cv
Jaana Okulov (born in 1986) is an interdisciplinary artist and a doctoral candidate at Aalto University in the
Department of Art and Media. Okulov received their MFA from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2016 and
completed basic and intermediate studies in psychology in 2017. Their article-based research concentrates on the
theme of attention in humans and in machines with three articles combining theoretical and empirical approaches
from perceptual psychology, aesthetics, and machine learning. The articles provide an interdisciplinary understanding
of nonverbal perception and expression and a computable definition of aesthetic attention to enable the training
of an aesthetically driven machine attention model. Okulov has taught courses at Aalto University on AI art and
sensory knowledge to students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds at BA, MA, and PhD levels.
CURRENT
2023 Oct–2024 Feb Postdoc in psychotherapy research, University of Jyväskylä
EDUCATION
2018– Doctor of Arts, Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University
2016 MFA, Finnish Academy of Fine Arts
2017 Basic and Intermediate studies, Psychology University of Helsinki, Open university
2013 BA, Tampere University of Applied Sciences
2012 Exchange program, South Korea, Seoul, Konkuk University, Film Programme
2008 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Welfare Work; Practical Nurse, Tampere College
PUBLICATIONS
2023 Okulov, J. (2023) Data as Expression, Journal of Aesthetics and Phenomenology, 9:2, 191-207,
https://doi.org/10.1080/20539320.2022.2150465
2023 Okulov, J. (2023). Quantifying Qualia. In: Misselhorn, C., Poljanšek, T., Störzinger, T., Klein, M. (eds) Emotional Machines. Technikzukünfte, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft / Futures of Technology, Science and Society. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37641-3_11
2022 Okulov, J. (2022). Artificial Aesthetics and Aesthetic Machine Attention. AM Journal of Art and Media Studies, 29, 13-28. https://doi.org/10.25038/am.v0i29.534
CONFERENCES
2022 Machine Attention. Paper in the Surveillance and Society Conference, Stream: Technologies. Artificial Intelligence
2021 Aesthetic machine attention. Paper in the Nordic Society for Aesthetics 2021: The Aesthetics of Attention.
2021 Moving Beyond the Traditional Framing of a Research Stimulus. Poster at the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics -conference
TEACHING
2020 & 2021 Art & AI -course, University Wide Arts Studies, Aalto University
2020 & 2022 The Realm of the Senses -course, Transdisciplinary Arts Studies, Aalto University
2020 Bodiless sentient beings. Lecture on machine senses with Professor Tapio Takala, The Realm of the Senses -course, Transdisciplinary Arts Studies, Aalto University
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
2022 Spring Course instructor, Aalto course, Transdisciplinary Arts Studies, Aalto University
2019 – 2021 Assistant, Transdisciplinary Arts Studies, Aalto University
2013 – 2018 Head of research, Producer, The Olento Collective
2018 Spring Technician, Art, and Technology, Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki
2008 – 2013 Practical psychiatric nurse, Art instructor, Kaivanto psychiatric hospital
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2017 Tabufestivaali – Onko normaalia olla mielisairas? Lapinlahti hospital, Helsinki
2017 Rytmitaju, Promenadigalleria, Hyvinkää
2017 Body Works, Poriginal Gallery, Pori
2017 Practical Masochism, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki
2016 S.O.S Save Our Souls / Art For a Time of Urgencies, Ewha Womans University Campus, Seoul
2016 Sideways, Teurastamo, Helsinki
2016 Pixelache, Helsinki
