Dr Deborah Tillman

Dr Deborah Tillman

Lecturer

Degrees

  • PhD in Art, Design and Media, UNSW Art & Design, Australia, Feb 2014 - Sep 2018
  • Master of Arts Curatorship and Modern Art, University of Sydney, Australia, Feb 2005 - Mar 2006
  • Bachelor of Arts, Art History, University of Victoria, Canada, Sep 1998 - Aug 2002
Arts,Design & Architecture
School of Art & Design

Deborah Turnbull Tillman is a curator specialising in design, technology and new media. Her first curatorial project was Beta_space, an experimental gallery at the Powerhouse Museum focused on the audience’s role in interactive art. This fuelled her interest in how technology augments traditional art practice and how the audience is becoming a necessary material for technology based art. She then joined the curatorial team at the Powerhouse Museum as Assistant Curator – Design & Technology, where she curated exhibitions such as ISEA2013, designTECH, Good Design and Game Masters.

Deborah's PhD, which examines disruption and experiential learning regarding curatorial process, was awarded in September 2018 and is titled 'New Media Curation: a novel methodology and preliminary criteria for exhibiting new media and interactive art.' The three case studies that supported her contributions to the field include Denouement as part of Musify+Gamify for VIVIDMusic 2015; ISEA 2015: disruption; and Re/Pair for the Big Anxiety Festival at UNSW Art & Design in 2017. Her most recent exhibitions include SHErobots::tool::toy::companion (Tin Sheds Gallery, 2022), PRISMS of Influence: Echoes of Colour in the Code (Mosman Gallery, 2023), the A&D Annual Exhibition (2023) and Art Gallery Producer for SIGGRAPHAisa'23, the Unruly Times exhibition (2023). Her current curatorial projects include SHErobots 2.0: Ecologies of Care (TU Dleft Library, Feb-May 2024) is as Art Gallery Chair for the Creativity and Congition 2024 Conference themed Organic Architecture (based on Frank Lloyd Wright) (Chicago, IL, USA, June 2024).

An editor and author as well as a curator, Deborah began sessional teaching at UNSW Art & Design in 2016 and was awarded a Tenure Track Lecturer position there in Media Arts and Curatorial in 2021. Her most recent publication was as Co-Editor and Contributing Author to Cultural Robotics: Social Robots and their Emergent Cultural Ecologies, Springer, NY and Switzerland, https://link.springer.com/book/9783031281372, ROS ID: 1990309.

