Thomas Duggan (b. 26.01.1984)
Academic appointments 2024-25
Postgraduate lecturer on the Master in Design for Distributed Innovation (MDDI) in association with the Fab City Global Initiative, IAAC, ELISAVA and MIT’s Centre for Bits and Atoms
Postgraduate lecturer and workshop facilitator on the Master in Design for Emergent Futures (MDEF) at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
Postgraduate lecturer, Unit and Research Intensive leader 701, 702 & 703 at AUP
Researcher and collaborator at Silk Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
Research facilitator at Black Mountains College
Selected Solo & Group Exhibitions, Research Trips, Conferences and Residencies
2024
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
Group exhibition with Helen Bur and Olivia Drew
In-Land, Wales, workshop facilitator for Black Mountains College
Aborder, Cerdanya. Co-director and facilitator of postgraduate research trip for the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
2023
Jury for the Master in Design for Distributed Innovation (MDDI) in association with the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
Learning Ecologies, El Hierro. Co-director and facilitator of postgraduate research trip for the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
The Art of Making, group exhibition for Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, Cornwall
Material Matters exhibition, London Design Festival, curated by Grant Gibson in collaboration with Silk Lab & Tufts University, Boston
2022
ÆMemory, Mallorca. Co-director and facilitator of postgraduate research trip for the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
Naturecultures, exhibited at Circle Contemporary Gallery
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
Re:Learning Intuition, keynote lecture at the Fab City Summit, Bali
Fab Island Challenge, Fab City Global Initiative, in collaboration with Bamboo U, Bali
2021
Here You Were Never A Child, Official Selection, Venice Short Film Festival
Materials Innovation Award, Arts Foundation, Jury alongside Priya Khanchandani and TF Chan
Royal Science Society lecture in association with the Blackheath Science Society
Future Lecture Series, Plymouth University
Thomas Heatherwick Studio, ‘Maggie’s Lamp’, product development alongside George Winks & Temper Studio
Postgraduate lecturer, Plymouth University. A partnership between iMayflower & postgraduate students from the faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business
Here You Were Never A Child, Official Selection, Auckland International Short Film Festival
Netflix Documentary Talent Fund (shortlisted)
States of Matter - A Dialogue between SJ Fowler & Thomas Duggan, published by [LINK] Journal
2020
PechaKucha London, Material Matters, Volume 24, in collaboration with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, London
The Box Gallery, Plymouth. Commission to communicate work online during Covid-19
Artist Talk. Squint Opera, London
Here You Were Never A Child, Official Selection, Montreal Independent Film Festival
2019
Thomas Duggan Studio & KUKA Robotics Creative Industry Partnership
The Poetry of Materials, At the Atelier, Nature Journal, Volume 14 (pages 401-402)
Lecturer at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) on the Masters in Design for Emergent Futures (MDEF)
SWCTN Bursary within ‘Automation’, research into LSAM applications
UKSPA, Breakthrough magazine Issue 08 (pages 30-31)
Alchemy in Art, Tate St Ives. Solo exhibition (Oct - Nov)
2018
Silk Seed, exhibited at The Eden Project
Mobile Ceramic Series, exhibited at Circle Contemporary Gallery
The Byre, Isle of Harris. Design consultant
Autodesk BuildSpace, Boston
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
ACM Symposium on Computational Fabrication, MIT Media Lab
Robotic Fabrication Conference, Autodesk BuildSpace, Boston
2017
Programming function into mechanical forms by directed assembly of silk bulk materials, published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Cyanotype, Hayward Gallery & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios commission for a Sir Peter Cook curated exhibition, London Festival of Architecture
Sculpture commissioned by the HPSG
Mayakovsky, Rich Mix, London. Sculpture commission
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
Museum of Futures, exhibition in association with Kingston University, London
Research into nanocellulose structural colour. Collaboration within the Department of Chemistry, Cambridge University.
