Updates

Machinic LanguagePraktyka, Devon
2025
Weekend writing residency curated by Maria Dada and Mariana Marangoni





Bedrocks, Not Cloudsinterview with Batool Desouky by Ana Meisel
2025
In this interview, Ana Meisel interviews Batool Desouky, a computational artist who is reimagining computation through analog processes, community organizing, and combinatorics.
Photo by Ana Meisel

[read full interview..]




Conversation: Generative AI and Artistic LaborPanel discussion facilitated by Yasmin Boudiaf, part of Culture 3.0: Online Conversations
Mawred, 2025
The conversation explores the ethics of generative AI technologies in relation to artists’ creativity and intellectual property rights. In conversation with Ameera Kawash, 
Batool Desouky,  Laila Shereen Sakr,  Miriyam Aouragh

[link...]



Combined panel & workshop: collective infrastructuresChaired and convened by Batool Desouky, Kati Tindle and George Simms,
EASST-4S 2024 Amsterdam: Making and Doing Transformations
2024

This panel takes a critical look at digital "cloud" infrastructures and how to counter their centralised corporate models. We look to how collectives and communities are making transformations in infrastructures as system admins, forming protocols and ways of doing otherwise.

[Link..]





Making Sense with Obsidian

Critical Media Lab (CML)
2024
A series of workshops lead with Batool Desouky and George Simms for PhD students at the around forming and maintaining a knowledge base for your research in obsidian. 



ServPub workshop with In-grid & SysterserverCSNI (Centre for the Study of the Networked Image), 2023

ServPub as a project and as a network of technical and social components. We will also take you through the technical setup and include a working session on one of the nodes of the server network to demonstrate these methodologies in practice

[Link...]




Off Grid Camp
Cursor Mag Coding Camp, Blackland Farm, Sussex
2023

Organised by Anna Shams Ili, Laura Lisauskaite and Maya Hertz

[Link..]





 Magic & Technology (A Brief Genealogy)
Conversation with Artin Salimi and Batool Desouky for Philosophy Instrumentals Ep.27
2022

[Link..]



Programmoire: Refiguring the Archetype of the Witch for a Political Agency in the Techno-capitalist Present
CTM Research Networking Day, 2021


[Link..]






















Work
Publishing as Collective Infrastructureco-authored chapter Praxis Doubling with George Simms and Katie Tindle,
published by Minor Compositions (2026)

The book emerges from collaborations involving In-grid, Minor Compositions, noNames, Shape, and Systerserver, with contributions from Constant, Creative Crowds, Hackers & Designers, OBF Experimental Publishing Group, TITiPI, & Varia.

Produced with the support of Open Book Futures (OBF) Experimental Publishing Group. Book cover Design by Artemis Gryllaki (Systerserver). Hand-drawn illustration: Mara Karagianni (Systerserver)

[More..]




Baba Gurgur 20 min narrative performance with sound by Subsignal
Ormside Projects, London
2025

Performance adaptation of the short narrative fiction text Eternal Flame in collaboration with subsignal (Thomas Rosser), at in-grid collective’s In-cognito night. Still from video by Alfie Johnson.





A Moving Feast






Structures of Saturn (right)
mixed media on paper
60 x 60 cm
exhibition view, Hypha Curates, London
2025

Curated by Cathy Wills, photo courtesy of Hypha Curates.

[link...]



In Conversation with Xaytun Ennasr


I Will Always Be Looking For You; a Queer Anthology on Arab Art
2025
Gathers the works of 31 artists from 13 Arabic-speaking countries, with literary contributions by 24 commissioned writers from across the region and its diaspora.

Edited by Yasmine Rifaii & Nadim Choufi, Comissioned by Lebanese feminist collective Haven for Artists.

[Link..]


When eternal flames die they take eternity with themOccult Studies Vol 3, Burn it Down, Snake Hair, US
2025
[Link..]




Losing the PlotUntitled drawing
mixed media on paper, conductive thread, battery, LED
100 x 100 cm
2024

Exhibition view,  Hypha Studios, London, 2024

Curated by In-grid collective, photo by in-grid 




Come CloserOP3NH4ND Ensemble
2024

Produced with the support of the Imagine Fund, Barbican Centre and exhibited at the fund launch at the Barbican garden terrace





CS_Club-Space20 min poetic reading with sound by Subsignal,
Avalong Cafe, London
2024

Performed at In-grid Real Bodies 2.1 







CS_Classical-Scandal

15 min poetic reading with sound by NMBC,
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
2024
Performed as the opening act for the Live Electronic Ensemble

























Batool Desouky



batooldesouky@riseup.net
InstagramBatool Desouky is a computational artist exploring the technical and historical ties between computing and Arabic magic traditions. They work in code, drawing, physical computing and writing to explore non-western approaches to technology. They are a PhD student at the Slade School of Fine Art and Associate Lecturer at UaL Creative Computing Institute.  They are a founding member of In-grid collective, artist-researchers, 

They have presented work at A Moving Feasting, Hypha Curates (2025), Imagine Fund, Barbican Centre, London (2024);  Loosing The Plot, Hypha Studios, London (2024); Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London (2024); NEoN Digital Arts SCIO, Dundee (2022); Toppling, SET Woolwich (2022) and CTM Festival Research Networking Day (2021). They have published in Leonardo Journal (June 2023) and were resident with Cursor Mag "Off the Grid" Camp (2023) and Arebyte Gallery, London (2020). They were awarded the Arts Council England DYCP fund (2022/23) and SET Studio Award (2021).








PublicationsPublishing as Collective Infrastructure, Minor compositions, 2026

Programmoire: Refiguring Witchcraft for a Creative Agency via Computational Art Practice, Leonardo Journal, MIT press, 2022

Finding Saturn; experiments in Tech-magic and the boundaries of work,  Perpetual Postponement
2021

ResidenciesMachinic Language, writing residency curated by Maria Dada and Mariana Marangoni, Praktyka, Devon, 2026

Off Grid, Cursor Mag Coding Camp, Blackland Farm, Sussex, 2023

Homebound Residency, Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi (remote), 2020

In-Grid, residency at Arebyte Gallery, London, 2020


AwardsDeveloping Your Creative Practice, Arts Council England
2023

Free Studio Prize, SET Studios
2021

Grants for Arists, Mophradat, Brussels
2021


Employment Associate Lecturer
Creative Robotics Bcs, Creative Computing Institute, UaL
since 2023

Education
current PhD student, Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London

MFA in Computational Arts, Goldsmiths, University of London,