Mina Amiri Kalvøy ☄︎ Artist and writer based in Berlin
Currently teaching Visual & Experience Design MA at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences.
Previously Researcher (Meisterschüler) and alumni of Visual Communication MA at Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin (2020-23).
WARP, 2024
WARP (Act 1) premiered at the Pogo Bar, KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, April 2024. It takes us on the journeys of Ae and Em, who find themselves in worlds that are separate but joint, wandering from one place and time to another. Em, trapped in a digital mirror world is seeking a way back, while Ae navigates a disorienting reality resembling ours–only to become increasingly distorted. Through a shared narrative, they encounter various characters one might meet in online forums, on social media and IRL: The Imps, The Gatekeeper, The Guardian and the Jesters. Hidden portals act as gateways and barriers as they try to connect with their surroundings, and each other.
The performance is accompanied by a soundscape composed by Christopher Schmidt. Performance documentation photos by Zhiyuan Yang, and image visual by Veronika Valtonen.
Quest for the Self, 2023
"Quest for the Self" is the second instalment of The Waiting Room (2022-), an ongoing web-based work of interactive fiction inspired by the phenomenon of reality shifting. As with the first instalment in the series (see below), in "Quest for the Self" readers take control of a character in search for something yet to be revealed. Readers enter a chat room and are presented with the character's personal notes, as well as questionnaires and tests from a guide. Can they be trusted?
Web development by David Barriga Ruano, technical support by Nikola Marić.
☍ Link to read – desktop only
The Waiting Room, 2022
The Waiting Room (2022–) is an ongoing web-based work of interactive fiction inspired by reality shifting – a phenomenon described as "transcending" one's consciousness to a desired reality. In the first instalment "The Waiting Room", readers take control of a character lost in the search for entertainment, navigating between rooms through a text-based interface to reveal the character's backstory. Each room's description is randomly generated, ensuring unique play-throughs. When exhibited, a thermal printer makes it possible for visitors to print their story to bring home.
Web development by David Barriga Ruano, technical support by Julian Netzer.
☍ Link to read – desktop only
GAN Metal Logos, 2020
The GAN Metal logos were inspired by the legacy of Norwegian black metal bands. A dataset of 300 existing logos from bands such as Darkthrone and Mayhem was compiled and used to train a GAN via RunwayML. A set of new, illegible GAN metal logos were generated and later hand embroidered on clothing.
Available upon request and produced on-demand, each embroidered logo is generated by the GAN and chosen by the artist, making every piece unique.
Grand Opening!, 2021
Grand Opening! is a LARP based on research done on the BER Airport. The airport finally opened in October 2020, 8 years after the initial opening date in 2012. The LARP is inspired by several anecdotes on what happened during those years – such as the dress rehearsals that were held, the people hired to run empty trains and flush airport toilets, and the idea of using students as human fire alarms. Grand Opening! consists of 11 characters, a backstory, campaigns and rules.
502201 Magazine, 2018–19
Co-founder, curator and designer. 502201 is a digital anti-magazine engaging readers in discussions about contemporary societal issues. Issue 1 focused on the topic of surveillance, and is designed as a large single-page PDF with a square ratio, allowing for non-linear reading.
Issue 2 focused on the topic of patriarchy, taking on a broader range of issues and allowing for a larger group of practitioners and responses. Both issues were published and distributed on USBs.
AGI New Members, 2018
Showcases work and interviews from designers who joined the Alliance Graphique Internationale between 2007 and 2017. Assisted with typesetting and editorial work while interning at Berlin design studio hesign.
Irāne Māmān, 2018
My bachelor research project inspired by my Iranian mother's past and experiences.