Lecturer & workshop co-director on Master in Design for Emergent Futures (MDEF) alongside Mette Bak-Andersen for the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)
2016
Dulwich Picture Gallery Pavilion, a collaboration with London Festival of Architecture & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (shortlisted)
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
2015
The Observatory - Look In, Look Out, an architectural commission for SPUDD & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Prepping the body for space, Lucy McRae, exhibited at London Design Festival in association with Mini Frontiers. Design consultant & build
Consultant designer for Björk in collaboration with Andrew Thomas Huang
DNA, reverse-engineered silk jewellery, exhibited at the V&A, London
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
A World Without Words, curator alongside Lotje Sodderland & Steven Fowler, Somerset House, London
2014
Silk Lab, research collaborator, Tufts, MIT & Harvard, Boston. USA (ongoing)
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
2013
Motorshow, directed by Requardt & Rosenberg. (Scenographer & touring manager)
My Friend, directed by Jakob Rørvik, premier Nowness Shorts, Series 1, Episode 1. (Actor & co-writer)
Living Materials, Talloires, France. A conference in association with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston
2012
Yagriti Yatr, India. Research trip funded by The British Council & TATA Steel
Creation of Thomas Duggan Studio
2011
Cape Farewell, research trip funded by Arts Council England
2010
A Walled Forest, sculpture commissioned by Tom Morris & Bristol Old Vic Theatre. (Site-specific installation)
Fractal Forest, exhibited at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. (Site-specific installation)
The Asylum, Kneehigh Theatre. (Scenographer)
King of Prussia, Kneehigh Theatre. (Scenographer)
Blast, written by Carl Grose. (Scenographer)
My Friend, directed by Jakob Rørvik. Premiere, SXSW Festival. (Actor & co-writer)
Rebuilding classic wooden sailing yacht & hydro-powered workshop
2009
Brizo, commissioned by Lail & Ron Arad, exhibited at 176 Gallery, London.
Brizo, exhibited at Shunt Vaults, London
Information Processing, exhibited at Shunt Vaults, London
Space within Spaces, commissioned by Gemma Brockis, exhibited at Shunt Vaults, London
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Heads Will Role. (Scenographer)
Bruno Walter's Last Concert, exhibited at Studio 65 & Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in collaboration with Mischa Twitchin (Scenographer)
The Nutcracker, directed by Gísli Örn Garðarsson. Devised in Belarus with the National Ballet Theatre of Belarus & produced in Seoul, Korea. (Scenographer)
Faust, directed by Gísli Örn Garðarsson, produced by Vesturport & Reykjavík City Theatre, Iceland. Music by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis. (Scenographer)
Hansel and Gretel, Kneehigh, site-specific installation commissioned by Old Vic Theatre, Bristol. (Scenographer)
2008
Site-specific installation describing the complexities of biological micro-structures
I Wonder Sometimes Who I Am, exhibited at Shunt Vaults & Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A collaboration with Tom Lyall, Mischa Twitchin & Studio 65 (Scenographer)
The Whale, exhibited at Shunt Vaults, London
2007
Creative Residency at Shunt Vaults, London
The Continuity Of Space, Shunt Vaults, London. A gathering of philosophers, poets, artists & architects. Director & curator
Line, site-specific installation for Shunt Vaults.
Site-specific installation transforming the internal architecture of the Shunt Vaults. 900m of thread moving at 160mm / minute
2006
Sound of Material, exhibited at Universität der Künste (UDK), Berlin
Haptic Interface Design, under direction of Prof. Masayo Ave
Sound of Material, exhibited at Einsteinfer 43-53, 10587, Berlin
Primavera Ad Arte, collaboration with Masayo Ave, exhibited at Fatto ad Arte, Via Manzoni, 15 Monza, Italy
Model maker for landscape architect Antonio Perrazi
Terre Des Hommes, Sartoria Bassani, Milano. www.sartoriabassani.com
Make-do Haptic, Sound of Material, exhibited at UDK, Berlin
Terre Des Hommes, designed by Thomas Duggan & Masayo Ave, exhibited at Salone Del Mobile, Milano
Napoli Tasten, Conversations of Japanese Design, exhibited at ANIAI Campania, Via S. Carlo, Napoli, Italy
Haptic Dictionary Vol.1, designing a new design language, UDK, Berlin
Sound of Material, Nuoro, Sardinia. Workshop co-directed by Arnout Visser, Thomas Duggan & Masayo Ave at Casa Papandrea, Nuoro. www.bottegartemetalli.com
I Live Tomorrow, exhibited at Le_Pôle / Extrapôle, Espace Landowski & André-Morizet, 92100, Paris. http://abeaurepa.chez-alice.fr/entrepont.php
Sound of Materials, Tallinn, assistant to Prof. Masayo Ave. Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn
Di Segno Artigianato, Of Marked Craftsmanship, international collaboration at Superstudio, Via Tortona, 27, Milano. Italy. www.superstudiogroup.com/zona.php
Oily Cart Theatre Company, London. (Scenographer)
Immortal, directed by Firenza Guidi, in collaboration with Nofitstate, exhibited at The Roundhouse, London. (Scenographer)