Website | www.newmediacuration.com/new

Mobile
0400920761
Phone
Teams: 02 9065 7436
Location
Crnr Oxford Street and Greens Road, Paddington F219C - PO Box 259 PADDINGTON NSW 2021 AUSTRALIA
  • Books | 2023
    Dunstan B, 2023, Cultural Robotics: Social Robots and their Emergent Cultural Ecologies, Tillman D; Dunstan B; Brown S; Koh JTV, (eds.), Springer, NY and Switzerland, https://link.springer.com/book/9783031281372
  • Book Chapters | 2023
    Tillman D; Velonaki M, 2023, 'On  Display: Robots as Culture', in Dunstan B; Brown S; Koh JTV; Tillman D (ed.), Cultural Robotics: Social Robots and their Emergent Cultural Ecologies, Springer, NY and Switzerland, https://link.springer.com/book/9783031281372
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Tillman D, 2023, 'Culture and Technology: curating new media in collaborative ways', in Cultural Robotics: Social Robots and their Emergent Cultural Ecologies, Springer, NY and Switzerland, https://link.springer.com/book/9783031281372
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Tillman DT, 2021, 'Curating interactive art as a practice-based researcher', in The Routledge International Handbook of Practice-Based Research, Routledge, pp. 713 - 721, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429324154-59
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Tillman D, 2019, 'Past the Museum Floor: Criteria for Curating Experience', in Giannini T; Bowen J (ed.), Museums and Digital Culture, Springer, May 2019, pp. 115 - 145, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97457-6
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Tillman DT, 2019, 'Past the Museum Floor: Criteria for Curating Experience', in Springer Series on Cultural Computing, pp. 115 - 145, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97457-6_6
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Turnbull Tillman D; Velonaki M, 2016, 'Disruption and Reflection: A Curatorial Case Study', in Springer Series on Cultural Computing, pp. 181 - 201, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28722-5_12
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Tillman DJ; Turnbull Tillman, D ; Turnbull D; Connell M, 2014, 'Curating Digital Public Art', in Candy L; Ferguson S (ed.), Interactive Experience in the Digital Age., Springer International, Switzerland, pp. 221 - 242, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04510-8_15
    Book Chapters | 2011
    Turnbull D; Connell M, 2011, 'Prototyping Places: the museum', in Candy L; Edmonds E (ed.), Interacting: Art, Research and the Creative Practitioner, Libri Publishing, United Kingdom
  • Edited Books | 2022
    Reinhardt D; Loke L; Tillman D, (eds.), 2022, SHErobots :: tool : toy : companion, University of Sydney, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, Australia, https://www.sydney.edu.au/architecture/about/tin-sheds-gallery/past-exhibitions/she-robots-tool-toy-companion.html
    Edited Books | 2010
    Tillman D; Turnbull D, (ed.), 2010, Memory Flows @ Newington Armory, Centre for Media Arts Innovation, University of Technology, Sydney
    Edited Books | 2009
    Tillman D, (ed.), 2009, Image Ecologies, DABdocs, University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney Australia
    Edited Books | 2008
    Tillman D; Gwilt I, (ed.), 2008, Mundane Traces: Essays on Transitional Art Practices, DABdocs, University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Edited Books | 2006
    Edmonds E; Muller L; Tillman D, (eds.), 2006, Engage: Interaction, Art & Audience Experience, Creativity and Cognition Studios Press, Sydney, Australia, https://www.creativityandcognition.com/engage06/
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Tow A; Tillman D, 2022, 'In her sites: the studio expanded', NiTRO, 45, https://creativematters.edu.au/2022-11-25-in-her-sites-the-studio-expanded/
    Journal articles | 2021
    Tow A; Tillman D, 2021, 'Collaborator and Accomplice: Co-operative pedagogies for transformational learning.', NiTRO, 37, https://creativematters.edu.au/2021-8-27-collaborator-and-accomplice-co-operative-pedagogies-for-transformational-learning/
  • Curatorial Outputs | 2023
    Tillman D, 2023, Prisms of Influence: Echoes of 'Colour in the Code', exhibited at: Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney, 05 January 2023 - 05 March 2023, https://mosmanartgallery.org.au/exhibitions/prisms-influence-echoes-colour-code
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Latulipe C; Tillman DT, 2022, 'Curating Interactive Art for Online Conferences: Artist, Curator and Technologist Experiences in Gather.Town', in ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, pp. 380 - 391, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3527927.3532811
    Curatorial Outputs | 2022
    Reinhardt D; Loke L; Tillman D, 2022, SHErobots: Tool : Toy : Companion, exhibited at: Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, 20 October 2022 - 10 December 2022, https://www.sydney.edu.au/architecture/about/tin-sheds-gallery/past-exhibitions/she-robots-tool-toy-companion.html
    Reports | 2021
    Tillman D, 2021, Biotica Research Project – ARC Report: Year 1 Pilot Audience Evaluation Survey Results, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/1ahj-4w77
