Andrew Gryf Paterson is a Scottish artist-organiser, educator, cultural producer, and independent researcher, based in Helsinki, Finland. His practice over a 14 year period has involved variable roles of initiator, participant, author and curator, according to different collaborative and cross-disciplinary processes.

Andrew has worked across the fields of media/ network/ environmental arts and activism, specialising in workshop design, participatory platforms for engagement, and facilitation. His research interests are: socially-engaged art; auto -ethnographic and -archaeological methodologies and theory; sustainability issues from the social, ecological and economic perspective.

Andrew has a multi-disciplinary education, with BA(Hons) Fine Arts from Glasgow School of Art, and a MSc degree in Computer-Aided Graphical Technology Applications from University of Teesside. He is currently completing his doctoral candidacy at Aalto University School of Art and Design, Media Department, with the working thesis title of “Artistic Practice as Fieldwork”, and reflects upon the various practice-led processes which he has been involved in since moving to the Eastern Baltic Sea region in 2003.

Significant processes/projects refered to in the thesis include ‘Herbologies/Foraging Networks’ (2010); ‘Alternative Economy Cultures’ programme of Pixelache Helsinki Festival (2009); ‘Clip Kino’ in Kirjasto10 Helsinki library and other locations (2008 onwards); ‘Hengitä.hankala hengittää’ at Happihuone, Helsinki (2007), ‘Add+PF+?’ in the Pedagogical Factory programme at Hyde Park Art Centre, Chicago (2007); ‘Tähtikuvitelma’ for Valon Voimat Festival, Helsinki (2005); ‘Locative Media Workshop: Rautatieasema’ for Pixelache Helsinki Festival (2004/2006), ‘Mapmyths’ (2003-2004). Over this period, experience, reflections and findings have been written as articles in various cultural publications, and his methodology was recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Visual Art Studies (Intellect 2011).

Since the beginning of 2011, he has been the coordinator of the Pixelversity educational programme for Piknik Frequency ry. (producers of Pixelache Festival, Helsinki). Andrew has taught courses at Aalto University’s School of Art and Design; Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Science, and given numerous presentations in higher institutions and festivals internationally. He has also specialised in coordinating and facilitating workshops for multi-disciplinary professionals, students and young people.