Dr Gareth Polmeer

Gareth has a number of research interests in the history and philosophy of art, art and theology, the philosophy of nature, and digital art and technology.

His work as an artist and writer has explored relations between philosophy and contemporary art practice, particularly digital/computational art. Recent artworks have explored digital processes alongside traditional print processes. Other works have used video and projection.

Recent scholarship has explored connections between imagination, perception, contemplation and technology.

Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge: 2023 - Ongoing

Gareth has recently completed a two-year Pearl Fellowship at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge (MBIT). His research for the fellowship explored images and the imagination through a study of selected artists, poets, philosophers and theologians. The project led to new publications and new digital artworks.

Following completion of the fellowship, he now holds a Research Associateship at MBIT, where he continues to develop new writings and artworks.

Unknowable Light: Images in the Digital Age, 2023 - Ongoing

Beginning with a lecture at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland titled ‘Unknowable Light’ in 2023, this project explores ways in which debates in philosophy and theology on the nature of images and likenesses inform a contemporary understanding of the digital image. The project explores how the apophatic image emerges in the contemporary age.

Gareth has presented papers on these and connected themes at Harvard University, the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies conference and the University of Cambridge. He has also spoken on AI, art and spiritual experience at the Yuan Dao Study Society.

Neoplatonism and the Philosophy of Art, 2021 - Ongoing

Gareth’s MBIT fellowship followed a period as a Visiting Scholar in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge in 2021/22. The work undertaken during the scholarship related to an ongoing exploration of Neoplatonic thinkers, such as Plotinus, and their relation to contemporary art and poetry. Gareth’s research in this area focuses on the influence of Neoplatonic metaphysics on questions in digital art and the philosophy of technology, as well as wider art historical ideas relating to mystical poets and artists.

As part of his visiting scholarship, a number of papers were presented in Cambridge, the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, the Forum for Advanced Studies in Rome, the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies conference, and the University of Ioannina.

This ongoing project has also developed a number of international collaborative links.

Event Two: 2019

Gareth was one of the co-organisers and co-curators of Event Two at the Royal College of Art, held in 2019. Event Two was an exhibition of historical and contemporary digital/computational art, and a programme of events to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Computer Arts Society Event One exhibition at the college in 1969.

Electronic Visualisation and the Arts Conference (EVA), 2017–24

Through collaborative partnerships with academics at Pratt Institute, New York and London South Bank University, Gareth co-organised three symposia held as part of the annual Electronic Visualisation and the Arts conference (EVA) at the British Computer Society (BCS) in partnership with the Computer Arts Society (CAS). These symposia featured papers from a range of artists, writers and technologists.

The first event, 'Coded Communication: Digital Senses and Aesthetics, Merging Art and Life’ took place in 2017, the second event 'States of Being: Art and Identity in Digital Space and Time’ in 2018, and the third, ‘Computational Culture and AI: Challenging Human Identity and Curatorial Practice’ in 2020. These collaborations have led to two new book chapters by Gareth in the volumes Museums and Digital Culture: New Perspectives and Research (Springer, 2019), and The Arts and Computational Culture: Real and Virtual Worlds (Springer, 2024).

Hegel – Images, Time and Sublation, 2015–19

In a series of papers and publications over several years, Gareth explored themes in the philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel. This included papers at St. John’s College and the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oxford, the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, the German Research Seminar at King’s College London, the Slow Cinema symposium at University College London, and the British Computer Society.

Recent publications

‘Finding Participation: Kathleen Raine’s Poetry and the Search for Meaning’ in Stephens, Jessica and Tardieu, Claire (eds.), Kathleen Raine: A Voice for the Twenty-First Century. Lausanne: Peter Lang, 2025

‘Contemplation and Computation: Art, Image and Reality’. In: Bowen, Jonathan and Giannini, Tula. (eds.) The Arts and Computational Culture: Real and Virtual Worlds, London, Springer, 2024

‘Lasting Light: Plotinus, Likeness and Images’. In Stamatellos, Giannis, Patsioti, Ioanna and Finamore, John. (eds.) Platonic Legacies: Selected Papers from the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies. Lydney: The Prometheus Trust, 2023

