Meet Jakob Sitter | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jakob Sitter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jakob, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve been doing creative projects for as long as I can remember, so a career in the creative field was a natural choice for me. In college, I initially enrolled in a graphic design program but quickly switched my major to fine arts. It wasn’t part of the original plan, but I loved the freedom it gave me.

My work spans various domains—art, programming, and design—and I often blend these disciplines together. This multidisciplinary approach gives me a lot of freedom and flexibility, and I find the continuous learning process incredibly rewarding. By focusing on emerging technologies such as AI, I’m always encountering new and exciting developments.

Moreover, the collaborative nature of creative fields is something I deeply cherish. Working with other artists, technologists, and theorists fosters a dynamic exchange of ideas and perspectives that not only enriches my practice but also leads to invaluable unexpected outcomes.

Ultimately, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else—the fulfillment I derive from working in the creative field is unparalleled.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artistic practice is situated at the intersection of art, research, and technology, exploring the complex relationship between economic systems, emerging technologies, power, and agency through my work, particularly focusing on the politics of algorithmic and synthetic media. I work across a range of mediums, including code, sculpture, and time-based work.

I think I’ve been very lucky to meet people who resonate with and understand what I do early on, and I was encouraged to put myself out there, have exhibitions etc quite early on. I’m just getting started, but I think the experience of self-organizing and self-initiating has been invaluable.

Most recently, I’ve been working on a project with my partner, who’s a fashion designer, that incorporates a machine learning model to predict future garments and shelters based on climate change predictions. It’s a very fluid project, and our first together, so the final output is still pretty open. I enjoy collaborating with people from other disciplines— I find the process to be a lot more interesting. Apart from that, I am just starting to work on a new commissioned piece to be exhibited in France next year, in addition to a handful of other things. I like having several projects at once, often very different ones. It keeps things fresh and allows me to be in touch with different people and industries at the same time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am currently based in New York City, so having visitors over is always fun. There are endless things to see and do here, but I think just walking around and feeling the pulse of the city is itself an attraction. I always bring visitors to Chinatown; some of my favorite spots for food include Noodle Village, pork buns to go from Mei Lai Wah and Kiki’s. The area around East Broadway is great for drinks; Le Dive, Little Canal, and Skin Contact are some of my favorites. The downtown art scene is also great, and there are a bunch of interesting galleries like Dunkunsthalle, Sara’s, Bitforms, and Magenta Plains to name a few. A trip uptown to MoMA, Whitney, and Guggenheim is worth it as well.

I live in Brooklyn so I would definitely spend some time over here as well. In general, Brooklyn is a bit slower and less crowded. Prospect Park is beautiful, and on a warm day, it’s great for a picnic. Park Slope and Prospect Heights, right by the park, have a lot of nice restaurants and bars. And in general, it’s a lot easier to get a table than it is in Manhattan. A lot of people don’t realize that New York has great beaches, and I tend to spend a lot of time around Jacob Riis during summer. You can also take the LIRR out to Long Island, and there are plenty of nice places to go for a trip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout to my partner, friends and family, and mentors in New York, Germany, Norway, and elsewhere.

Website: http://jakobsitter.com

Instagram: jakobsitter

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakob-sitter-45a8b44a/