“He left us during a trip, in his element, while he roamed the world in search of new horizons», writes Laurent Haug in tribute to the man he considered his friend, on his Facebook account.
On December 31, 2024, while trekking in Oman, the Franco-Swiss socio-anthropologist died following a heart attack.
International intellectual influence
Nicolas Nova leaves behind a double passion: the exploration of the world and the in-depth study of the interactions between technology, culture and environment. His intellectual journey began at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he trained in natural sciences and cognitive sciences.
Holder of a doctorate in human-computer interaction, he enriched his expertise with a second doctorate in social sciences obtained at the University of Geneva. It is in this same city that he pursues his career, as a full professor at the Geneva High School of Art and Design (HEAD – Geneva). There he teaches ethnography, the history of digital cultures and design research, thus transmitting his knowledge to a new generation of creators and thinkers.
Recognized internationally, Nicolas Nova has shared his research well beyond Swiss borders, and is a guest researcher at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, in the United States, and at the Polytechnic of Milan.
« One of the greatest thinkers of our time »
Passionate about his research subjects, Nicolas Nova co-founded, alongside Julian Bleecker, the Near Future Laboratorya pioneering design fiction agency. In 2024, he renews this approach by launching the prospective exploration agency Girardin & Nova in collaboration with Fabien Girardin, researcher and engineer specializing in emerging technologies.
But his collaborations are not limited to the entrepreneurial field. Nicolas Nova also ventures into the literary world, publishing his first work in 2009, Location-based media — Understanding new digital spaces (FYP editions). This visionary essay discusses the way in which new geolocation technologies have redefined our relationship to space.
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This reflection, innovative for the time, illustrates his curious and forward-looking spirit: “ He was often among the first to perceive the relevance of a subject. He delved into seemingly innocuous worlds and brought back a multitude of captivating stories that he shared in his books and conferences. », testifies his friend Laurent Haug, who considers him “ one of the greatest thinkers of our time ».
A critical look at the effects of digital
Over the course of his career, Nicolas Nova has authored around fifteen works exploring the way in which humans appropriate technologies. Among them,Observation exercises(Premier Parallèle), illustrated by Bords Perdus, met with great success. This summary of 40 exercises to remedy a “damaged attention» by digital solicitation sold 6,122 copies, according to Edistat.
His latest publication,Bestiary of the Anthropocene(Art&fiction), offers an illustrated collection of hybrid creatures symbolizing our time, combining both imagination and reflection on contemporary issues.
Image credits: By Lionel Allorge — Personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0
By Louella Boulland
Contact : [email protected]