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Bown O; Fraietta A; Ferguson S; Tillman D, 2020, 'Rapid Composition for a Multi-Device Networked Music Platform', in Spagnol S (ed.), Proceedings of the 17th Sound and Music Computing Conference, Torino, June 24th – 26th 2020, Torino, Italy, pp. 399 - 406, presented at Sound and Music Computing Conference, Torino, Italy, 24 June 2020 - 26 June 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3903573
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2020
    Flanagan P, 2020, Digital Materiality : Coded Textiles, Digital Materiality: Coded Textiles, Gallery Lane Cove, 04 March 2020 - 28 March 2020, medium: multi media installation, at: https://www.gallerylanecove.com.au/past-exhibitions-2020-2?pgid=kcbdij72-ee988221-f537-450b-b919-9f6a2d1faaea
    Curatorial Outputs | 2020
    Kiang R; Flanagan P; Tillman D, 2020, Digital Materiality Public Program, exhibited at: Lane Cove Gallery, Sydney, 28 March 2020 - 28 March 2020, https://www.gallerylanecove.com.au/digital-materiality-viewing-gallery
    Curatorial Outputs | 2020
    Tillman D; Cochrane K; Schiphorst T, 2020, Never odd or eveN - Co-Curator of the TEI2020 Arts Track Exhibition, exhibited at: Tin Sheds Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, 09 February 2020 - 12 February 2020, https://tei.acm.org/2020/participate/arts-track/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2020
    Tillman D; Cochrane K; Schiphorst T, 2020, Never odd or eveN - TEI2020 Arts Track Catalogue, exhibited at: Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, 09 February 2020 - 12 February 2020, https://tei.acm.org/2020/participate/arts-track/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2019
    Tillman D, 2019, Human Robot Friendship Ball, exhibited at: The Connection, Rhodes, Sydney, 24 May 2019 - 15 June 2019, https://www.vividsydney.com/event/ideas/human-robot-friendship-ball-0
    Theses / Dissertations | 2018
    Tillman D, 2018, New Media Curation: a novel methodology with preliminary criteria for exhibiting new media and interactive art, UNSW Art & Design
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2017
    Gemeinboeck P; Saunders R, 2017, Machine Movement Lab: Becoming Body, 2017, Re/Pair, part of the Big Anxiety Festival, Black Box Theatre, Art & Design, UNSW, 08 November 2017 - 11 November 2017, medium: robotic performance, at: https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/repair/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2017
    Tillman D, 2017, Re/Pair for The Big Anxiety Festival, exhibited at: Black Box, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney Australia, - , https://www.thebiganxiety.org/events/repair/
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Tillman DT; Forseck J; Velonaki M, 2017, 'An exploratory case study into curatorial intervention within the context of HCI', in Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), Vancouver, BC, Canada, pp. 540 - 555, presented at 6th International Conference, DUXU 2017, Held as Part of HCI International 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 09 July 2017 - 14 July 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58640-3_39
    Creative Written Works | 2017
    Turnbull Tillman D, 2017, Ceci n'est pas: an essay on Wade Marynowsky's Algorithmic Paraedoilia, Algorithmic Paraedolia, Hard-Lawrie C, (ed.), Willoughby Council
    Curatorial Outputs | 2015
    Bown O; Loke L, 2015, Musify+Gamify, exhibited at: Vivid Festival, Seymour Centre, Sydney, 22 May 2015 - 08 June 2015, Musify+Gamify
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Tillman DJ; Velonaki M, 2015, 'Curating: a disruptive technique for disruptive technologies', in Proceedings of the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art, ISEA 2015: disruption, Vancouver BC Canada, presented at ISEA 2015: disruption, Vancouver BC Canada, 14 August 2015 - 17 November 2015
    Curatorial Outputs | 2015
    Tillman DJ, 2015, Denouement, exhibited at: Seymour Centre, 22 May 2015 - 06 July 2015, Denouement, https://www.seymourcentre.com/events/event/musify-gamify-concerts/
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Tillman DT; Velonaki M; Gemeinboeck P, 2015, 'Authenticating experience: Curating digital interactive art', in TEI 2015 - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, pp. 429 - 432, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2677199.2691602
    Conference Papers | 2011
    Tillman D; Edmonds E; Connell M, 2011, 'Prototyping Places: curating prototype interactive artworks in a museum context', in Re-Thinking Technologies in Museum 2011: Emerging Experience, Limerick, Ireland, presented at Re-Thinking Technologies in Museum 2011: Emerging Experience, Limerick, Ireland
    Conference Papers | 2007
    Bilda Z; Edmonds E; Turnbull D, 2007, 'Interactive experience in a public context', in Proceedings of the 6th ACM SIGCHI conference on Creativity & cognition - C&C '07, ACM Press, presented at the 6th ACM SIGCHI conference, 13 June 2007 - 15 June 2007, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1254960.1254994
    Theses / Dissertations | 2006
    Turnbull D; Tillman DJ, 2006, Old Myths, New Meanings: Border Crossing and the Recontextualization of Space in Alladeen and Theft of Sita, University of Sydney, University of Sydney, NSW

