The Jury for SWITCH's Innovation Award

Maia Engeli

Maia Engeli is Assistant Professor at the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada. Until 2002 she was Assistant Professor and acting head of the chair for Architecture and CAAD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland.

Maia Engeli works in the area of telematic architectures for collaborative productive processes, learning, and entertainment. She teaches in the areas of interactive media design, immersive environments and computer game modding. In 2001 she published the book "bits and spaces" and in 2000 the book "Digital Stories - The Poetics of Communication".

Annette Schindler

Annette Schindler studied history of art and sociology at the universities of Zurich and Madrid, finishing her studies with a dissertation on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of taste. As manager of plug in, she developed her own concept for the institution, paying due consideration to the specific requirements of the new media.

From 1997 to 2000 she was in charge of the Swiss Institute in New York and from 1992 to 997 of the “Kunsthaus Glarus” (Glarus Art Centre).

Rodney Douglas, Institute of Neuroinformatics

Prof. Rodney Douglas is head of the Institute of Neuroinformatics, a joint institute of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich.

Rodney Douglas is the initiator of "Ada - the intelligent space" at the Swiss Expo 02. In his research work, he focuses on gaining insight into the structure and functioning of the brain and implements the findings in artificial systems, known as neuromorphic systems. These are computer systems whose operating mode is based on that of a natural nervous system. He concentrates especially on the area of the brain that is responsible for vision.

Christophe Guignard

Christophe Guignard is one of the founding members of fabric | ch, an electronic architecture studio based in Lausanne.

Since 1997, fabric | ch has been working on projects that combine physical space with digital space in the cross-cutting fields of architecture, art, information technology and communication systems. Their work has been exhibited in Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Germany and the USA.

Christophe Guignard studied architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), as well as in Montreal and New York. He completed his education with a series of philosophy seminars before obtaining a master's degree in computer graphics in the electronic media research laboratories at the EPFL. Christophe Guignard has also been a lecturer at the Canton College of Art in Lausanne (ECAL) since 2000. The pattern of his work sums up the approach adopted by fabric | ch: multi-disciplinary, experimental, rhizomatic.