allô. I do art, because I love making things. I am fascinated by materials, understanding how they act and react. My work often investigates the relationships between bodies and robotic entities.
I am also a Ph.D. Candidate in Media Arts and Technology at UCSB. I work with Professor Jennifer Jacobs in the Expressive Computation Lab. I develop creativity support tools for digital fabrication and audiovisual performance applications.
I am also a Ph.D. Candidate in Media Arts and Technology at UCSB. I work with Professor Jennifer Jacobs in the Expressive Computation Lab. I develop creativity support tools for digital fabrication and audiovisual performance applications.

education
2022_ ︎︎︎ Ph.D. in Media Arts and Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2019_2022 ︎︎︎ Master of Science in Media Arts and Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2016_2019 ︎︎︎ Bacchelor of Fine Arts in Computation Arts, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2011_2015 ︎︎︎ Bacchelor of Engineering in Physics Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, CAN
2013_2014 ︎︎︎ International Student Exchange, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
2019_2022 ︎︎︎ Master of Science in Media Arts and Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2016_2019 ︎︎︎ Bacchelor of Fine Arts in Computation Arts, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2011_2015 ︎︎︎ Bacchelor of Engineering in Physics Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, CAN
2013_2014 ︎︎︎ International Student Exchange, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
publications
Bourgault, Wiley, Farber and Jacobs, CoilCAM: Enabling Parametric Design for Clay 3D Printing Through an Action-Oriented Toolpath Programming System, CHI 2023, Hamburg, Germany. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580745
︎ Best Paper Honorable Mention
Bourgault and Jacobs, Preserving Hand-Drawn Qualities in Audiovisual Performance Through Sketch-Based Interaction, Journal of Computation Languages, 2023, Elsevier (Extended Version of the VL/HCC paper) doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cola.2022.101186
Bourgault and Jacobs, Preserving Hand-Drawn Qualities in Audiovisual Performance Through Sketch-Based Interaction, VL/HCC 2021, St. Louis, MO, USA (Virtual Event) doi: 10.1109/VL/HCC51201.2021.9576315
Benabdallah, Bourgault, Peek, and Jacobs, Remote Learners, Home Makers: How Digital Fabrication Was Taught Online, CHI 2021, Tokyo, Japan (Virtual Event) doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445450 ︎ Best Paper Honorable Mention
Bourgault, Forgues and Jacobs, Experimenting with Robotic Softness, ISEA 2020, Montreal, CAN (Virtual Event). Available here.
Khaled, Sych, Bourgault, and Barr, NEO//QAB: Creating a World Through Speculative Play, ISEA 2020, Montreal, CAN (Virtual Event).
Bourgault and Jacobs, Preserving Hand-Drawn Qualities in Audiovisual Performance Through Sketch-Based Interaction, Journal of Computation Languages, 2023, Elsevier (Extended Version of the VL/HCC paper) doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cola.2022.101186
Bourgault and Jacobs, Preserving Hand-Drawn Qualities in Audiovisual Performance Through Sketch-Based Interaction, VL/HCC 2021, St. Louis, MO, USA (Virtual Event) doi: 10.1109/VL/HCC51201.2021.9576315
Benabdallah, Bourgault, Peek, and Jacobs, Remote Learners, Home Makers: How Digital Fabrication Was Taught Online, CHI 2021, Tokyo, Japan (Virtual Event) doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445450 ︎ Best Paper Honorable Mention
Bourgault, Forgues and Jacobs, Experimenting with Robotic Softness, ISEA 2020, Montreal, CAN (Virtual Event). Available here.
Khaled, Sych, Bourgault, and Barr, NEO//QAB: Creating a World Through Speculative Play, ISEA 2020, Montreal, CAN (Virtual Event).