  • The SIGCHI Development Fund for: "Creativity & Cognition 2024: Promoting Disciplinary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Interactive Arts Community" ($10,000US) - with Prof. Brian Bailey (U of Illinois), Prof Celine Latulipe (U of Manitoba) and Hallie Sanclemente (independent artist)
  • National Facility of HRI Production Funding for SHErobots: Ecologies of Care ($9700)
  • TU Delft Library Exhibition Production Funding ($7900)
  • UNSW School of Art & Design, Annual Exhibition Graduate Showcase 2023 ($45,000) - budget assignment July 2023
  • Course Design Institute Implementation Grant 2023 ($2,500) - Awarded June 2023
  • UNSW School of Art & Design Publication Costs Support ($3,000) - Awarded Final Round, July 2022
  • UNSW Education Focused Career Development Fund ($5,000) - Awarded April 2020
  • UNSW Education Focused Career Development Fund ($2,900) - Awarded October 2019
  • Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme ($3,000) - Awarded June 2017
  • Australian Postgraduate Award ($100,000) - Awarded  2014-18

Awards | Australian Postgraduate Award (2014-18) | Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme
 

Academic appointments

  • Invited Arts Exhibition Chair, 16th ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition (2024) Creative Organic Spaces. Co-curated by Deborah Turnbull Tillman and Hallie Morrison, 24-26 June 2024, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Invited Co-Director of the Graduate Consortium, ISEA 2024: EveryWhen, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 21-29 June 2024.
  • Invited Guest Curator, SHErobots: Ecologies of Care, TU Delft Library, TU Delft, The Netherlands, 12 Feb - 30 May 2024.
  • Appointed Director, Annual Exhibition Graduate Showcase 2023. 6-18 December 2023. UNSW Art & Design - Paddington Campus, Sydney, Australia.
  • Invited Arts Producer, Art Gallery Track, SIGGRAPH Asia 2023. Connecting Stories: Unruly Times. 12-15 December 2023, ICC Sydney, Australia.
  • Invited Arts Chair, 15th ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition (2023) Creative Organic Spaces. Co-curated by Deborah Turnbull Tillman, Hallie Morrison and Vladimir Kolzeev. (Call for Participation released November 2022 and closing on 23 January 2023).
  • Appointment to Director Education and Work Integrated Learning, School of Art and Design, UNSW, May 2022-present.
  • Invited Co-curator (with A/Prof. Lian Loke and Dagmar Reinhardt), SHE Robots, Tin Sheds Gallery, University of Sydney, Oct-Dec 2022
  • Promotion to Lecturer (Tenure Track), Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW, 2021-present.
  • Culture and Technology Lead, Creative Robotics Lab and Art Director at the National Facility for HRI, 2020-present.
  • Curatorial Liaison, Biotica Research Project (ARC) for the Interactive Media Lab, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, 2020-2023.
  • Invited Arts Chair, Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interactions (2020) Conference, UTS and University of Sydney, 9-12 February 2020 (resulting in the exhibition Never odd or eveN, Tin Sheds Gallery, 10-12 February 2020).
  • Associate Lecturer, Art & Design, University of New South Wales, May 2019 - 2021.
  • PhD Candidate, University of NSW Art and Design, University of New South Wales, Feb 2014 - 2018
  • Sessional Lecturer, University of NSW Art and Design, University of NSW Art and Design, Feb 2016 - present
  • Casual Lecturer, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Jun 2014 - Nov 2015
  • Casual Lecturer, Curator, Design Lab, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney, Jun 2010 - Nov 2012
  • Contract Curator, Bloodbath by Bumpp, School of Communication Arts, College of the Arts, University of Western Sydney, Aug 2010 - Oct 2010
  • Curator and Editor for Memory Flows, Centre for Media Arts Innovation, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Jun 2009 - Jun 2010
  • Research Assistant, Curator, Project Manager, Research Associate, Creativity and Cognition Studios, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology, Sydney, Apr 2006 - present

