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Get in touch: studio[at]nestorpestana.com

     

I: @pes_nes
T: @nesApes
V: nestorpestana



Nestor Pestana is a Venezuelan-Portuguese multimedia artist, researcher, educator and digital designer based in London. He is a tutor and researcher in the Master's programs in Information Experience Design at the Royal College of Art, and in Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch at University College London. He completed his Master in Design Interactions at Royal College of Art in 2015.

Through his multimedia art and research practice, Nestor engages in collaborations with scientists and technologists, often focusing on two overlapping areas of interest. The first deals with cultural ecologies, particularly in relation to bats, exploring their cultural associations and narrative portrayals in cinema, gaming, and literature. The second involves historical archives, combined with AI technologies, to investigate potential human-machine collaborations in creating stories and to explore inherent opportunities and ethical challenges.

Nestor employs worldbuilding, speculative design and storytelling methods and frameworks to translate complex ideas into engaging installations. Narratives are expressed through moving image, illustrations, and sculptural artefacts, creating multimedia installations aiming at involving visitors actively and critically with the narrative and issue presented.

In parallel, Nestor holds over 12 years industry experience in research, moving image and user interface design, working with brands such as Norm, Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal, Mizuno, Science Gallery and Elvie. His interests are on the creative possibilities of new and emerging technologies - in how they can be used as storytelling tools to communicate ideas, concepts and create interactions that resonate with people.


Grants, Awards & Publications

RCA Research Development Fund, U.K. 2024

YouFab Global Creative Awards, Japan 2020

On Media, on Technology, on Life.
Chapter title: Malleable Bodies - Life Beyond Utilitarianism.
River Publishers. Switzerland 2021

AC Response Fund, U.K. 2020

Are we loosing our minds? Peer-reviewd article presented at UD15, University of Porto. Portugal 2015

Welcome Collection, U.K. 2015

MA Dissertation thesis awarded with distinction, U.K. 2015

Welcome Collection, U.K. 2014

Winner - IPM Award, U.K. 2013

     

Teaching and Research Experience

2023 - present : University College London, The Bartlett School of Architecture - Cinematic and Gaming Architecture (Lecturer)

2022 - present : Royal College of Art, School of Communication - Information Experience Design (Tutor & Researcher)

2021: London College of Communication - User Experience Design (Visiting lecturer)

2019-2020: University of the Arts London - Camberwell, London.

2021 : University of Applied Arts Vienna - Design Investigations (guest lecturer)

2021: London College of Communication - User Experience Design (Visiting lecturer)

2019-2020: University of the Arts London - Camberwell, London.

2020: Kingston School of Art, London.

2020: AA School of Architecture, London.

2018-2019: Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto.

     

Studies

2013-2015 - MA Design Interactions, Royal College of Art, London UK (distinction)

2004-2008 - BA Design, University of Aveiro, Portugal

2001-2004 - BA Restoration & Conservation, Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Portugal

     

Industry Experience

2013-Present (self-employed): design research, UX/UI, art direction, moving image and illustration. Clients include Superflux, RadicalxChange King’s College London, Science Gallery London, Shrinking Space, Sugru, Elvie.

2015-2018: Senior UX/UI designer and art direction at Elvie, London.

2011-2013: digital designer and art direction at Haygarth, London.

2008-2010: digital designer and art direction at W20, Lisbon.

2007: digital design at The Fingers, Barcelona.

     
Exhibitions

Arquivista AI: Anthology of Franciscos Francos (sculptor) at INDEX of Art and Technology, Portugal 2024.

Arquivista AI: Anthology of Franciscos Francos (sculptor) at Tua-Tiu-Tiann International Festival of Arts (TTTIFA), Taiwan 2022.

Arquivista AI: Anthology of Franciscos Francos (sculptor) at Henrique and Francisco Franco Museum. Portugal, Madeira Island March 2022 - June 2022

The Infumis: A Post-Apocalyptic Breakfast at Galeria dos Prazeres. Portugal, Madeira Island November 2020 - March 2021

Repositorium at Porto Planetarium. Portugal, Porto October 2020

The Museum of Lost and Found Potential. U.K., London October 2019

Authentic Fictions: Speculative Futures for 2.5D Printing DLab Tokyo Gallery. Japan, Tokyo June - October 2019

Plumial Space. Exhibition at Arcade East, London College of Fashion. U.K., London September 2018

The Infumis: screening at The Design Museum - Objects of Desire. U.K., March 2018

Sleeping Function - Work Song no.1. commission for designers Noam Toran & Marloes Ten Böhmer . Exhibition at the Zuiderzee Museum. Netherlands, Enkhuizen 2017

Project Doomsday: The Supervolacano & The Intelligent Machine exhibition performance at New Scientist Live. Collaboration with arts collective Shrinking Space . U.K., London September 2016

Night school on Anarres – Imaginings of an anarchist utopia at Somerset House. Collaboration with artists Noam Toran & Onkar Kular. U.K., London August 2016

Here, There and Everywhere: Eurasian Cities. Asia Culture Centre, Gwangju - South Korea. Seoul November 2015 - July 2016

Bio-art Seoul 2015: Abundance of Life at Gwacheon National Science Museum. South Korea, Seoul 2015

Royal College of Art Show. U.K., London 2015

5D Science of Fiction - USC Cinematic Arts. U.S.A., Los Angeles 2014

Buy, buy, buy, put it down at London Design Festival. U.K., London 2014

Swiss Pavillion’s School of Tomorrow at Venice Biennale. Italy, Venice 2014

     

Residencies

Design Associate Resident at Kyoto Institute of Technology. Japan, Kyoto 2018/2019

Fashion Space Gallery Resident at London College of Fashion. U.K., London 2018

     

Workshops

Jonbar Hinges: Points of Divergence. Online workshop for IED students at the Royal College of Art. U.K., London 2022.

Embracing Otherness: Bats. Public workshop on worldbuilding and bats, at Orleans House Gallery. U.K., London 2022

Arquivista AI: Old Lady’s Head. Workshop delivered to students from Francisco Franco Secondary School and the University of Madeira. Portugal, Madeira Island 2021

3D Animation: Imaginary Landscapes. Online workshop for Store Projects. U.K., London 2020.

Magic Zoom workshop at Kyoto Institute of Technology. Japan, Kyoto 2018

Positive Failure, workshop delivers to students at Kyoto Institute of Technology. Japan, Kyoto 2018

A Toolkit for the Future: Body Ecosystem. Public workshop in partnership with the V&A. London College of Fashion. U.K., London 2018

Body Ecosystem workshop with students at London College of Fashion. U.K., London 2018

Quasi-Souvenir workshop at Arquivo 237. Portugal, Lisbon 2017

Night School on Anarres, workshop at Somerset House. U.K., London 2016

     









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