exhibitions
2023 ︎︎︎ ISEA 2023, Forum des Images, Paris, FR
2022 ︎︎︎ PHUSIS: Projet Emergent, perte de signal, Montreal, QC, CAN
2022 ︎︎︎ Eco(Systems) of Hope @ Anteism Books, Montreal, QC, CAN
2022 ︎︎︎ SYMADES, EoYS 2022 in Media Arts and Technology, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2019 ︎︎︎ ELEKTRA XX at Oboro, Montreal, QC, CAN [as somme]
2019 ︎︎︎ Sight+Sound, Eastern Bloc, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ ICRA-X: Robotic Art Program, ICRA 2019, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ You are here, Computation Arts Graduation Show, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN [as somme]
2018 ︎︎︎ Winter Programming 2018, VAV Gallery, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ Art Crush in Time, Art Matters 2018, Galerie Articule, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017 ︎︎︎ Mutek - Next Era, Maison du développement durable, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017 ︎︎︎ May Contain, Computation Arts Graduation Show - Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2022 ︎︎︎ PHUSIS: Projet Emergent, perte de signal, Montreal, QC, CAN
2022 ︎︎︎ Eco(Systems) of Hope @ Anteism Books, Montreal, QC, CAN
2022 ︎︎︎ SYMADES, EoYS 2022 in Media Arts and Technology, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2019 ︎︎︎ ELEKTRA XX at Oboro, Montreal, QC, CAN [as somme]
2019 ︎︎︎ Sight+Sound, Eastern Bloc, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ ICRA-X: Robotic Art Program, ICRA 2019, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ You are here, Computation Arts Graduation Show, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN [as somme]
2018 ︎︎︎ Winter Programming 2018, VAV Gallery, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ Art Crush in Time, Art Matters 2018, Galerie Articule, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017 ︎︎︎ Mutek - Next Era, Maison du développement durable, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017 ︎︎︎ May Contain, Computation Arts Graduation Show - Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
performances
2021 ︎︎︎ Mutek with GOLPESAR (Rouzbeh Shadpey), Cinquième Salle, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ sun sets, OFFTA 2019, Édifice Wilder—Espace danse, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ RIPA 2019, Fonderie Darling, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ pedagogy, Art Matters 2018, Espace Projet, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ IN BLOOM, Eastern Bloc, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ sun sets, OFFTA 2019, Édifice Wilder—Espace danse, Montreal, QC, CAN
2019 ︎︎︎ RIPA 2019, Fonderie Darling, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ pedagogy, Art Matters 2018, Espace Projet, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ IN BLOOM, Eastern Bloc, Montreal, QC, CAN
talks
2023 ︎︎︎ ISEA 2023, Forum des images, Paris, FR [coming soon]
2023 ︎︎︎ CHI 2023, HHC, Hamburg, GE
2021 ︎︎︎ VL/HCC 2021 (Virtual Event)
2021 ︎︎︎ CHI 2021 (Virtual Event)
2020 ︎︎︎ ISEA 2020 (Virtual Event)
2019 ︎︎︎ MIAN – International Marketplace for Digital Art @ Centre Phi, Montreal, QC, CAN
2023 ︎︎︎ CHI 2023, HHC, Hamburg, GE
2021 ︎︎︎ VL/HCC 2021 (Virtual Event)
2021 ︎︎︎ CHI 2021 (Virtual Event)
2020 ︎︎︎ ISEA 2020 (Virtual Event)
2019 ︎︎︎ MIAN – International Marketplace for Digital Art @ Centre Phi, Montreal, QC, CAN
work
2019_ ︎︎︎ Graduate Student Researcher with Professor Jennifer Jacobs, Expressive Computation Lab, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Research Assistant with Professor Rilla Khaled, Technoculture, Art, and Games (TAG), Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Research Assistant with Professor Jason Lewis, Obx Labs, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Teacher Assistant in Creative Computing with Professor Pippin Barr, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ Lead Programmer and Programming Instructor during Skins 6.0 Workshop, The Initiative for Indigenous Future, Montreal, QC, CAN and Kanaeokana, Honolulu, HW, USA
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Research Assistant with Professor Rilla Khaled, Technoculture, Art, and Games (TAG), Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Research Assistant with Professor Jason Lewis, Obx Labs, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2017_2019 ︎︎︎ Teacher Assistant in Creative Computing with Professor Pippin Barr, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, CAN
2018 ︎︎︎ Lead Programmer and Programming Instructor during Skins 6.0 Workshop, The Initiative for Indigenous Future, Montreal, QC, CAN and Kanaeokana, Honolulu, HW, USA
notable awards
2020 ︎︎︎ William and Meredith Saunderson Prizes for Emerging Artists from the Hnatyshyn Foundation
2019 ︎︎︎ Chancellor’s Fellowship from the University of California Santa-Barbara
2019 ︎︎︎ Computation Arts Prize at Concordia University Convocation
2017 ︎︎︎ Public Award at Mutek Next Era Competition
2014 ︎︎︎ Feynman Award for best student in Contemporary Physics from University of New Mexico Albuquerque
2014 ︎︎︎ Roger-Lessard Scholarship for best student in Mathematics from Polytechnique Montreal
2019 ︎︎︎ Chancellor’s Fellowship from the University of California Santa-Barbara
2019 ︎︎︎ Computation Arts Prize at Concordia University Convocation
2017 ︎︎︎ Public Award at Mutek Next Era Competition
2014 ︎︎︎ Feynman Award for best student in Contemporary Physics from University of New Mexico Albuquerque
2014 ︎︎︎ Roger-Lessard Scholarship for best student in Mathematics from Polytechnique Montreal
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