2016 Formcore, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki
2016 Ole hyvä ja koske! Uusi Ylioppilastalo, Helsinki
2015 Young Artists 2015, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki
2015 Kuvan Kevät, Degree Show of the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki
2015 Il Senso del Corpo, FISAD exhibition, Accademia Albertina, Torino
2015 Mä haluan sut, Project Room, Helsinki
2015 ̶W̶h̶a̶t̶̶ i̶s̶̶ t̶o̶̶ b̶e̶̶ d̶o̶n̶e̶?̶̶ Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki, internet
2014 By change in Berlin, Suomesta Gallery, Berlin
2014 Pseudo, International art collaboration, OCAD University, Toronto
2014 Reality Hunger, Gallery Fafa, Helsinki
2014 I am not a robot, Kuva/Tila, Helsinki
2014 Montage Lab, Kuva/Tila, Helsinki
2013 The Image Object, Kaiku Gallery, Helsinki
2013 TAMK graduate exhibition, TR1, Tampere
2013 Trialogue, International art collaboration, Gallery Illum, Seoul
2013 Trialogue, International art collaboration, Emil Gallery, Tampere
2013 Play time! Uamo Art Festival, Einstein Kultur, Munich
2013 Invisible Presence, Moving Gallery, Sárospatak, Szentendre, Budapest, Vartiosaari, Kemiönsaari, Helsinki
2012 Uamo City Tour, Ggool Gallery, Seoul
2012 1<3, OCAD University, Toronto
2012 Round and Round It Goes Again, Harrisons 1854, Sheffield
2012 Love poem, Ikuinen gallery, Tampere
2012 Youth As Refugees, Suomesta Gallery, Berlin
2011 Ultra social, Uamo Art Festival, Munich
2011 Kukkahattutädit goes Kontti, Uamo City Tour -exhibition, Bermuda container, Helsinki
2011 Jaa / ei / poissa, Finlayson, Tampere
2011 Art in Conflict, Werstas Museum, Tampere
2011 Youth as Refugees, Forum Box, Helsinki
2011 Café of Cultures, Hirvitalo, Pispala, Tampere
2011 The 3 Inch Canvas, Art Museum of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä
2010 Pää edellä, Pyynikki swimming hall, Tampere
2010 Promoting changes, Werstas Museum, Tampere
2010 Inter-cool 3.0: Jugend Bild Medien, Dortmunder U, Dortmund
2010 INSIDE/OUTSIDE, Sampo center, Rovaniemi
2010 Borderlines, Kirche Sankt Peter, Frankfurt
PUBLIC WORK AND COLLABORATIONS
2019 Connecting the Dots, Aalto AI exhibition, collaboration with Saara Halmetoja, Aalto University
2018 Peace Machine demo, collaboration with Tuomas Paasonen and Annina Antinranta from Futurice
2017 ARS17 hackathon, collaboration with Valtteri Wikström, Kiasma
2017 Panelist, Taide, hyvinvointi, hulluus, Tabufestivaali
2016 Panelist, Empathy, Technology and the Emergence of Collective Intelligence. Pixelache Festival
2012 The curator of the Uamo City Tour exhibition with Jacob Yeon, Seoul, and München
2011 Art Relay, Art Museum of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä
2011 Reikäreuna film festival’s council pre-selection member, Orivesi
2011 Kukkahattutäti workshop, Mahdollisuuksien tori, Tampere, Turku and Café of Cultures, Hirvitalo, Tampere
GRANTS
2023 Aalto University, the Department of Art and Media, for finishing the doctoral thesis
2021 KAUTE, for the doctoral thesis
2020 KAUTE, for the doctoral thesis
2019 KAUTE, for the doctoral thesis
2019 Aalto Platforms, Internal seed funding for new multidisciplinary openings
2018 Kone Foundation, for Saari Kartano residency
2017 Kone Foundation, for Olento Collective’s artistic research
2016 Avek, Creademo, for developing the Olento concept
2016 Avek, Festival grant for Olento installation
2015 VISEK, for Olento-collective
2015 Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, the exhibition Il Senso del Corpo
2010 Avek, Youth as Refugees working group
RESIDENCIES
2018 Saari Kartano, Kone Foundation
2015 Residency of the Academy of Fine Arts in Utö
COLLECTIVES
2013-2018 Olento Collective
2011-2016 Kukkahattutäti.com
2012-2013 International Art Collaborations (INTAC)