‘Poetry, Language and Meaning’. Coleridge Bulletin 59, 2022

'Projection, Polarity and Participation'. Coleridge Bulletin 57, 2021

'Computational Culture and AI: Challenging Human Identity and Curatorial Practice'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts Conference (EVA) Proceedings. With Giannini, Bowen, et.al. BCS, London, 2020

'Historical Questions on Being and Digital Culture'. In Giannini, Tula and Bowen, Jonathan (eds.) Museums and Digital Culture: New Perspectives and Research. Springer. 2019

'States of Being: Art and Identity in Digital Space and Time'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Conference Proceedings. With Giannini, Bowen, et.al. BCS, London, 2018

'Coded Communication: Digital Senses and Aesthetics, Merging Art and Life'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Conference Proceedings. With Giannini and Bowen, et. al. BCS, London, 2017

'Sublating Time: Hegel’s Speculative Philosophy and Digital Aesthetics'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Conference Proceedings, BCS, London, 2016

'Trees in Autumn'. In Hamlyn, Nicky. Payne, Simon., and Rees, A.L. (eds.) Kurt Kren: Structural Films. Bristol: Intellect, 2016

'Tree Again'. In Hamlyn, Nicky. Payne, Simon., and Rees, A.L. (eds.) Kurt Kren: Structural Films. Bristol: Intellect, 2016

'Asylum'. In Hamlyn, Nicky. Payne, Simon., and Rees, A.L. (eds.) Kurt Kren: Structural Films. Bristol: Intellect, 2016

'Film Unframed'. Austrian Studies. Vol. 23. MHRA. 2015

'Movement within Movement'. VIDEO. London, Evelyn Yard. 2015

'Processes and Variations in Digital Landscapes'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Conference Proceedings, BCS, London, 2015

'Sequences and Intervals'. Leonardo Journal. Vol. 48, No. 2. 2015. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

'Transient Landscape'. Millennium Film Journal. Issue 61. New York: Millennium Film Workshop, 2015

'The Cinematic Map'. Materiality of Time. London, UAL/LCC. 2015

Recent papers, lectures and talks

Platonic Art Forms and the Digital Imagination. The Elusive Shape of the Platonic Tradition Lecture Series. Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. November, 2024

Iconicity and Meaning: Sacred Art in the Digital Age. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iaşi, Romania, September 2024

Inspiration and Consciousness: Barfield on the Difference Between Plato and Plotinus. Barfield and Plotinus: Emanation and Evolution conference. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, September 2024

Art, Spirit and Artificial Intelligence. Yuan Dao Study Society and Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, June 2024

Transcendent Forms and the Technological World. Platonism as a Living Tradition conference. Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, USA, May 2024

Reflected Meaning: Mirroring, Modernity and Poetry. Metaphysical Poetry and the Thought of Adam Mickiewicz in the European Context conference. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, September 2024

Language, Myth, Meaning and Participation. Participation and Subcreation: Creativity and the Experience of God in O. Barfield and J.R.R. Tolkien conference. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, September 2023

The Reciprocal Imagination. International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, 20th Annual Conference, Sicily, June 2023

Unknowable Light: The Sacred Image and the Digital Age. Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, January 2023

Contemplation and Participatory Vision. International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, 19th Annual Conference, Athens, June 2022

Appearance and Image: Neoplatonic Themes in Contemporary Aesthetics. Philosophy as a Way of Life symposium. University of Ioannina, Greece, June 2022

Frames of Inner Vision. Forum for Advance Studies, Rome, May 2022

Projection and Polarity. Owen Barfield and S.T. Coleridge: Imagination and Participation. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, May 2022

Vision, Intuition and Silence, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, April 2022

Poetry, Participation and Meaning. Temenos International Conference, Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. March 2022

Polarity and Inspiration: Barfield, Coleridge and the Creative Imagination. 'Barfield, Coleridge and the Imagination' Workshop. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, May 2020

Logomorphism, Logic and Imagination: Owen Barfield and Hegel's Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit. Phenomenology of Spirit reading group. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, November 2019

Reason and Eternal Essence: Spirit, Absolute Knowing and the Poetry of Hegel's Logic. Absolute Knowing and Presuppositionless Science. Fourth Oxford Hegel Reading Group Workshop. Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, 2018

Spirit and Experience: Hegel, Intuition, Concepts and Non-Identity. London Hegel Reading Group, SOAS, University of London, 2018

