Hello, I'm Niklas Roy!

I'm a Berlin-based artist, inventor, thinker, and tinkerer working at the intersection of art, science, and technology. I build machines, kinetic installations, and curious interfaces that invite public participation. My works appear in museums, science centers and public spaces where they spark curiosity and playful engagement. For me, making art is a way to understand the world: a mathetic tool that allows me to explore and experiment with ideas, concepts and materials firsthand.

Exhibitions and Installations

For more than two decades, my works have been presented on every continent, except Antarctica. Highlights include Ars Electronica (Linz), ZKM (Karlsruhe), Japan Media Arts Festival (Tokyo), La Gaîté Lyrique (Paris), Experimenta (Melbourne), Microwave (Hongkong), Nam June Paik Art Center (Seoul), and Siggraph (USA).

Some of my interactive installations can be experienced permanently in science centers like Phæno (Wolfsburg) and Technorama (Winterthur), as well as at public spaces and in public buildings. Notable public works include Polyskop (2021), and Maschinenmosaik (2023).

Talks

I regularly share my ideas and methods at international conferences, such as Transmediale (Germany), KIKK (Belgium), Chaos Communication Congress (Germany), Semi Permanent (New Zealand) , and many others. These events allow me to reflect on the playful, critical, and participatory qualities of my work while engaging with diverse audiences.

Teaching

Sharing knowledge in an academic context has been an integral part of my practice since I started making art. I've had the privilege of working with students at institutions like ÉCAL in Lausanne, Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Auckland University of Technology, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, HfG Offenbach and UdK Berlin, to name a few. These workshops encourage exploration through experimentation, often resulting in playful and curious machines.

Media Coverage

My work has sparked international interest, leading to features in both cultural and mainstream media. Der Spiegel, Wired, VICE, The Verge, Gizmodo, Engadget, Aeon, Hackaday, Make Magazine and many others have discussed my machines, while art and design websites including Creative Applications, Designboom, We Make Money Not Art, and Colossal have also reflected on their playful, critical, and often absurd qualities. There were also some TV-teams from ARTE and Deutsche Welle who interviewed me about my contraptions.

Openness

I believe in openness and accessibility, which is why I share each project's schematics, code, and documentation online—encouraging others to copy, remix, and build upon my work. I also collaborate regularly with my partner Kati Hyyppä and other artists on international workshops and projects like ENIAROF, a DIY funfair celebrating creativity and experimentation. Those collaborations and workshops are another good way to learn, to share knowledge, to inspire and to become inspired in hands‑on, playful ways.

Social Media

I've never really embraced social media. Sometimes I share something on Instagram or YouTube, but mostly I upload photos and clips straight from my smartphone to my online Diary. If you are curious to get a behind‑the-scenes glimpse at my creative process and want to know what I'm working on right now, check it out!

Background

Before focusing fully on art, I worked in the film industry as a 3D animator and visual effects supervisor. That experience still informs my work today, particularly in storytelling, creative use of technology, and the interplay between viewer and machine. If you are interested to learn more about that past, here's my IMDB profile.

Let's do something together!

I'm always open to invitations—whether it's an exhibition, a presentation, a workshop, or a collaboration. Feel free to get in touch and let's discuss your idea!