Paul Granjon is an artist and educator whose work with self-made machines explored the co-evolution of humans and machines from a humorous and critical perspective. The work questioned the validity of a creeping digitization that tends to replace living beings with digital programs and creatures, supporting a society based on economic profit, surveillance and extraction.
His interest in vital issues of resilience and ecological implication grew over the years, based on the conviction that a renewed relationship with plant, animal and mineral beings and environments, combined with a radically re-imagined use of technology are crucial pre-requisites for a good life on earth.
Paul’s current practice includes the design and delivery of participative art activities, artworks and workshops that combine creative technologies and bio-life with a joyful dimension. The work aims to alleviate eco-anxiety, inspire climate action and stimulate an ecosophical approach to everyday life. Until 2025 he taught Fine-Art in Cardiff School of Art and Design, where he completed a practice-based PhD in robotic arts.
Selected works
2026
Re-funct Machine participative installation for the International Repair Day Seminar, Bristol City Hall, UK
Tingling Earth – Schauer unter der Haut der Erde group exhibition in Kunstler*innenhaus Dortmund
Meet the Microbes workshop, Doing Ecology Otherwise conference Goldsmiths Centre for Art and Ecology
Soil Microbes Melodies workshop, BethNawr Festival, Black Mountains College, Talgarth UK
Weird Machine Wrekshop, participative exhibition in KunstFestSpiele Festival Hanover Germany
2025
Soils of Ecological Union workshop in Kitev, Oberhausen, Germany
The Garden and the Hedge, group exhibition in KUBU art centre, Björkboda Finland
Crymlyn Wetland Soil Data project with Natural Law and NRW, Swansea (ongoing)
Singing Compost workshop in Centre for Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths University London, funded by the Learned Society of Wales
2024
Singing Compost in Annual Conference of the British Society for Soil Science, Cardiff
The Dreams of our Fathers, Ritter Art Gallery, Florida Atlantic University, USA
2023
Garden Lab Whispers Grow, collaborative commission for Grounding technologies led by Bristol and Bath Creative R+D
Singing Compost, heap#1 Goldsmiths University, London, Singing Compost, heap#2 in the Sustainable Growing Futures garden in Cardiff Metropolitan University, with Harun Morrison
2022
Matterrealities, EASTN-DC, Cardiff UK
Deer Shed festival, Topcliffe UK
Piksel Festival, Bergen Norway
2020
Superfreight, Arcade Campfa Cardiff UK
2018
Y Las Cosas Que Hacemos, Azkuna Zentroa Bilbao, Spain
2017
Art Experiment, Garage Museum, Moscow, Russia
2016
The Imitation Game, Manchester Art Gallery, UK
2015
Maker Faire, Newcastle, UK
Eppur Si Muove, Luxembourg, Luxemburg
2014
Is Technology Eating my Brain, Watermans Arts Centre, London, UK (solo)
2013
Dynamo Wrekshop and Thingy Robots, Arcade Cardiff, (solo)
EBEMU, Isea Sydney, Australia, with Paul Gazzola
2012
Glass Curtain Gallery, Chicago, USA 2012
Mondes Inventés, Mondes Habités, MUDAM, Luxemburg
Nouveaux Monstres, National Theatre, Toulouse, France
2011
Oriel Factory, Oriel Davies, Newtown, UK (solo)
2010
(Techno)Sexual, Videotage Gallery, Hong Kong, China
Maker Faire Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
2009
Ich Maschine, Edith Russ Haus für Medien Kunst, Oldenburg, Germany
Evolution Haute Couture, Winzavod Arts Centre, Moscow, Russia
Spontaneous Phenomenon, AT & T Gallery, Osaka, Japan, with Kanta Horio
Dorkbot Tokyo, Japan
Ubersong, Bristol, UK
Via Festival, Créteil, France
Exit festival, Maubeuge, France
Locws International, Swansea
Amber Festival, Istanbul, Turkey
2008
Hand-Made Machines, G39, Cardiff, UK (solo)
Jump, Nam June Paik Art Centre, Youngin, Korea
Ecology of the Techno Mind, Ars Electronica Festival, Linz, Austria
G39, Cardiff, UK
Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea, UK,
La Dégelée Rabelais, Chartreuse de Villeneuve-les-Avignons, France and Musée Pierre André Benoit, Alès, France
2007
Tomorrow Now, MUDAM, Luxemburg
Walking the Line, Tactile Bosch, Cardiff, UK
Bad joke, Tallin, Estonia
Frankenstein’s Monster, Stockholm, Sweden
The Mask of the Red Death, Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK
2006
Sexed Robots, Lighthouse, Brighton, UK (solo)
Positive Activities, Le Lieu, Québec City, Canada (solo)
Make Fair, Brussels, Belgium
Gameplay, Q-Arts, Derby, UK
Somewhere Else, Something Else, Oriel Davies, Newtown, UK
2005
Somewhere Else, Artists from Wales, Welsh Pavilion 51st Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
Grrr, Galerie Justine Lacroix, Marseille, France (solo)
Furman and Sexed Robots, Galerija Kapelica, Ljubljana, Slovenia (solo)
BigBlip05, Brighton, UK
International Exhibitionist, Curzon Cinema, London, UK
2004
Quelques créatures, residence in Galerie Séquence, Chicoutimi, Canada
Open Borders, Droog design, Tri Postal, Lille, France
Bad behaviour, touring exhibition from the Arts Council of England, UK
2003
Brrr Festival, Porto Portugal
2001
Z Lab 2001 exhibition Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff (solo)
1995
Z Lab Presents performance, Cardiff Art in Time Festival UK
1994
Z Productions, Galerie Jean François Meyer, Marseille France (solo)
Misc
Robotic art and creative technology workshops since 2002
Practice-based PhD: Robotic Art as a Vector for Techno-Critique, Cardiff Metropolitan University 2022