Lise Autogena
Professor of Cross-Disciplinary Art
Summary
I am an artist and a researcher. My practice-led research has involved large scale performances, site-specific works, and multimedia installations, usually developed in collaboration with organisations and individuals across many specialist fields. These projects have used custom built technologies and visualisations of global realtime data to explore how the economic, geographic, technological and societal systems we are creating, impact on our human experience and sense of self in the world.
About
I moved from Denmark to the UK in 1987, where I pursued research in glass until the late 1990s. I was nominated for the Jerwood Prize and awarded an Arts Foundation Award for my work in glass in 1998. I curated a cross-disciplinary art venue ‘Autogena Projects’ in Covent Garden until the late 90s, and in 2004 I co-founded the Christiania Researcher in Residence programme (CRIR), an international research facility, enabling cross disciplinary research into the urban social living experiment, the Free Town Christiania in Copenhagen. Between 2003 and 2009 I co-founded the floating community, Hermitage Moorings, adjacent to Tower Bridge on the river Thames in London.
Please visit these other websites related to my work
www.blackshoals.org
www.foghornrequiem.org
www.crir.net
www.autogena.org
Teaching
College of Business, Technology and Engineering
As a teacher, I support students across the Fine Art subject area. I deliver undergraduate and post-graduate lectures and contribute to a range of fine art modules.
Publications
Journal articles
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). New Money, Designing for Digital in the Age of Dematerialised Cash. Disegno - The Quarterly Journal of Design, 13. https://www.disegnodaily.com/
Conference papers
Autogena, L. (2024). Greenland – what next? Local Perceptions of the retreating ice. In Bennett, L. (Ed.) SHU Space & Place Group with Royal Geographic Society Yorkshire & NE: Perceiving Climate Change #1: Ice, Online, 15 February 2024. Royal Geographic Society and Sheffield Hallam University
Butler, R. (2023). Special Operations: Deploying artists’ methods to investigate surveillance. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00605
Autogena, L., Portway, J., Pappenberger, F., & Thielen-del Pozo, J. (2020). The science-policy interface – in need for "society" as a third component. In European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2020, https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/EGU2020-21623.html, 4 May 2020 - 8 May 2020. European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2020
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway : Untitled (superorganism). In Anthropocene Monument, a symposium-performance, Les Abattoirs Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Toulouse, France, 10 January 2014. http://www.lesabattoirs.org/en/evenements/anthropocene-monument-un-colloque-performance
Jarvis, H., & Autogena, L. (2014). Christiania’s place in the world of travelling ideas : sharing informal liveability. In Nordic Encounters : Travelling Ideas of Open Space Design and Planning at The 10th International World in Denmark Conference, 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 June 2014 - 14 June 2014. http://www.re-ad.dk/files/41288543/World_in_Denmark_2014_net.pdf
Autogena, L. (2013). Cultural challenges of visualising radioactive waste storage. In InSOTEC Berlin Stakeholder Seminar 2013, Berlin, 12 November 2013 - 13 November 2013. http://www.insotec.eu/
Book chapters
Grande, J.K., Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2019). Lise Autogena & Joshua Portway: Environments in Conflict, p 69-75. In Art, Space, Ecology Two Views, Twenty Interviews. Black Rose Books
Grande, J.K., Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2019). Lise Autogena & Joshua Portway: Environments in Conflict, p 69-75. In Art, Space, Ecology Two Views, Twenty Interviews. Black Rose Books
Westerman, J. (2018). Uncanny architecture: Lighthouse, Catherine Yass, 2011. In Strang, V., Edensor, T., & Puckering, J. (Eds.) From the Lighthouse: Interdisciplinary Reflections on Light. (pp. 228-231). London: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315583570
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Nuclear Culture Source Book (new photographic work pages 048, 067, 94). In Carpenter, E. (Ed.) The Nuclear Culture Source Book. (pp. 67-94). London: Black Dog Publishing: http://www.blackdogonline.com/the-nuclear-culture-source-book
Demos, T.J., Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Book cover and pages 102-3. In Decolonizing Nature, Contemporary Art and the Politics of Ecology. (pp. 1). Berlin, Germany: Sternberg Press: http://www.sternberg-press.com/?pageId=1669
Autogena, L. (2015). Anchoring knowledge. In Fowkes, M., & Fowkes, R. (Eds.) River Ecologies : Contemporary Art and Environmental Humanities on the Danube. (pp. 129-137). Translocal Institute: http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=570b39e1c8870bc1a61c32e89&id=112f85c3bc&e=8b0785c77a
Autogena, L. (2015). Artwork on page 8. In Blach, S., & Bittner, P.S. (Eds.) DG15 - 40 Years of Contemporary Glass in Denmark. (pp. 8). Ebeltoft, Denmark: Glasmuseets Forlag
Autogena, L. (2015). Anchoring knowledge; River Ecologies/ Contemporary Art and Environmental Humanities on the Danube. In Fowkes, M., & Fowkes, R. (Eds.) River Ecologies : Contemporary Art and Environmental Humanities on the Danube. (pp. 129-133). Budapest: Translocal Institute: http://translocal.org/riverschool/riverecologies.html
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Section in Chapter 3 Re/Search. In Brown, A. (Ed.) Art & Ecology Now. (pp. 126-127). London, UK: Thames & Hudson: http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Art_Ecology_Now/9780500239162
Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2014). Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - A Forecast for Europe. In Datami. Publications Office of the European Union
Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2014). Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - A Forecast for Europe. In Datami. Publications Office of the European Union
Autogena, L. (2007). Collective dreaming and the practice of creative disruption. In Beunderman, J., Mean, M., & Sanches de Juan, J.-.A. (Eds.) BCN_LDN 2020. (pp. 65-70). Demos and Fundació Ramon Trias Fargas: http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/bcnldn2020
Theses / Dissertations
Ray, J. (2020). ‘Exploring the potential of re-activating models, through art practice’. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Autogena, L., Shaw, B., & Vardy, S. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00548
Internet Publications
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2022). Kuannersuit; Kvanefjeld: the Mountain that became the focus for democratic discussion about Greenland’s Future’. [https://kvanefjeld.net/]. https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/4th-public-participation-and-deliberative-democracy-festival-ispra
Autogena, L., Revell, K., Berliner, P., & Jørgensen, I. (2022). Testing Grounds Episode 6: ‘Narsaq International Research Station – Who Defines Progress? [Podcast]. https://naarca.art/2023/09/29/testing-grounds-episode-6-narsaq-international-research-station-who-defines-progress-now-available/?fbclid=IwAR3oAl7T8KQlv8bxJ7vdHVl33hyJeYwnmtlzRARwIG2pulcgvOWczO_2EEM
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2020). Kuannersuit;Kvanefjeld /Kvanefjeld.net. [Evolving Online Archive]. https://critical-zones.zkm.de/#!/detail:kuannersuit-kvanefjeld
Artefacts
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2023). HavObservatoriet. [Digital work/ Public art installation]. https://www.havobservatoriet.net/
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2023). Kuannersuit; Kvanefjeld: the mountain that became the epicentre for a democratic discussion about Greenland’s future. [Online Archive]. https://www.kvanefjeld.net/#recFq1dvEBcBWjU9O
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2022). 196.85 ml/h. [Multimedia installation]. https://noboundsfestival.co.uk/artists/lise-autogena-x-joshua-portway-19685-ml-h
Exhibitions
Autogena, L. (2011). The Christiania Researcher in Residence Programme. Gallopperiet, Christiania.
Autogena, L. (2009). Most Blue Skies II. Copenhagen, Denmark.
Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (n.d.). Untitled (superorganism). [Digital Video Installation]. http://www.lesabattoirs.org/en/expositions/anthropocene-monument
Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2015). Untitled (superorganism) II. [Digital Video Installation]. ZKM (Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe), Germany. https://zkm.de/en/event/2015/10/globale-exo-evolution
Autogena, L. (2015). Spine I. [cast glass sculpture, created in 1998]. Ebeltoft Glasmuseum, Denmark. http://www.glasmuseet.dk/en2010/exhibitions/current/dg15.html
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Foghorn Requiem. [video and image presentation]. The Floating Cinema, St Katharine's Docks. http://floatingcinema.info/events/2014/st-katharine-docks-residency-899
Autogena, L. (2015). Spine I. [cast glass sculpture, created in 1998]. Ebeltoft Glasmuseum, Denmark. http://www.glasmuseet.dk/en2010/exhibitions/current/dg15.html
Portway, J., & Autogena, L. (2014). Untitled (superorganism). [Digital Video Installation]. Les Abattoirs Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Toulouse. http://www.lesabattoirs.org/en/expositions/anthropocene-monument
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2015). Black Shoals; Dark Matter. [data visualisation/installation]. Somerset House, London, UK. http://bigbangdata.somersethouse.org.uk/index.html
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Black Shoals; Dark Matter. [Data visualisation/installation]. ArtScience Museum Singapore. https://www.marinabaysands.com/content/dam/singapore/marinabaysands/master/main/home/company-information/media-centre/apr2016/Art%20embraces%20technology%20at%20the%20Asian%20debut%20of%20Big%20Bang%20Data.pdf
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Foghorn Requiem at the The Floating Cinema. [video and image presentation]. The Floating Cinema, St Katharine's Docks. http://floatingcinema.info/events/2014/st-katharine-docks-residency-899
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Foghorn Requiem at the The Floating Cinema. [video and image presentation]. The Floating Cinema, St Katharine's Docks. http://floatingcinema.info/events/2014/st-katharine-docks-residency-899
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Kuannersuit / Kvanefjeldet installation. [Film installation]. Bildmuseet, Sweden. https://www.bildmuseet.umu.se/utstallningar/2016/perpetual-uncertainty/
Autogena, L., Portway, J., & Riley, T. (2016). Growing Cities Like Plants. [Robotic data-driven installation]. North West Cambridge Development and subsequently Sainsbury Planet Laboratory. http://www.nwcambridgeart.com/artist-residencies/sainsbury-laboratory/lise-autogena-joshua-portway-imagining-cities-plants-2016/
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2014). Foghorn Requiem; The Floating Film festival; The Thames Festival. [video and image presentation]. The Floating Cinema, St Katharine's Docks. http://foghornrequiem.org/
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2018). Vindskaber. [VR/Software installation]. Lyngvig Lighthouse, Denmark.
