Steven Mark Kübler

Interview

New Media + Interaction

Steven Mark Kübler is a German new media artist and interaction designer with a background in architecture, which shaped his deep understanding of space - how it is perceived, used, or left untouched. His work explores how digital interventions can transform environments, inviting people to engage with their surroundings in unexpected ways, from staircases to open landscapes. Rather than bringing the real world into the digital, Kübler’s approach does the opposite - integrating the digital into physical reality, blurring boundaries between virtual and tangible experiences. Alongside his interactive projects, Kübler creates real-time generative artworks that reflect his artistic understanding and sources of inspiration. His visuals often draw from fluid dynamics such as water, lava, and non-Newtonian substances - as well as landscapes, satellite imagery, space, and anti-gravity, translating these natural forces into digital compositions.

1. How would you describe your artistic practice?

My artistic practice explores how digital interventions reshape our perception of space and reality. I see environments as canvases for interaction, transforming overlooked spaces into dynamic experiences that invite active participation rather than passive observation. My work isn’t meant to be just looked at - it’s meant to be used, experienced, and engaged with, encouraging people to see and interact with their surroundings in new ways. I focus on blurring the boundary between digital and physical, embedding the digital into reality to make it tangible and immersive.

A key element of my work is the human presence - without it, the experience wouldn’t come to life. If people don’t engage, it’s not a failure but a learning process, something I’ve carried over from my architecture background. Just as models, studies, and prototypes help refine spatial concepts, human interactions become my prototypes, shaping a deeper understanding of what invites or inhibits engagement. Ultimately, my work challenges how we experience and interact with space, pushing people to move beyond observation and instead become active participants in reshaping their surroundings.

2. What interests you about working with technologies - specifically to engage with the natural world?
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Technology fascinates me! It offers endless creative possibilities, allowing ideas to take form in ways that challenge perception and interaction. It’s not just about what can be created digitally but how these creations can extend into physical space. Sensors, for me, are one of the most important tools in bridging the digital and physical worlds. They allow real-time responses, making interactions feel immediate - almost analogue. Like turning on a water faucet, there’s an instant reaction, a direct connection between action and result. This immediacy is what makes digital interactions feel integrated into our reality.The computer is often my starting point, a space where ideas take shape beyond what we can naturally perceive. But I don’t want technology to be a barrier, keeping these concepts locked in the digital world. My goal is to bring them into reality - graspable, immersive, and part of our surroundings, allowing people to truly experience them rather than just observe.

3. What makes art a powerful medium for engaging with and visualising data?‍
‍Art is a powerful medium for engaging with and visualising data because it transforms abstract information into something emotional and experiential. It goes beyond numbers, allowing people to see, feel, and interact with data in intuitive and unexpected ways. Through movement, form, and immersion, art makes data more accessible, creating deeper connections and new ways of understanding. It turns information into an experience, shifting it from something to be analysed into something to be felt and explored.

4. What is the relationship between art and technical innovation?‍

Art and technical innovation are deeply interconnected! Art pushes the boundaries of technology, while technology expands the possibilities of artistic expression. Innovation provides new tools and mediums, while art challenges how they are used, often leading to unexpected discoveries. Together, they drive experiences that reshape how we perceive and interact with the world.

5. Looking forward how do you see new technology changing your practice?
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I don’t necessarily think new technology will change my practice, but rather expand the ways I can blur the digital and physical worlds. AI is currently the fastest-growing technology and even thoughI haven’t used it much in my work yet, it’s impossible to ignore its impact. However, I also find value in exploring older technologies in new ways, uncovering possibilities that may have been overlooked. For me, it’s less about chasing the latest tools and more about rethinking how technology - new or old - can be used to create experiences.

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