antónio
baía reis
As a researcher, university professor, interdisciplinary artist, and performer, I am deeply committed to leveraging creative, critical, and human-centered approaches to transcend traditional boundaries within the broader field of audiovisual communication, aiming to create a meaningful societal impact through a mindset and body of work that combine academic rigor with creative practices.
My background includes a BA in International Relations with a focus on Diplomacy, a Professional Acting Diploma, an MA in Communication Sciences specializing in Science, Culture, and Heritage, and a practice-based PhD in Digital Media, specializing in immersive media. My doctoral research, completed in collaboration with the University of Porto and Stanford University under the supervision of scholar and journalist R. B. Brenner - a former editor at The Washington Post and Pulitzer Prize winner - resulted in a project focused on the critical relationship between 360° virtual reality filmmaking, community and participatory storytelling, and social change. Over the past 15 years, I have cultivated an academic and creative portfolio at the intersection of immersive and interactive media like virtual reality or artificial intelligence, creativity, pedagogical innovation, performing and experimental arts, and science and heritage communication. This multidimensional approach enables audiovisual communication to evolve through interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing the field towards new levels of innovation and impact.
Currently, I am the Head of R&D at Asterius and a researcher at the Digital Media Innovation Lab at Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. I also direct and lecture at the Multiverse Institute for Arts & Technology (MIAT) in Milan. In addition, I am part of the award-winning VR theatre company The Ferryman Collective, where I develop arts-based research that combines performing arts and virtual reality.
Recent highlights include being awarded an MSCA Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship for research that combines science and heritage communication with immersive media and experimental art. As a published author in prominent international scientific journals, I also serve as the director of the academic journal Cinema & Territory and as a member of the editorial board of Media Practice and Education.
At the center of my work is a belief in blending roles - where the lines between researcher, practitioner, and artist blur. As an academic-practitioner-artist, I bring together theory and practice in everything I do, whether it's creating immersive soundscapes inspired by my experience as a jazz pianist, using my skills as an actor to design more impactful learning experiences, or applying my knowledge of tech-art to rethink how we communicate science. This integrated approach not only pushes the boundaries of audiovisual communication but also helps create a lasting impact on society.