10 Questions with Zoya Taseva

Zoya Taseva is a multimedia artist with a background in spatial design. She holds a Master’s degree in Media Art and Technology from the Frank Mohr Institute in Groningen, The Netherlands. Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, she is currently based in Groningen.

Her practice explores innovative ways of connecting with the public by transforming spectators into active participants. Working at the intersection of interactive media, spatial design, and technology, she creates immersive environments where viewers don’t simply observe— they enter, engage, and become integral to the work itself.

Her artistic research is rooted in a fascination with identity—how it stretches, shifts, and adapts as we navigate between physical and digital spaces. Through responsive projections and sensory installations, she investigates how emotion, presence, and self-perception evolve when experienced across multiple realities.

Interactivity lies at the heart of her work. Each piece is created to respond to the viewer’s presence, gestures, or emotional input, and only comes to life through their involvement. She designs experiences that create direct, personal interactions between people and technology— inviting moments of awareness, emotion, and connection within a shared space.

In a world increasingly shaped by screens and mediated communication, her work questions what we assume about connection, perception, and selfhood. She seeks to create experiences that feel both unfamiliar and deeply personal—inviting audiences to reconsider who they are, how they feel, and how they relate to others and the environments around them.

ztdesign.carrd.com | @z_tdesign

FIONA PORTER, Interactive Installation, 220x150 cm, 2024 © Zoya Taseva

INTERVIEW

Can you tell us about your journey from Sofia to Groningen and how you got into multimedia art?

In Sofia, I completed a degree in Spatial Design, where I began working with 3D software and graphic programs. That's where my interest in experimenting with different forms and concepts really began to take shape. I started exploring how design can go beyond aesthetics—how it can also carry emotion and narrative.
I was eager to continue my studies abroad and began researching programs in the Netherlands. That's how I came across Minerva Art Academy in Groningen, the Netherlands. I was accepted and began my first year with the initial intention of studying in the Interior Design department. However, after a year, I realized I wanted to broaden my creative language, so I switched to Graphic Design to explore different mediums and disciplines more freely.
In my third year, I took a minor in Art, Media & Technology—and that's where everything shifted. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities. For the first time, I saw how media and technology could expand the limits of what art could be. I've always wanted my work to make people feel something—to truly connect with the viewer on an emotional level. I became interested in breaking the traditional expectations of gallery and museum experiences, where art is often something you're only allowed to look at, not touch or engage with.
That's when multimedia started to feel like the right direction for me. I realized it's not about the specific medium I use,but about what I want to communicate and how I want people to experience it. The flexibility of working across media allows me to adapt each project to its message. It keeps me constantly learning, growing, and connecting more deeply with audiences.
I don't believe in limiting myself to one form of expression. Every medium I've explored has taught me something valuable and shaped me into the artist I am today—and that journey of discovery is still ongoing.

You combine media, technology, and spatial design in your work. How did you come to work in these different fields? And how do these disciplines inform each other in your installations?

My path into combining New Media, Technology, and Spatial Design happened quite naturally through curiosity. I started with a background in spatial design, which gave me a strong foundation for thinking about how people move through and experience a space. That way of thinking has never left me—even when I'm working with digital tools or conceptual frameworks, I'm always considering the physical relationship between the viewer and the work.
As I explored Graphic Design and later dove into New Media and Technology, I began to see how these fields could intersect. Graphic Design taught me about communication, visual rhythm, and clarity, while Technology opened up entirely new ways of interacting with those ideas—through movement, sound, sensors, light, and immersive environments.
In my installations, these elements come together to form spaces that are not only visual but also sensory and emotional. Spatial Design gives structure, New Media brings narrative, and Technology creates interaction. They all inform one another—each choice in one area influences the experience in the others. For example, how I design a space often depends on how I want someone to engage with the media content, and vice versa.
Ultimately, combining these fields allows me to create more layered, responsive works that invite people in—not just as observers, but as active participants.

Empty Shell, Interactive Installation, 200×500 cm, 2025 © Zoya Taseva

Diverse Digital Dimentions “Error - Failure is an option”, Interactive Installation, 350×600 cm, 2023 © Zoya Taseva

Which digital tools or technological elements do you find most compelling in your current practice, and how do they shape your work's sensory and interactive dimensions?

Lately, I've been working at the intersection of digital imaging and physical interaction. Programs like Blender, Premiere Pro, and TouchDesigner let me sculpt visual narratives with precision and flexibility, but it's the integration of motion sensors and responsive systems that really shift my process.
When a viewer's gesture can alter what they see or hear, the work becomes less about presentation and more about presence. These tools aren't just means of production—they're extensions of the senses, creating a feedback loop between the viewer and the piece that continuously adapts and responds.

Could you describe your creative process—from conceptualizing an idea to building an interactive environment that physically and emotionally engages the viewer?

Through my practice, I've realized I'm more of an active artist—my research begins out in the world rather than on paper or at home. I usually start by visiting landscapes or places connected to the topic I want to explore. These trips spark the initial ideas, and from there I make a few quick sketches—not as final concepts, but as loose impressions to keep in mind.
After that, I research deeper, reading articles, talking to people, and gathering more context through conversations or online platforms. This part of the process is just as important to me as the visual work—it's about understanding the topic from different perspectives.
Once I feel grounded in the research, I return to the sketches and begin developing the project in the digital space. I work between digital visualization and spatial construction, letting the two inform each other. Throughout, I keep returning to dialogue—speaking with people around me, asking how they relate to the topic, and listening to their reactions. These exchanges constantly feed my thinking and allow me to grow both in the work and as an artist.

