Between Reality and Virtuality

Swiss artist Dirk Koy 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.