Tamiko Thiel (b. 1957) is a digital artist who works with an array of New Media techniques including AR, VR, video installation, net art and digital 2D and 3Dprint. She is fascinated by the interplay of space, place, the body and cultural identity.
After completing her Bachelor’s studies in Product Design Engineering, Thiel initially worked as a design engineer at HP, before returning to study Mechanical Engineering Design at MIT. During her time there, she spent much of her time in precursors to the Media Lab, exploring new visual techniques that blend Digital Art, technology and design. In the late 1980s, she achieved acclaim for her role as Lead Product Designer on supercomputers Connection Machine CM-1/CM-2.
She relocated to Germany in 1985 to complete a degree in Studio Art at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, developing her practice as a New Media artist. Her career has spanned three decades, using the possibilities of Digital Art in inventive and inspiring ways. Notable projects include a collaboration with Steven Spielberg, Starbright World, AR interventions at the MoMA and Venice Biennale and Unexpected Growth, a digital installation, commissioned by the Whitney Museum in 2018 and is now in its collection.
