Bill Vorn (born 1959) is a Canadian artist, musician and professor known for his robotic artworks. Vorn was also a member of the band

Rational Youth Rational Youth was a Canadian new wave Synth-pop band that was originally active between 1981 and 1986, and at various points up until the end of 2021. History Rational Youth was formed in 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, by synthesizer players Tracy ...

from 1981 to 1983.

Life

Vorn was born Yves Bilodeau in 1959 in Montreal, Quebec. In 1981, Vorn was a founding member of the Montreal electronic music group Rational Youth. The group is considered to be one of the first electronic music groups in Canada. Vorn left the band at the beginning of 1983

Canadian Pop Encyclopedia The ''Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia'' is a two volume encyclopedia of Canadian pop music, available in hardcover and online, detailing Canadian music from 1949 onwards. History The ''Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia'' was started by Jaimie Verno ...

Profile of Rational Youth
. Retrieved 2013-01-07. to complete a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

and

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communication studies Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differen ...

at the

Université du Québec à Montréal The Université du Québec à Montréal (English: University of Quebec in Montreal), also known as UQAM, is a French-language public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québe ...

. Vorn is a full professor in the studio art department of

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

Work

Since 1992, Vorn has worked in the area of robotic artworks and installations that employ artificial intelligence. He has created numerous works in collaboration with Louis-Phillippe Demers. These robotic artworks have been widely exhibited internationally, in both installation and performance contexts.

Inferno

''Inferno'' (2015) is a robotic installation that where performers don harnesses that control their arms in synchronization with music and light.

Awards

In 1996, Vorn received an award of distinction at

Prix Ars Electronica The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the best known and longest running yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria) ...

. In 1998 he received the Leprecon Award for Interactivity, and in 1999 Vorn received the Life 2.0 award for his robotic artworks. For his work ''Inferno'' with Louis-Phillippe Demers, he received an honorary mention at

in 2016.

References

1959 births Living people Canadian digital artists Artists from Montreal Canadian new wave musicians Canadian keyboardists Musicians from Montreal Concordia University faculty Université du Québec à Montréal alumni {{Canada-artist-stub