Your installations change through direct audience interaction. Why is this kind of viewer participation importantto you? And how does this shift traditional roles in art perception?

I see direct audience interaction as a form of sharing. For me, art isn't only about what I'm creating—it also carries a role of offering inspiration and hope to others. Every time I witness people becoming part of the work, my eyes light up. It's in those moments that I realize how deeply the piece can connect with their stories and emotions.
Interaction creates a more open space—one where it's easier to reach into people's thoughts and make the experience personal. I especially value seeing people of all ages engaging with the work. Sometimes children might not grasp the deeper meaning right away, and that's perfectly fine. What matters to me is that they experience art as something joyful, inspiring, and memorable—not something distant or "not for them."
I try to treat every response with the same level of importance. Whether it's a thought, a feeling, or just a moment of curiosity, it all adds to the life of the piece. This kind of participation shifts traditional roles in art by dissolving the border between the viewer and the artwork—making it a shared space rather than a one-sided presentation.

Your work investigates how identity and self-perception evolve across physical and digital realities. What drew you to that theme?

I come from a generation that experienced the transition between the physical world and the digital one. I grew up playing outside, and the computer was something we used mainly for communication or the occasional game—if we were lucky. It wasn't essential. But over the years, I began to notice a shift. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram became places where people started curating their own personas—carefully crafted profiles and avatars that didn't always reflect their real lives.
The internet began to feel like a kind of theater, where people could wear different masks and play out different versions of themselves. Sometimes that's empowering, and sometimes it's misleading. This shift made me increasingly curious about the concept of digital identity. I realized our sense of self is beginning to split between two realities—and I often find myself moving between them, trying to understand how this duality shapes who we are.
This theme continues to draw me in because it holds both possibilities and contradictions. It pushes me to question not only how we present ourselves, but also how we perceive others—and what we might be losing or gaining in the process.

Your work seeks emotional resonance through technology. How do you create pieces that are both technologically immersive and emotionally intimate?

I've always felt that when visuals and sound come together, they have the power to transport you—almost like stepping into an invisible bubble, even when surrounded by others. Technology opened up new ways for me to create those bubbles, where people can momentarily disconnect from the noise around them and tune into something more personal.
I often work in darker spaces because the absence of external distraction allows light, projection, and sound to take centre stage. Darkness used to scare me, but over time, it's become one of my most important tools. It now feels like a safe space—one I hope others can feel safe in, too. The glow of a screen or projection naturally draws people in, inviting them to come closer, to slow down, and to pay attention.
By combining sound, light, and image, I try to create environments that feel intimate despite being built with technology.We live in an overstimulated, visually polluted world—it's hard to focus when a thousand things compete for our attention. Darkness clears that chaos. It becomes a stage, a container for emotion, and a space where people can actuallyfeel something—quietly, deeply, and without interruption.

What messages or feelings do you hope people take away from your installations?

What I hope people take away from my installations is simply that they feel—whatever that might mean for them. Or even if they don't feel anything, that's okay too. For me, it's already meaningful that they chose to enter the space and take a moment to listen to what I'm trying to express.
We're all different, and I don't expect everyone to understand, connect with, or spend time with my work in the same way. That's the beauty of art—it's not about a single, fixed message. It's about offering something that each person can meet in their own way. In the end, I see my installations as a space where something personal can be shared, even if it's experienced differently by everyone who walks through.

Can you share any upcoming projects or research directions you're currently exploring, particularly in terms of expanding the sensory and participatory elements of your work?

I've always found deep joy and inspiration in flowers and nature—they're recurring elements in my work, both visually and conceptually. Right now, I'm developing a project called "Skin Garden", a digital interactive ecosystem that explores themes of nature, immortality, and identity. The idea is to create a space where organic growth and human presence coexist and react to one another.
What fascinates me is the tension between permanence and decay—especially in digital spaces where things can appear alive, yet never truly die. With "Skin Garden", I want to explore how identity can be mirrored in something as fragile and resilient as a plant, and how technology can become a space for that reflection.

Lastly, looking ahead and in the light of the fast-evolving tech realms, for example, through AI, how do you see your practice evolve in the coming years? And what impact do you think such technologies will have on the art world?

Artificial intelligence (AI), like any emerging technology, carries both risks and possibilities. There will always be fear and fascination surrounding it—and maybe that's true of every new thing that enters our lives. For me, AI is simply another tool—another way to create, to explore, and to ask questions. It's not inherently good or bad; it depends on how we choose to use it.
While AI is still met with skepticism in some circles, I believe it's our responsibility as artists to engage with it critically,and to show that it can be used ethically, poetically, and with care. I remain optimistic—perhaps ironically, in a time where crisis feels constant—but I still believe that change for the better is possible. If we pay attention, really listen to each other, and resist the urge to tune out when things get difficult, then we can shape technology in ways that support connection rather than division.
Looking ahead, I see my practice continuing to evolve alongside these tools—not to replace human experience, but to amplify it. I want to use AI and other technologies not just to generate visuals or effects, but to ask deeper questions about empathy, perception, and how we relate to each other in an increasingly digital world.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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