Martin Pleiß, born in 1987, works at the intersection of phenomenological research and digital projects in academia and art. The philosopher and media scholar completed his dissertation at the RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion at the University of Oslo, investigating novelty in aesthetic virtual reality. He holds a Master’s degree in European Media Studies from the University of Potsdam and studied Philosophy, Arts and Media at the University of Hildesheim Foundation.
On the other, I create and consult artistic endeavors. Sometimes they fall into the category of ‘artistic research’, sometimes they are direct approaches to media art and sometimes I only help form and communicate the ideas of others.
He has exhibited and collaborated on immersive and VR artworks as both an artist and a researcher, and has worked on sensor-based art and body-swap experiments in virtual environments. His research focuses on perception, especially sense-making, as well as on media systems and contemporary cultural theories — with particular interest in artistic research and the politics of aesthetics.
“We usually think we cope with new situations by thinking and planning. That, however, is not the whole truth.” — UiO Research News, 2026
When we encounter something completely unfamiliar, our bodies know what to do before our minds catch up. Participants in my doctoral study explored Mutator VR Vortex (Latham, Todd, Putnam & Todd) — a generative VR artwork stripped of familiar context. They reached out, moved closer, and tested what they could do before they could name what they saw. Identity emerged through doing, not prior understanding.
Defended 13 February 2026. Phenomenological study of perceptual engagement with novel situations in experiential VR art; methods include interviews, eye tracking and pupillometry.
Thesis: Moving Gestalt. About the phenomenological possibilities of comics.
Thesis on synesthesia and intersensory perception following Merleau-Ponty’s sensorium commune.
CV (PDF, 2026) · Dissertation PDF · NVA open access · Public defence · RITMO profile
Collaboration on sensor-based art and body-swap experiments in virtual environments — connecting artistic practice with questions of embodied perception and intersubjective experience in VR.
Case study text and installation imagery — pending user review.
2026
PhD dissertation, University of Oslo, RITMO. Defended 13 February 2026.
Videos: Trial lecture · Presentation · First opponent · Second opponent
2026 · Press
“When we face novelty, we need opportunities for bodily exploration, not just information. We need to actively explore how the new thing relates to us.”
2026 · Forskning.no
Norwegian coverage of doctoral research on human perception, novelty, and embodied cognition in comparison with AI.
2023 · Conference
Nordic Society for Aesthetics, June 2023.
2023 · Conference
Nordic Exploratory Workshop — Action in Games, May 2023.
2012 · Book chapter
In flow aus spielen: Optimale Erfahrungen durch Computerspiele (DE).
2012 · Book contribution
Fruehwerk. Stories about starting, failing, restarting and improving creative projects.
2015 · Essay
Cultural journalism on image politics, media ethics, and the Alan Kurdî photograph. Zebrabutter.
2026
University of Oslo, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas. 13 February 2026.
Videos: Trial lecture · Presentation · First opponent · Second opponent
2023
Nordic Society for Aesthetics, June 2023.
2023
Nordic Exploratory Workshop — Action in Games, May 2023.
2023 · Radio show
With Dr. Remy Martin (RITMO) and Martin Pleiß. An audio walk through Norway’s National Museum — how sound helps us make sense of place, emotion, and perception. The Music Talkshow, Radio Nova, September 2023 (~57 min).
Photo: Frode Larsen / Nasjonalmuseet / UiO
2026 · Teaching
Teaching concept document — phenomenology, media, artistic research.
2021 · Podcast
Conversation with Tina Sauerländer and Tanja Lepczynski on AI in VR art, algorithms, and programming Aporia with Patricia Detmering. DKB podcast, 9 March 2021.
Based in Germany · Available in Scandinavia & Europe
For commissions and project work, see the Freelance page.
