> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://criticalplayground.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Between Reality and Virtuality - URL: https://criticalplayground.org/between-reality-and-virtuality/ - Published: 2026-06-13T05:14:15.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-13T05:14:15.000Z - Description: Dirk Koy's Experimental Approach to Digital Image-Making - Author: Staff Writer - Tags: Arts, #arts, Projects, #projects, Featured, #featured Swiss artist [Dirk Koy](https://www.dirkkoy.com/?ref=criticalplayground.org) works across animation, experimental film, photogrammetry, drones, augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D imaging. Based in Basel, his practice centers on the creation of moving digital images and an ongoing investigation into the relationship between reality and virtuality. Across a body of work spanning more than a decade, Koy has consistently explored how contemporary imaging technologies can be used to transform visual material and generate new forms of digital representation. Experimentation occupies a central role in his practice. Rather than focusing on a single medium, Koy moves between technologies and production methods, combining digital tools with recorded imagery, scanned environments, and computational processes. He has described his work as an investigation of the interface between the analog and the digital, while also searching for a painterly component within a digital context. His work has been presented internationally at venues and festivals including Art Center Nabi in Seoul, HEK (House of Electronic Arts) in Basel, the Supernova Festival in Denver, and the FILE Festival in São Paulo. **Shape** Among Koy’s most widely circulated projects is the ongoing *Shape* series. The works consist of short digital animations that transform visual forms through movement and continuous reconfiguration. While the imagery changes from piece to piece, the series reflects concerns that recur throughout Koy’s practice, including digital transformation, motion, and experimentation with computational image-making. Image Credit: S**hape* series, Dirk Koy Image Credit: S**hape* series, Dirk Koy The series has appeared in exhibitions and public presentations, including *Movers & Shapers*, a digital exhibition presented at the ZAZ Corner billboard in Times Square, New York. The exhibition brought together selections from the *Shape* series alongside works including *Attraction*, *Fixed*, and *Spin*, highlighting Koy’s continued engagement with moving images and digitally generated forms. Image Credit: *Attraction*, Dirk Koy **The City** In 2012, Koy’s work *The City* received an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica, one of the most established international awards dedicated to media art and digital culture. The recognition marked an important moment in the artist’s career and contributed to the growing international visibility of his work. Image Credit: **The City*, Dirk Koy Created during a period when Koy was increasingly exploring digital image construction and experimental animation, *The City* became one of the early works to receive significant international recognition and helped establish his presence within the broader field of media art. **ground** Koy received the Basel Media Art Prize in 2019 for the work *ground*. Presented in his home city of Basel, the award recognized a practice that had become increasingly visible through exhibitions, screenings, and festival presentations across multiple continents. Image Credit: **ground*, Dirk Koy *ground* emerged from a body of work already characterized by experimentation with imaging technologies, animation, and digital transformation. The recognition positioned Koy among a generation of artists exploring how contemporary computational tools can be incorporated into moving-image practice. ## Sign up for Critical Playground A weekly newsletter exploring the forces shaping contemporary creative practice — AI infrastructures, platform power, intelligent materials, hybrid craft, and research-driven inquiry. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ****Tech. Design. Art. Culture.** **Intersect** In 2022, Koy’s work *Intersect* received the Animation Off-Limits Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Annecy is widely regarded as one of the leading festivals dedicated to animation, and the award recognized the project within a category focused on experimental approaches to the medium. Image Credit: **Intersect*, Dirk Koy By the time *Intersect* received recognition at Annecy, Koy’s work had already been exhibited across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. The award reflected the growing visibility of his experimental approach to digital image-making within both animation and media-art contexts. **Digital Experimentation Across Disciplines** Alongside his exhibition practice, Koy has collaborated with organizations and brands including the electronic music duo Yello, Balenciaga, Mercedes-Benz, Specialized, Fila, and Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio. These collaborations demonstrate how techniques developed through experimental media practice can move across different contexts, from contemporary art and animation to fashion, music, and commercial image production. Across projects such as *The City*, *ground*, *Intersect*, and *Shape*, Koy has developed a practice grounded in experimentation with digital image-making. While the technologies and formats vary, his work consistently returns to the transformation of visual material through computational processes and the creative possibilities that emerge at the boundary between physical and digital worlds.