Dr Amy Holt is a bioscientist and artist who holds a Ph.D. in molecular immunology and has over a decade of experience in the field of immunology and microbiome research, where she worked on the development of live biotherapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancers. She is a graduate of the International Space University's Master of Space Studies program, and she has worked for the last year at a company as part of a team designing an astronaut training program for a governmental organisation. Her expertise in the fields of both biology and space sciences have allowed her to develop a keen interest in the effects the space environment has on biological processes and how these can either be mitigated or potentially leveraged, in the development of new disruptive technologies. She is also interested in the use of biomaterials, with an emphasis on sustainability and their implementation in closed-loop, zero-waste systems that are essential for supporting human life in space.

Dr Holt is cultivating a practice in the arts that uniquely builds on her science background. She is a member of the SEADS coordination team and also serves as the collective's community organizer. This role allows her to explore the advantages of transdisciplinary approaches within collaborative artistic ventures. Her creative interests lie in exploring the intricate interplay between the natural world, technology, and themes related to identity and transhumanism. She is passionate about further exploring the benefits that transdisciplinary approaches can yield when applied within collaborative ventures.

Daniël (in virtual environments Dan Yapungku) is an artist creating installations and performances that relate to various social themes (climate change, migration, dialogue, social behaviour) and events. He was a teacher in and a pedagogical advisor for the part-time art education in Belgium (Flanders)

Daniël created classic artwork (since 1972) as well as artwork in mixed media, installation-art (since 1979), objects and environments in virtual spaces (since 2006).

In 1994, together with volonteers, local people and cultural organization and a lot of friends and artists he organized a conceptual art event (ArtWall-k - KW) during 7 years in the unknown village Schriek (Flanders, region of Antwerp).

The used media, formats and materials in 2D and 3D artwork performance and installations are various find, residual and disposable materials - everyday utensils and products from consumer society - and are brought into public space/contemporary reality or a virtual environment, on request or unsolicited.

Mary Pedicini is an American artist/sculptor based in London. Her practice encompasses writing, object-making, curation, sound and video. Her work is grounded in research and storytelling, and the objects that she makes - a 3D-printed tap, a metal mirror, a wax salamander - often reframe old tales, or prompt new ones. Borrowing elements from mythology and science fiction, she tries to imagine non-human ways of thinking and being, to broaden the scope of what we can envision.

Pedicini received her BA in 2019 from Dartmouth College, where she studied Art and dabbled in Ecology, and her MA in 2022 from the Royal College of Art, where she studied Sculpture. Her work has been shown in group exhibitions in the US, the UK, and China.

Maggie Buxton is a transdisciplinary practitioner, producer and curator. Her practice actively engages with the spirit and spirits of place and opens portals to parallel universes and alternative realities. Maggie has nearly 30 years of working in NZ and globally to support projects in the arts, environmental, social and political spheres. This includes working with ecovillages in West Africa and Latin America; social enterprises and spiritual communities in Scotland; and significant political and corporate institutions across Europe. Her most recent projects have focussed on indigenous cultural centres and capacity-building initiatives near her home in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, New Zealand.

Her creative works are usually site-specific, and designed to activate spaces and places in grass-roots settings and heterotopic locations. Her collaborative studio AwhiWorld has run pop-up cross-disciplinary innovation labs in empty CBD retail outlets, created town wide augmented reality installations and opened portals to alternative realities in elementary schools, indigenous cultural centres, historic sites, derelict buildings and rest homes. Maggie has a cross-disciplinary PhD (focussing on augmented reality, tricksters and the spirit of place), an MSc in Organisational Development and Consulting (Sheffield Business School) and a BA in Politics and Education. She loves poetry, pickling, photography, politics and propagation. But does not do these simultaneously – yet.

Pieter Steyaert is an artist and transdisciplinary researcher who explores collaborations within artistic and scientific communities. His work particularly focuses on the context of astrophysics and exoplanets. Pieter is one of the co-founders of SEADS and has worked on a wide range of Biomodd, Seeker and Ēngines of Ēternity projects in Europe, the USA and SE Asia. He leads the development of tools and platforms that support the global SEADS community.

Pieter is fascinated by the possibilities, ethics, and shortcomings of the techno-realm. He shares and explores insights as an educator and researcher. His interests include artificial life, data-driven experience design, and art-science interactions. Pieter conducts research at CHAMELEON, an exoplanet research group which is affiliated with both the University of Antwerp and the University of Copenhagen. His research aims to use artistic methodologies to advance scientific ideation and research.

Links

• CHAMELEON research group
• Publications on Google Scholar