Interview with Paul Thomas

Dr. Paul Thomas’ interactive audio visual installation “Quantum Consciousness” (2015) was included in Video Pool Media Arts Centre’s AGE OF CATASTROPHE exhibition that ran from November 13 – December 12, 2015. Thomas came to Winnipeg for the opening of the show and to deliver a keynote address at CATASTROPHE, CATACLYSM AND THE SINGULAR ACCIDENT symposium in conjunction with the exhibition. While in town Dr. Melentie Pandiloski, director of Video Pool Media Arts Centre had a chance to interview Thomas about his work.

Dr. Paul Thomas is Associate Professor and Director of the Fine Arts program at University of New South Wales (UNSW), Art and Design. Thomas initiated and is the co-chair of the Transdisciplinary Imaging Conference series 2010, 2012 and 2014. In 2000, Thomas instigated and was the founding Director of the Biennale of Electronic Arts, Perth 2002 and 2004.

Thomas is a pioneer of transdisciplinary practice. His work not only takes inspiration from nanoscience and quantum theory, but actually operates there. Thomas’s current practice is based on the research being conducted by Associate Professor Andrea Morello, Quantum Nanosystems (UNSW), looking at the probability of electron superposition in the development of quantum computing. Thomas’s previous projects investigated silver, the mirrors and quantum theories of light and parallel universes in the work Multiverse. Thomas’s nanoart works Nanoessence explored the space between life and death and death at a nano level, and Midas researched what is transferred when skin touched gold. The Midas and Nanoessence installations were in collaboration with SymbioticA: Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, University of Western Australia, and the Nanochemistry Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology.

The Age of Catastrophe project was generously supported by Canada Council for the Arts.