Marie LeBlanc Flanagan is an artist working in the playful spaces between people, especially with regards to connection and community. Marie builds experimental video games, playful installations, and cooperative experiences with a variety of technologies including virtual and augmented realities, open-source data, biosignals, microphones, cameras, and anything else they can get their hands on. Marie has an enduring fondness for the infinite possibilities of trash. Marie founded Wyrd Arts Initiatives (a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to encouraging, documenting, and connecting creative expression across Canada), Drone Day (an annual international celebration of drone music communities) and co-founded Imaginary Residency (an artist-run online residency). Marie co-organizes GAIA, a global biennial gathering of playful curators. Marie works with numerous arts organizations, including A MAZE Berlin, The School of Machines, Making, and Make-Believe, Ada X, Genielab, Daily Tous Les Jours, The Processing Foundation, and Game Arts International Network. As an educator, Marie leads workshops on playfulness and personal games. They work with Wizard Zines to develop educational zines on technology. Marie has completed artist residencies at the Société des Arts Technologiques, NYU Game Center, Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, Technoculture, Art and Games, with SoftieFeelies, and LiveLab.
