Diego S. Maranan

All Research Fellows

Diego S. Maranan

I am a transdisciplinary artist and researcher who investigates how technology can help us reimagine our relationship with the environment, with other people, and with ourselves. My work is eclectic, ranging from exploring how digital technologies are changing the way we move as well as perceive human movement, to co-creating socially-engaged art installations that build symbiotic relationships between plants, computers and people. At CogNovo, I adapted methods and insights from user experience and technology design, perceptual psychology and neuroscience, dance and somatic practices, and pragmatist philosophy to design a low-cost wearable technology that uses vibrotactile stimulation to create unusual, pleasurable, structured sensory experiences that demonstrably increase body awareness. I am an Assistant Professor at University of the Philippines Open University’s Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.

Previous work

Publications

  • Maranan, D. S. (2015). Speculative somatics. Technoetic Arts, 13(3), 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1386/tear.13.3.291_1
  • Maranan, D. S., Loesche, F., & Denham, S. L. (2015). CogNovo: Cognitive Innovation for Technological, Artistic, and Social Domains. In Proceedings of the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art. Vancouver, Canada. https://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3590
  • Maranan, D. S., & Vermeulen, A. (2015). When Ideas Migrate: A Postcolonial Perspective on Biomodd [LBA2]. In Proceedings of the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art. Vancouver, Canada. https://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/5077
  • Cajilig, P., & Maranan, D. S. (2014). Anthropology Of, For, And With Design: A Philippine Perspective. AghamTao, 23, 95–110. https://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/4262
  • Maranan, D. S., Fdili Alaoui, S., Schiphorst, T., Pasquier, P., Subyen, P., & Bartram, L. (2014). Designing for Movement: Evaluating Computational Models Using LMA Effort Qualities. In Proceedings of the 32Nd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 991–1000). New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2556288.2557251
  • Maranan, D. S., & Librero, A. F. D. (2014). Biomodd: Exploring Relationships Between Biological, Electronic, And Social Systems Through New Media Art. In ICERI2014 Proceedings (pp. 249–256). Seville, Spain. https://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/5078
  • Maranan, D. S., Schiphorst, T., Bartram, L., & Hwang, A. (2013). Expressing technological metaphors in dance using structural illusion from embodied motion. In Proceedings of the 9th ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition (pp. 165–174). New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2466627.2466654
  • Subyen, P., Carlson, K., Maranan, D. S., & Schiphorst, T. (2013). Recognizing Movement Qualities: Mapping LMA Effort Factors to Visualization of Movement. Presented at the Beautiful Dance Moves: Mapping Movement, Technology & Computation Workshop: 9th ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition, Sydney, Australia. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3238.9282
  • Subyen, P., Maranan, D., Schiphorst, T., Pasquier, P., & Bartram, L. (2011). EMVIZ: the poetics of movement quality visualization. In Proc. Int. Symp. Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization, and Imaging (pp. 121–128). New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2030441.2030467
  • Vermeulen, A., & Maranan, D. (2010). Biomodd as Paradox. In S. Engelen & M. Wynants (Eds.), We Can Change the Weather: 100 Cases in Energy Efficacy to Start Doing So (pp. 22–23). Brussels: Asp / Vubpress / Upa. ISBN: 9789054876922
  • Calvert, T., Coyle, M., & Maranan, D. (2002). A Tool for Translating Dance Notation to Animation. In Proc. Western Computer Graphics Symposium. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4418.5762
  • Mandryk, R. L., & Maranan, D. S. (2002). False prophets: exploring hybrid board/video games. In CHI ’02 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems (pp. 640–641). New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/506443.506523

Exhibits and performances (selected)

  • Barnes, S. K., Castellanos, C., Fox, T., He, Y., & Maranan, D. (2012, June). Proof-of-Process. Installation in group show, Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, Canada. URL
  • Biomodd [NYC4] Team. (2012). Biomodd [NYC4]. Art installation presented at the ReGeneration at the New York Hall of Science, New York, USA. URL
  • Maranan, D. (2011). I’m Sorry Because It’s Useful. Performance presented at the The Interplay Projects: Interdisciplinary and Contemporary Dance Performance Series, MACC Studio Theatre, Vancouver, Canada. Retrieved from URL
  • Maranan, D. S., Vermeulen, A., & Geeraert, N. (2010, November). Biomodd Maribor. Art installation presented at the KIBLIX Art Festival and International Computer Arts Festival, Maribor, Slovenia.
  • Subyen, P., Maranan, D. S., Calrson, K., Schiphorst, T., & Pasquier, P. (2011, May). Flow: Expressing Movement Quality. Performance/demonstration presented at the The User in Flux Workshop Exhibition of CHI 2011, Vancouver, Canada.
  • Subyen, P., Maranan, D. S., Schiphorst, T., & Pasquier, P. (2010, October). Paint With Your Efforts. Interactive installation presented at the E-mixer 2010, Surrey Arts Centre, Surrey, BC, Canada. URL
  • Vermeulen, A., & Maranan, D. (2009a). Biomodd [LBA2]. Art installation, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila, Philippines. URL
  • Vermeulen, A., & Maranan, D. (2009b). Biomodd [LBA2]. Art installation, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Philippines.
  • Mandryk, R. L., Maranan, D. S. (2002, April). False Prophets: exploring hybrid board/video games CHI EA 2002. Minneapolis, USA. https://doi.org/10.1145/506443.506523

Presentations (selected)

  • Cajilig, P., & Maranan, D. S. (2013). Negotiating Misalignments at the Intersection of Design and Anthropology in Social Innovation Research. Presented at the Rethinking and Remaking Forms of Knowledge: The Critical Work of Anthropology, Ateneo de Davao University: Ugnayang Pang-Agham Tao / Anthropological Association of the Philippines.
  • Librero, A. F., Maranan, D. S., & Vermeulen, A. (2011). Biomodd: A Case Study In Combining Online Learning With On-Site New Media Art Practice. Presented at the 25th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference, Penang, Malaysia. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.2452.4965
  • Maranan, D. S. (2011, March). Biomodd: an interactive and collaborative art project that integrates nature and technology. Presented at the School of Interactive Arts and Technology Graduate Research Colloquium, Simon Fraser University, Canada.
  • Maranan, D. S. (2013). Structural Illusion From Embodied Motion: Perceiving Technological Metaphors in Dance Movement. Presented at the 4th Congress of the ASEAN Union of Psychological Societies (ARUPS) and the 50th Annual Convention of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, Miriam College, Quezon City, Philippines.
  • Maranan, D. S. (2014). Expressing technological metaphors in urban dance. Presented at the MINDFIELD: 6th Annual Plymouth University School of Psychology Conference, Plymouth, UK.
  • Maranan, D. S., Subyen, P., Schiphorst, T., & Pasquier, P. (2010, September). Mapping, Meaning and Motion: Designing Abstract Visualization of Movement Qualities. Presented at the Digital Resources for the Humanities & Arts 2010: Sensual Technologies - Collaborative Practices of Interdisciplinarity, Brunel University. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4287.5047
  • Trice, J. N., & Maranan, D. S. (2008). Cinemaspace, Cyberspace: Mapping the Philippine Moving Image. Presented at the State of Independence: 5th Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference, Manila, Philippines.

Education

  • MA in Interactive Arts and Technology (2012) (Simon Fraser University)
  • BSc Major in Computing Science (Multimedia Specialization + Co-operative Education), Extended Minor in Contemporary Dance (2005) (Simon Fraser University, Canada)

Roles in CogNovo

Co-organiser, CogNovo Seminar series

Member, Radio CogNovia team