Dr Tom Milnes

Qualifications

Research interests and expertise

My research explores the intersections of post-digital art, media archaeology, and emerging technologies, with a focus on how digital tools reshape aesthetic experience, authorship, and materiality. I am particularly interested in post-internet practices, photogrammetry, glitch aesthetics, and the evolving role of automation and machine vision within artistic production. My practice-based research investigates the creative and critical potential of errors, malfunctions, and algorithmic processes—a methodology I developed to investigate what I term “Spatially-Immersive Networked Composites.” - an umbrella term for new networked digital imagery such as 3D-scans, XR filters, Google Earth, and memes. Through sculpture, 3D imaging, and immersive installations, I examine how computational imaging and networked systems influence the way we perceive and construct visual culture.

Alongside my artistic practice, I have an active curatorial and pedagogical interest in digital arts and networked culture. I have founded and curated online residency platforms such as Digital Artist Residency and Polygon Palm, and I continue to research new curatorial models for presenting art in online and hybrid environments. My recent work engages with extended reality (XR), AI aesthetics, and open-source or decentralised tools as frameworks for creative practice and dissemination. I am interested in supervising research projects in areas including post-digital art, photogrammetry, immersive media, digital curation, glitch practices, AI and machine vision in art, and the critical exploration of emerging technologies in contemporary visual culture.

Research topics

post-digital, media archaeology, post-internet art, internet art, new media art, digital culture, digital materiality, digital subcultures, digital aesthetics, glitch aesthetics, photogrammetry, 3D imaging, 3D scanning, volumetric imaging, XR technologies, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), immersive media, interactive media, machine vision, AI aesthetics, algorithmic art, generative art, digital sculpture, media installations, socially engaged art, networked curation, digital residencies, online exhibitions.

Current research students

• Lana Pericic, co-supervisor - Photography and digital heritage
• Nathaniel Mason, co-supervisor - Immersive theatre and digital activism

Independent professional practice

Solo Artistic Practice
Exhibitions, performances and screenings
Solo shows:
o SCANITAS:lab, KARST, Plymouth, UK, Sept 2025.
o SCANITAS, StudioKIND, Barnstaple, UK, Feb – Mar 2025.
o Ashnihilation, Green Minds commission, Plymouth Sept 2022.
o Invisible Cities, Wellcome/Sanger One Cell At A Time, online 2021.
o Catalogue of Errors, MRS Project Space, Oxford, UK – 2018;
o Obscurer, Monty’s Gallery, London, UK – 2016;
o Kioku, The Wapping Project , London, UK – 2012;
o Tom Milnes – New Work, AND/OR, London, UK – 2010;
o Deep Relaxation, Ferreira Projects, London, UK – 2008.

Selected Exhibitions:

o Rolodex Propaganda, KARST, April 2024.
o iMKonsthall, Northern Sustainable Futures, Moskosel, Sweden - 2023
o FORMAT International Photography Festival, Derby, UK. – 2021.
o The Preserving Machine. Implied Gallery. https://implied.gallery/ - 2021.
o Remember Me, Magdalen Art Space, Oxford, UK – 2019.
o Ex-Machines, Living in Hyperreality, Fringe Arts Bath, Bath, UK. – 2018.
o Ex-Machines, MOSTYN OPEN//AGORED, Mostyn, Llundudno – 2017.
o Deep Relaxation, Spring Roll Call, The Morgue, Chelsea College of Art – 2017.
o White Marble, Toronto Urban Film Festival, Canada – 2015.
o JHB Archive, Birmingham Open Media, UK – 2015.
o fourfold, Enclave, London, UK – 2015.
o In The Loop, Videoholica, Varna, Bulgaria – 2014.
o The Baker, The Harpist & The Drummer, SIGN, Groningen, Netherlands – 2012.
o Summer Shows, The Royal Standard, Liverpool, UK -2009.
o The Colony, Kunsthuis SYB, Netherlands - 2010.

Curatorial
• Curator and founder of the online platform Polygon Palm & Digital Artist Residency.
• Rolodex Propaganda – KARST & The Wrong Biennale, Polygon Palm/Plymouth/online, Apr, 2024.
• Wretched of the Screen, WRONG Biennalé embassy. Online & Magdalen Art Space, Oxford, Feb 2020.
• Humachine Flux – OVADA. Emerging artist in residence programme & exhibition. July – Oct 2019. ACE & Oxford City Council funded.
• This Image Is No Longer Available – Modern Art Oxford. Mishka Henner, Tom Milnes, Zarina Muhammad, Sunil Shah, Emile Zile. April 2019. Co-curated with Sunil Shah. Funded by MAO and Nottingham Contemporary.
• ✅ Remember Me – Magdalen Art Space, Oxford. Online residency & exhibition. Feb – March 2019.
• Touching, Not Touching – OVADA. Emerging Artist in residence. ACE & OCC funded. June – Aug 2017
• What The Walls Say – Andy Abbott. Social engagement AR project with Museum of Oxford. March 2018. ACE funded
• Overnight – Edwin Mingard. Social engagement film project with Museum of Oxford. November 2017. ACE funded.

Social, community and cultural engagement

- Knowledge Exchange – Meanwhile Use - £4000 development of the Cornwall Street Project Space for AUP alumni, students and staff. 2022.
- European Region Development Fund/Green Minds/Plymouth City Council – £7000 NatureScaper commission. 2022
- Wellcome Sanger commission – £1500 - One Cell At A Time. 2021.
- Arts Council England – COVID-19 Support Bursary – £6000 – Apr – Sept 2020 Digital Residencies. Support bursaries and online residencies for 15 artists and staff. Apr-Sept 2020.
- Arts Council England – Project Grants – £7200 - Emerging Artists in Residence 2019. Humachine Flux project with OVADA. January 2018.
- Arts Council England – GftA – £5500 - Digital Artist in Residence. What The Walls Say project with Museum of Oxford. January 2018.
- Arts Council England – GftA – £5500 - Digital Artist in Residence. Journeys to Oxford project with Museum of Oxford. March 2017.
- Arts Council England – GftA – £4000 – Digital Artist Residency, Emerging Artists – March 2017.

Engagement with professional associations and societies

• Green Minds/ERDF