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2019). Weather prediction by numerical process - a forecast for Europe. [Performance exhibition]. Ispra, Italy [and 2 additional locations]. https://resonances.jrc.ec.europa.eu/
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2019). Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - A Forecast for Europe at BOZAR. [Performance exhibition]. Palais des Beaux-Arts ( BOZAR).
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2020). Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - A Forecast for Europe, The New Green Deal. [Performance exhibition]. SNOWBALL.
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Kuannersuit; Kvanefjeld. [Film installation and digital archive]. Bildmuseet, Sweden [and 10 additional locations].
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2021). Nothing Beside Remains. [Multimedia]. Regelbau 411, Thyholm, Denmark. https://www.regelbau411.dk/autogena-portway_uk
Performances
Autogena, L. (2016). Reading Anarchism: Lise Autogena Reads Bahrain Youth / The Anarchistic Moment. BAK - Institute for the Contemporary, Utrecht, Netherlands Spoken Performance. http://www.bakonline.org/en/Research/Itineraries/FutureVocabularies/InstitutingOtherwise/Unstated/NicolineVanHarskampReadingAnarchism/ReadingGroup2
Autogena, L.F., Portway, J., & Gough, O. (2013). Foghorn Requiem. Souter Lighthouse Nationwide press, international press, broadcast press, peer reviewed press, web sites, recordings. http://www.foghornrequiem.org/
Media
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Kuannersuit; Kvanefjeld. [Video documentary]. Bildmuseet and Arts Catalyst: https://vimeo.com/214697146
Presentations
Autogena, L. (2023). Narsaq International Research Station (NIRS). Presented at: Arctic Circle Assembly 2023, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2023
Autogena, L. (2023). Speaking across the Sea – an art project of children’s participation in democracy and international diplomacy. Presented at: Art, Community, and Identities in the Arctic – Best Practices for Children, Young People, and Families, Greenland, 2023
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2020). New Aesthetics for a Data-Saturated World (The role of SciArt in our Society). Presented at: Preparatory workshop for the RESONANCES III Festival on BIG DATA, Milan, Italy, 2017
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2020). Weather Prediction by Numerical Process - a Forecast for Europe /Meet The Artists and The Scientists. Presented at: Meet the scientist and the artist - DATAMI, Brussels, Belgium, 2020
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2019). Weather prediction by numerical forecast. Presented at: Resonances III Datami, Ispra, Italy, 2019
Autogena, L. (2016). European Glass Context 2016, GLASS Cultural Heritage and Craftsmanship /Process as Object. Presented at: European Glass Context 2016, GLASS Cultural Heritage and Craftsmanship /Process as Object, The Royal Danish Academy, School of Design Bornholm | KADK Bornholm, 2016
Autogena, L., & Portway, J. (2016). Conversations: The Data Route. Presented at: Conversations: The Data Route, ArtScience Museum Singapore, 2016
Autogena, L. (2015). Foghorn Requiem : a celebration of a sound. Presented at: Aarhus International Art Weekend, Aarhus Center for Visual Art, Godsbanen, Denmark, 2015
Autogena, L. (2015). Reclaiming water space. Kulturelle Tilgange og Interventioner. Presented at: Retten til Byen - Kampen on Byen, Aarhus University, Denmark, 2015
Autogena, L. (2014). How to Find the Bluest Sky in the World. Presented at: TedX Sheffield 2014, 2014
Autogena, L. (2014). Cultural approaches and interventions in maritime heritage contexts. Presented at: Concrete Heritage : Industry-Inclusion-Intervention, Moesgaard Museum, Denmark, 2014
Autogena, L. (2014). Lise Autogena. Presented at: Mobile Ecologies, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, 2014
Autogena, L. (2014). This State of Independence Shall Be. Presented at: This State of Independence Shall Be, Wiltons Music Hall, 2014
Other publications
Autogena, L., Portway, J., & Bidlot, J. (2024).  Ocean wave forecasting as an immersive public space. http://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11314
Other activities
I have experience as a consultant, advisory, and steering board member in many different cultural organisations and contexts.
Postgraduate supervision
Research topics for postgraduate supervision have included
- Communication and nature of participation through collective performance
- The use of data in the context of political art