Collegium XR

Research center on VR, AR and XR of the Pedagogical University of Krakow

Team

dr Michał Hyjek – the main originator and specialist in Unity programming and 3D graphics

Artist and scientist creating multimedia tools for sharing and preserving works of art. After receiving education in mathematics and physics as well as in arts, he specializes in activities in public spaces with the use of electronic mobile devices. Creativity is characterized by a combination of classical sculptural artistic skills and technical skills in the field of mechanics and electronics.

Born in 1986. Artist and scientist creates multimedia tools for sharing and preserving works of art. He specializes in activities in public spaces and the commercialization of scientific research in the field of art. Author of exhibitions, incl. in Jerusalem, Berlin, Paris, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow, awards, industrial implementations. His works are, among others. in the permanent collection of the Bunkier Sztuki Gallery, University of Economics in Krakow.

Michał’s works are used in the protection of monuments (Archaeological Museum in Krakow, the Princes Czartoryski Museum,), culture (coordinator of the MKDiN Promesa program in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) and education (Children’s University, Synchrotron Laboratory of the Jagiellonian University or Kuumu Museum in Tallinn).

In 2018, he was awarded by the President of the City of Krakow with an award for his scientific work and contribution to the development of city culture through the skilful use of multimedia in the conservation of works of art and promoting it around the world.

In 2017, he obtained his doctorate at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow with the thesis:

“Implementation of electronic circuits in sculptures from Małopolska tenement houses. The impact of access to digital data on the reception of a work of art ”.

He studied at the Faculty of Intermedia and Industrial Forms of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Diploma in the studio of prof. Antoni Porczak in 2012. In 2012, he won the title of the 3rd best master’s thesis of art universities in Poland. A scholarship holder of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in 2013 and 2016. Author of scientific publications, commercialization of research results, participant of exhibitions, scientific conferences, promoter of science at the Children’s University and finals of national startup competitions (Virgin Mobile Academy and OMG KRK).

Author and laureate: – 55 exhibitions, incl. in Dubai, Jerusalem, Berlin, Paris, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow, – 5 awards, – 30 commercial implementations – the coordinator of the MKiDN Promesa project in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, – technological coordinator of the Niepodległa grant for the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, – 2 works in the permanent collection of the Bunkier Sztuki Gallery and the University of Economics in Krakow, – multimedia designer for the Princes Czartoryski collection at the National Museum in Krakow, – participant of 20 profiled conferences and 5 scientific publications, – coordinator of the project promoting Krakow monuments at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Paris.

mgr Maciej Cyryl Gniady - Head of the innovation department and co-founder of the Institute

A graduate of the Krakow Intermedia Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, winner of the Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2016) and the Diamond Grant (2017), a prestigious research scholarship awarded for development work, here on work in the field of multimedia in the field of introducing new models of interaction of the viewer with a smartphone in space public with the use of haptics.

From 2018, a PhD student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.

A member of the DAS collective initiated by Krzysztof Garbaczewski, he carried out works in VR exhibited at, among others, Wooster Group Performing Garage in New York, Teatr Rozmaitości, Teatr Nowy and Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw, CSW Ujazdowski in Warsaw, Teatr Podziemny in Wrocław and Bunkier Sztuki and Kopiec Kościuszko as part of the Genius Loci, ArsTechne and Audio Art festivals.

An intermedia artist dealing with the art-science trend, in his activities, he uses virtual spaces, procedural techniques of 3d and 2d animation, databending, motion sensors and sound synthesizers. In his works, he explores the concept of haptic communication, cybernetic communities, expanded consciousness and hybrid reality, reaching back to transhumanism and cybernetic poetry. Instagram @virtual_pierogi

mgr Anna Siejka-Tomala - Projekt manager, Motion Designer / Animator, Indie Game Developer

Project manager, in a company that deals with researching new technologies and implementing them on the commercial market.

In the future, she would like to implement new technological solutions in the Game Dev industry. She devoted her master’s thesis to research on the erroneous stereotype of thinking about computer games – she believes that computer games are not only “shooting at zombies”, but also a new medium for transmitting important, artistic and educational content.

Mgr inż. Marcel Kwiatkowski

Activities in the field of promotion, acquiring contacts, business preparation. A graduate of the Medical University of Silesia in the field of biotechnology, then he obtained a master’s degree in law at the University of Wrocław and a master’s degree in Image Management and PR.

He also participated in specialist projects with the Italian GM group, including the rescue of bankrupt production plants, taking over production plants in the automotive and household appliances / electronics industries in a difficult situation. From 2018. entered the production and sale of advanced projects in the field of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality, they acquire many new customers and ensure diversification of revenues. During these works, the XRometer project was born together with Michał Hyjek and Maciej Gniady, which we are currently planning to develop at Collegium XR.

dr Lech Kolasiński

Interdisciplinary artist and designer. He studied at the Faculty of Painting of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. In 2012, he obtained a diploma at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Prof. Grzegorz Sztwiertnia, painting annex realized by Prof. Andrzej Bednarczyk.

In 2019, he completed his doctorate at the Faculty of Industrial Design under the supervision of Prof. Czesława Frejlich. He designs educational adaptations and typhlographic travesties of works of art for the needs of visually impaired people, painting, video, animation and illustration.

In 2021, he received the Award of the Minister of Higher Education and Science for the implementation work for the Comprehensive Typhlographic Solution for the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Author of individual exhibitions in Kraków, Ljubljana, Maribor and Lecce, among others. Participant of numerous group exhibitions in Poland and abroad.

Since 2014, he has been working at the Faculty of Arts of the Pedagogical University in Krakow.

Member of the Otwarta Pracownia art association.

mgr Aleksandra Rodobolska-Dudek

A graduate of the Faculty of Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow – MA diploma in 2016 in the Animation studio under the supervision of Prof. Krzysztof Kiwerski.

Visual artist, she creates advertising and TV animations, opening credits, animated theater sets, music videos, and visualizations for music events she also does editing and special effects in the film.