MICHAEL OLIVERI
About
Michael Oliveri is a conceptual artist, designer, and master fabricator driven by a singular mission: to bring unusual innovation into the physical world. He approaches contemporary technology, most recently AI, as a progressive opportunity to contain complex, opposing, and contradicting concepts, creating critical poetics that requires physical interpretation. With a career spanning over 30 years, Michael translates the architectures of science, art, and craft into immersive realities.
Born in Southern California and educated at LBSU (Microbiology), the San Francisco Art Institute (BFA, Sculpture), and UCLA (MFA, New Genres), Michael’s practice is rooted in a unique intersection of art, science, and biology. This scientific foundation allows him to treat every project as an empirical exploration.
His work utilizes an unlimited palette that includes CAD design, CNC fabrication, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) imagery, hydroponics, radio signal technology, effects processors to name a few.
Michael’s work is characterized by the grit of the artist studio and the rigor of the laboratory. He founded and directed the ArtX department at the University of Georgia (R1), a premiere conceptual program exploring contemporary technologies through the lens of contemporary art. Beyond academia, he has operated at the highest levels of industrial production, from fabricating advanced vehicle prototypes, props, and sculpture for the automotive and entertainment industries at Trans FX, to serving in diverse artistic roles for film, commercials, and large-scale immersive environments. These experiences serve as a direct extension of his studio practice, allowing for the exploration of craft and conceptual narrative at an institutional scale.
Currently a GAITS Fellow in AI, Michael continues to explore the "human-tech interface," researching how intelligent systems can be steered and manifested through physical media. Beyond his own studio practice, he serves as the Production Manager for Michael Stipe’s (R.E.M.) fine art endeavors and is the creator of Foamocean.com, a venture dedicated to specialized manufacturing and the functional design of surfboard shaping tools. Michael remains a bridge between high-concept vision and global execution, making complex innovations tactile, human, and meaningful.
