Blast Theory

Blast Theory is an artists' group that specializes in work that mixes interactive media, digital broadcasting and live performance.

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Biography

The group was founded in 1991 by Matt Adams, Niki Jewett, Will Kittow and Ju Row Farr. The group is currently led by Matt Adams and Nick Tandavanitj. Ju Row Farr left her leadership role in 2023. Other members include the film maker, John Hardwick, and the late performer Jamie Iddon. Over its history, Blast Theory's work has explored interactivity and the social and political aspects of technology through a multitude of forms – using performance, installation, video, mobile and online technologies.
Currently based at their studios in Portslade, Blast Theory shows work nationally and internationally, working with a number of Associate Artists on different projects. The group has collaborated with The University of Nottingham's Mixed Reality Lab since 1998. Works created collaboratively with the MRL include Desert Rain, Can [You See Me Now?] and Rider Spoke.
Blast Theory's work has been shown at NTT InterCommunication Center in Tokyo, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Biennale, National Museum in Taiwan, Hebbel Theater in Berlin, Basel Art Fair, Dutch Electronic Arts Festival, Sónar Festival in Barcelona, and Palestine International Video Festival. Commissions include You Get Me at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Ulrike and Eamon Compliant for the De La Warr Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale; for the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and for the Manchester International Festival.
In 2015 the group launched Karen, an app that psychologically profiles the user.

Approach

Blast Theory's artists describe their work as collaborative and interdisciplinary. Their practice mixes games design, interaction design, installation and performance.
Early works such as Gunmen Kill Three and Chemical Wedding fitted more in the category of live and performance art. Kidnap was a lottery inspired by the Spanner Trial in which participants paid for a chance to be kidnapped by the group. It was presented via video streaming.
Desert Rain was a large scale virtual reality game that saw a shift towards work that questions performativity, site and presence. Blast Theory were pioneers in location based art and mixed reality with works such as Can You See Me Now? and Uncle Roy All Around You.

Reception

Blast Theory's work has been influential in the fields of theatre, indie games, ARGs and mobile design. Desert Rain was described as ""one of the most complex and powerful responses to the first Gulf War to be produced within the sphere of theatrical practice" and "possibly the most technologically ambitious art installation ever made" in The Times.
In 2023 We Cut Through Dust was selected as one of the best works at the Manchester International Festival by Frieze. In an article in The Guardian on artists using AI to "reclaim AI from Big Tech" Gabrielle Schwarz highlighted Cat Royale's exploration of trust in AI. Blast Theory's work has been featured in over 130 .

Notable works

2023

'
Cat Royale

2021
A Cluster of 17 Cases: Online
2019
Spit Spreads Death: The Parade
2018
A Cluster of 17 Cases: Installation
Bloodyminded
2017
Gift
My Point Forward
2097: We Made Ourselves Over
2016
Operation Black Antler
2015
My One Demand
Karen
2009
Urike and Eamon Compliant
Flypad
2008
You Get Me
2007
Rider Spoke
2006
Soft Message
Day of the Figurines
2005
Single Story Building, Tate Online
2004
Energy Gallery, The Science Museum
Light Square
I Like Frank
2003
Uncle Roy All Around You
2002
Stay Home Read
Single Story Building
TRUCOLD
2001
Viewfinder
Can You See Me Now?
An Explicit Volume
2000
Choreographic Cops in a Complicated World
Sidetracks : Light Sleeper & Body Chemistry IV
1999
Desert Rain
10 Backwards
Route 12:36
1998
Kidnap
Architecture Foundation
Atomic Installation
1997
Safehouse
Invisible Bullets
Atomic Performance
Blipvert
C'mon Baby, Fight! Fight! Fight!
Ultrapure
1996
Something American
Internal Ammunition
1995
The Gilt Remake
1994
Invisible Bullets
Stampede
1992
Chemical Wedding
1991'

Gunmen Kill Three''

Selected awards

2021 – Winner of The People's Choice Award, The Lovie Awards in Weird & Experimental for A Cluster of 17 Cases
2020 – Gold Winner, Video, Film, Animation & Live Media or Digital Performance, MUSE for Spit Spreads Death: The Parade
2019 – Nomination, David and Yuko Art Foundation Grant
2019 – Winner of the 2019 Trailblazer Award, IndieCade for contributions to the field of games
2018 – Silver Winner, The Lovie Awards in Best Use of Interactive Video for 2097: We Made Ourselves Over
2016 – Nam June Paik Art Center Prize
2015 – Winner, British Interactive Media Association in Data Category, Best of British Digital for Karen
2015 – Winner, Festival du nouveau cinéma Innovation Award for Karen
2015 – Bronze Winner, The Lovie Awards in Experimental & Innovation for Karen
2013 – The BIMA Awards – Nomination in Games category, I'd Hide You
2013 – The People's Lovie Awards – Winner in Events and Live Broadcast category for The Lovie Award and The People's Lovie Award, I'd Hide You
2012 – MUSE Awards – Honourable Mention in the Applications & APIs category for Ghostwriter
2011 – Sheffield Doc/Fest Innovation Award – Nomination, Ulrike and Eamon Compliant
2010 – International Mobile Gaming Awards – Winner Best Real World Game, Ulrike and Eamon Compliant
2009 – Brighton and Hove Business Awards – Winner of Most Awesome Use of Digital Media
2009 – 14th Annual Webby Awards – Nomination in NetArt category, You Get Me
2009 – IndieCade Festival of Independent Games – Finalist, You Get Me
2009 – Total Theatre Awards, Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Nomination in Innovation/Interaction/Immersion category, Rider Spoke
2008 – Winner of The Digital Collaboration Award at DiMA:S
2007 – Honorary Mention, Prix Ars Electronica for Day of the Figurines
2006 – Winner of The Hospital Award for Interactive Media
2005 – Winner of the Maverick Award, Game Developers Choice Awards, USA
2005 – Interactive Arts BAFTA Award, nominated for Uncle Roy All Around You in two categories: Interactive Arts and Technical & Social Innovation
2004 – Net Art Award, the Webby Awards, nominated for Uncle Roy All Around You
2003 – Winner of the Prix Ars Electronica 'Golden Nica' for Interactive Art for Can You See Me Now?
2003 – VIPER Basel International Award, nominated for Can You See Me Now?
2002 – Interactive Arts BAFTA Award, nominated for Can You See Me Now?
2002 – International Fellowship Award, Arts Council England
2002 – Innovation Award, Arts and Humanities Research Board, awarded for Uncle Roy All Around You
2001 – International Media Art Award, ZKM Centre for Arts and Media, Karlsruhe, nominated for Kidnap
2001 – Transmediale Awards, Berlin, Honorary Mention for Desert Rain
2000 – Interactive Arts BAFTA Award, nominated for Desert Rain
2000 – Breakthrough Award for Innovation, nominated, Arts Council England
1999 – The 18 Creative Freedom Awards, nominated for Kidnap
1996 – Winner of the Barclays New Stages Award, for ''Something American''

Key reading

Steve Benford, Rob Anastasi, Martin Flintham, Adam Drozd, Andy Crabtree, Chris Greenhalgh, Nick Tandavanitj, Matt Adams, Ju Row-Farr, 'Can You See Me Now?', Pervasive Computing, No.3, Volume 2, July/September 2003, pp. 49–51