Digital Senses and Aesthetic Autonomy. 'Coded Communication: Digital Senses and Aesthetics, Merging Art and Life'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Pre-Conference Symposium, British Computer Society, London. 2017

Intuition, Images and Appearance in the Logic. 'Hegel's Science of Logic and the Logic of his Philosophy'. Third Oxford Hegel Reading Group Workshop. St. John's College, University of Oxford, 2017

Appearance of the Lasting: Art, Spirit and the Digital Age. University Church, University of Oxford, 2017

Knowledge and Relativism: A Critique of Postmodernism and an Argument for Systematic Philosophy. Humanities Research Forum, Royal College of Art, London, 2016

Appearance, Illusion and Time. Part of the panel 'Modern Time'. 'Living Pasts, Moving Present', German Screen Studies Network Symposium. King's College London. 2016

Sublating Time: Hegel’s Speculative Philosophy and Digital Aesthetics. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA), British Computer Society, London. 2016.

Duration and Timelessness: Hegel, Aesthetics and the (Slow) Image in Time. Slow Cinema Symposium. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 2016

Impermanence and the Image of Trees: Hegel, Dialectic and the Experience of Nature. German Research Seminar, King's College London. 2016

‘Immanent Movement’: Hegel’s ‘speculative thinking’ and questions of meaning in German Philosophy. Humanities Research Forum, Royal College of Art, London. 2015

Processes and Variations in Digital Landscapes. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA), British Computer Society, London. 2015

Recent co-organised conferences, Symposia and panels

'Barfield and Plotinus: Emanation and Evolution' conference. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, September 2024

Participation and Subcreation: Creativity and the Experience of God in O. Barfield and J.R.R. Tolkien conference. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, September 2023

Computational Culture and AI: Challenging Human Identity and Curatorial Practice. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Conference, November 2020

'Barfield, Coleridge and the Imagination' Workshop. Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, May 2020

'Absolute Knowing and Presuppositionless Science: Hegel's Phenomenology and Logic'. Fourth Hegel Reading Group Workshop. Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, 2018

'States of Being: Art and Identity in Digital Space and Time'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Pre-Conference Symposium, British Computer Society, London. 2018

'Hegel's Science of Logic and the Logic of his Philosophy'. Third Oxford Hegel Reading Group Workshop. St. John's College, University of Oxford, 2017

'Coded Communication: Digital Senses and Aesthetics, Merging Art and Life'. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) Pre-Conference Symposium, British Computer Society, London. 2017

Recent Exhibitions

September 2021. Fields of View, UK

May 2020. Streams, XVIIX, online gallery of artists' film and video.

July 2019. Event Two, Royal College of Art, UK

June 2019. Alternate Frames, Cineinfinito, Spain

March 2019. To the Filmic, Analogue Ensemble, UK

March 2017. Holding Space. The Brick Cube, UK

March 2017. Signal Noise. Close-Up Film Centre, UK

February 2017. To Flowers. Andor Gallery, UK

October 2016. Double/Distance (solo show). The Advisory, UK

May 2016. Contact: A Festival of New Experimental Film and Video. Apiary Studios, UK

January 2016. Moving Still. Rough Print Gallery, UK

December 2015. VIIDEO, experimental video. Evelyn Yard Gallery, UK

October 2015. VIDEO, experimental video. Evelyn Yard Gallery, UK

October 2015. Edges and Intervals. Painting, Film and Video. Apiary Studios, UK

September 2015. Water-worlds: art practices and wet ecologies. Geographies of the Anthropocene, RGS-IBG Conference, University of Exeter, UK

July 2015, Building Structures, Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

June 2015, SHOW RCA, Royal College of Art, UK

June 2015, Seascapes. Royal College of Art, UK

February 2015, Four Modes of Anti-Image: Recent Experimental Film and Video from the UK, The State Hermitage Museum, Russia

Research Associate, Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge (MBIT)

Member of the Lumen Prize International Selectors Committee 2025

Member of the Computer Arts Society (CAS)

Member of the Forum for Advanced Studies (FSA)

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Member of the Leonardo Journal Peer Review Panel

External Examiner, Fine Art, the University of Cumbria

Chief External Examiner, University of Cumbria

Former Pearl Fellow, Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge (MBIT)

Former member of the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies (ISNS)

Former member of the organising committee for the Electronic Visualisation and the Arts conference (EVA)

Former member of the Hegel Society of Great Britain (HSGB)