Artist and immersive media researcher. Since 2000 he works primarily with immersive multimedia installations, VR/XR and audiovisual performances. His art and research examine the role of operational media, surveillance, formations of coded governance and its misinterpretations in socioeconomic systems. The work combines algorithmic and networked structures with spontaneity and live improvisation on-stage, bridges ML/AI assisted immersive analytics with phenomenological exploration of affective aesthetics. www.garancs.net

Jānis Garančs has initial training in music and classical fine arts (painting) at Latvian Academy of Arts, Riga, further studied video and computer art at the Royal Insitute of Arts KKH in Stockholm, Sweden and digital audio-visual media at the Academy of Media Arts - KHM in Cologne, Germany. Currently he is doctoral degree candidate in Media Arts and Creative Technologies at RTU Liepaja (Riga Technical University) and visiting researcher at Aalto Studios, Espoo/ Finland

Recent participations and presentations at international media art events include:

• IRCAM Forum Workshops 2026 – Paris & Enghien-les-Bains  / France

• MatchXR 2025 (XR & emerging tech event) Helsinki / Finland

• IRCAM Forum Workshops 2025 Hors-les-Murs – Rīga & Liepāja / Latvia

• Sonic Saturday – Ars Electronica Festival 2025 'PANIC Yes/No' / Linz, Austria

• Sonic Saturday – Ars Electronica Festival 2024 'HOPE' / Linz, Austria

• ISEA 2024 'Everywhen' – 29th International Symposium on Electronic Art / Brisbane, Australia

• Re-Connect Art 2024: 4th international performance and multimedia festival / Prague, Czechia

• RIXC Art Science Festival 2023: CRYPTO, ART AND CLIMATE / Riga, Latvia

• ISEA 2023 'Symbiosis'– 28th International Symposium on Electronic Art / Paris, France

• Expanded Animation 2022: Synaesthetic Syntax – Ars Electronica Festival / Linz, Austria

• ISEA 2022 'Possibles' – 27th International Symposium on Electronic Art / Barcelona, Spain

• Open Fields 2021: PostSENSORIUM The 6th Open Fields conference, Riga

• Everything Flows Arts Festival (virtual online residency and festival by XARKIS, Cyprus )

• ISEA2020 'Why sentience?'- The 26th International Symposium on Electronic Art, Montreal, Canada

• EVA-LONDON 2020 – The 30th international Electronic Visualisation & the Arts conference, London, U.K.

AWARDS, GRANTS, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

• European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists – EFFEA (2023/2024 residency at Re-connect Art (CZ)

• Xarkis, Cyprus / Everything Flows (2020, virtual/online residency)

• City Theatre, Reykjavik, Iceland (2005) NordScen artist-in-residence project grant

• V2_Lab, Rotterdam (2004) ExStream / PlayList European Residencies – P.E.R. (grant, 2004)

• SAT – Society for Art & Technology, Montreal (2003) NIFCA (Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art) artist-in-residence grant

• Spritzenhaus & LEM (Labor f. Elektronische Medien), Hamburg (1999) Grant by Culture Ministry (Kulturbehörde) of Hamburg

• Prix Ars Electronica 98 : Award of Distinction (as part of E-Lab team) project Xchange (.net Category)


Research experience:

2026:  Visiting researcher at Aalto Studios, Aalto University, Finland

2022-2026:  Doctoral Researcher  Riga Technical University, Latvia

2024: Visiting researcher at Aalto University, Finland

2008-2010: Researcher at the MPLAB (Art Research Lab), Liepaja University, Latvia

2006-2008: Researcher at EU-IST7 funded consortium LIVE (interactive, live-TV platform development)
Institute for Media and Imaging Technology (IMP), Cologne University of Applied Sciences (FH-Köln), Germany

1996-1997: Student-Researcher at Ericsson MediaLab Stockholm, Sweden within project "Future TV"