002
Arte Digital IV, Havana, Cuba. June – July 2002
Innaugural Exhibition, Shizuoka Arts Center, Tokyo, Japan. March, 2002
Refresh. Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. February – March, 2002
New Frontiers. Art Association Gallery, Jackson Hole, WY. January, 2002

2001
bienalle.net. Jeffrey Deitch Projects, Brooklyn, NY. November 5-7, 2001
Mathematica. The Exploratorium, San Francisco, California. October 6, 2001 - May 5, 2002
Tirana Biennale. Tirana, Albania. September 1 - October 15, 2001
Only The Lonely. Foro Artistico, Hanover, Germany. August 31 - September 23, 2001
LifeLike. New Langton Arts, San Francisco. June 27 - July 28, 2001.

2000
Refresh: The Art of the Screen Saver. Cantor Center for the Visual Arts, Stanford University. October 12 – November 26, 2000
Transmediale 2000. In conjunction with the Berliner Filmfestspiele. February, 2000. Berlin, Germany.

1999
Adding Media / Subtracting Signs. NTT Intercommunications Center (ICC). Tokyo, Japan. 22 June - 20 July, 1999
Organic Information: Work from the Aesthetics and Computation Program at the MIT Media Laboratory.
Art Directors Club Gallery. New York City. May 6-27, 1999
Interaction ‘99. International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS). Ogaki City, Gifu, Japan. March 5-14, 1999

1998
Inaugural Exhibition. Center of the Edge Gallery. The Tech Museum. San Jose, California. October 98 - April 99
Ars Electronica 98. Cyberarts 98 exhibition. Linz, Austria. September, 1998
Motion Phone Urban Installation. Stuttgart Filmwinter 98. Germany. March, 1998

1997
WRO ’97. Wroclaw, Poland. March, 1997
Vienna Global Village ‘97. Vienna, Austria. April, 1997

1996
Ars Electronica 96. Cyberarts 96 exhibition. Linz, Austria. September, 1996

1995
SIGGRAPH 95 Interactive Communities. Los Angeles, CA. August 1995

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2008
Falling Girl. Berkeley Art Museum. Summer, 2008

2006
Body, Space and Cinema. London Institute of Contemporary Arts. May, 2006
Deep Walls. Brown University. March, 2006

2005
Visceral Cinema: Chien. Telic. Los Angeles, CA. September, 2005
Body Language. Art Interactive. Boston, MA. April, 2005
Blow Up. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. San Francisco, CA. January, 2005

2004
Presence/Absence. Tarble Arts Center. Eastern Illinois University. October, 2004
Interdependence. Arizona State University. January, 2004

2003
Screen Series. Beall Center for Art & Technology. Irvine, CA. November, 2003

SELECTED COMMISIONS

2010
“Transit”, for the Los Angeles International Airport Arrivals Terminal

2007
“Women Hold Up Half the Sky”, for Mills College. Oakland, California
“Social Light”, for London Science Museum

2006
“Cabspotting”, for The Exploratorium / National Endowment for the Arts
“Shadow Mosaic 5x4”, for Yahoo Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA

2005
“Outward Mosaic #1”, for Amelia Chenoweth
“Central Mosaic”, for Cité de Sciences, Paris, France
“Blow Up”, for Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. San Francisco, CA

2004
“You Are Here”, for New York Hall of Science. New York City
“Near”, for New York Hall of Science. New York City

2003
Computerfinearts.com, Doron Golan. New York City

2002
“Shadow”, for Art Interactive. Boston, MA
“Fuel”, for Carnivore as part of the Radical Software Group. New York City
”Tripolar”, for CODeDOC, The Whitney Museum of American Art. New York City

2001
“It’s Out”, for Tirana Biennial. Tirana, Albania

1999
“Emptiness is Form”, for Refresh: The Art of the Screensaver. Stanford University, California