Professional / Industry employment

  • Guest Curator, PRISMS of Influence: Echoes from 'the Colour in the Code: an Ernest Edmonds Retrospective', Mosman Gallery, Sydney, Australia, Dec 2022 - March 2023
  • Exhibition Production Manager, Art & Design, International Symposium of Electronic Art (ISEA). Emily Carr University of Art & Design and Simon Fraser University, Apr 2015 - Aug 2015
  • Assistant Curator, Design & Technology, Curatorial, Museum of Applied Arts and Science, Powerhouse Museum, Jul 2012 - Aug 2014
  • Contract Curator, Public Sculpture Commission for City North, Property Logistics, Ausgrid and Urban Art Projects, May 2012 - Aug 2012
  • Contract Curator, InterArts Board and Digital Culture Fund, Australia Council for the Arts, Jan 2011 - Mar 2011
  • Contract Curator, Public Sculpture Commission for Silverwater Learning Centre, Property Logistics, Ausgrid, Jan 2011 - Aug 2011
  • Contract Curator, Grid Gallery, Property Logistics and Digital Direction, Ausgrid and Leo Burnett, Jun 2010 - Dec 2010
  • Contract Curator, Image Ecologies, Events and Exhibitions, University of Technology, Sydney, Jun 2009 - Aug 2009
  • Curator of Beta_space, Faculty of Engineering and IT, Curatorial, Creativity and Cognition Studios, Powerhouse Museum and New Media Curation, Apr 2008 - May 2011

Press and Promotion

  • Tim Stackpool interviews Lian Loke and Deb Turnbull Tillman (2022) SHErobots at Tin Sheds Gallery. Inside the Gallery. 19 October 2022 - https://insidethegallery.com.au/e/inside-the-gallery-australia-sherobots-at-tin-sheds-gallery/.

Conference Presentations

  • Creativity and Cognition (2023) - Curator led tours (x2) of the online exhibition of Creative Organic Spaces. GatherTown online platform. 20/21 June, 2023.
  • UNSW Education Focused Retreat (2022) - Teaching and Tech Conversations, 9 August 2022, Pullman Resorts, Magenta Shores Resort, Central Coast, NSW, Australia.
  • UNSW EduFest (2021). Pandemic Pivots: collaborative assessment scenarios. Long Presentation with Derek Williamson (Community Partner), Kelly Price (student representative) and Julia Farleigh (student representative). 27-29 November 2021. Online: Sydney, Australia.
  • UNSW Education Focused Retreat (2020). How much feedback is enough? Iterative learning and ecologies of education in Media Arts Honours. Pecha Kucha Presentation. Online: Sydney, Australia.
  • Human-Robot Interaction International (August 2017). An exploratory case study into curatorial intervention within the context of HCI. Long presentation with collaborator Jorge Forseck. Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • ISEA 2015: Disruption (Aug 2015). Curating: a disruptive technique for disruptive technologies. Long presentation. Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • UNSW Higher Degree Research Conference (2015). Authenticating Experience: curating digital interactive art. Convened by Dr. Michele Barker.  UNSW Faculty of Art and Design, Sydney, Australia. 18-19 June, 2015.
  • Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI'15)(Jan 2015). Authenticating Experience: curating digital interactive art. Doctoral Consortium. 15-19 January 2015. San Francisco, CA, USA.

My Teaching

I teach across a broad range of subjects, namely around future-focused interactive technologies such as interactive art, but also professional practice across media arts and curatorial studies. Since 2016 I have supervised MDES, MCCL, and BMA Honours students in these areas and collaboratively advised PhD students in the Creative Robotics Lab either through protoyping, audience evaluation or exhibition. To this end I am the Leader of Culture and Technology across the Creative Robotics Lab and the National Facility for Human-Robot Interaction Research.