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Marco Tempest      

Cyber-Illusionist, MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow, Accenture Luminary

Marco Tempest is a cyber-illusionist, combining magic and technology to produce astonishing multi-dimensional planes of magic and thought. Known as the world's first and only "cyber illusionist," he began his performing career as a stage magician, winning awards and garnering recognition as one of the world’s most creative performers. His early success was marked by winning the prestigious New York World Cup of Magic at age 22, which launched him into international prominence.

A deep interest in technology steered him in a new direction where the ingenious thinking of the magician was combined with digital media to produce a unique and original form of magic and illusion. Tempest uses illusion as a creative tool to imagine future technologies and create interactive presentations, often collaborating with engineers, animators, and programmers. This brand of illusion, which integrates computer-generated imagery, video, music, and stagecraft, was ideal for the emerging digital world and became popular in internet and social media circles.

Tempest is a frequent keynote speaker at technology conferences worldwide, including TED events where he has presented talks such as "A cyber-magic card trick like no other" and "The magic of truth and lies (and iPods)." As a Director's Fellow at the prestigious MIT Media Lab, he collaborates with researchers on the role of illusion in everyday life. His work also includes serving as a creative consultant at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he is an Accenture Luminary and the Accenture Lead Consultant for Extended Reality. In these roles, he explores the intersection of illusion and digital technology, focusing on applications in media, marketing, entertainment, and prototyping future technologies through immersive experiences.

Tempest’s commitment to the open source community remains a significant part of his work, pushing artists, writers, and technologists to explore and test the boundaries of the digital world. His innovative approach to storytelling and technology has made him one of the most popular speakers at technology conferences across the globe.

Speech Topics


INVENTING THE IMPOSSIBLE

In "Inventing the Impossible" Marco reveals the psychology, technology, and innovation that goes into creating magical experiences. It is an inspirational presentation about problem solving, creative thinking, and engaging audiences to push beyond their personal barriers to imagine and achieve truly extraordinary results.

News


Magic Today Is Just Technology in the Future, Says Illusionist Marco Tempest
“Cyber illusionist” Marco Tempest has been using technology to pull off magic tricks on YouTube and at live events for years. But at the Code Conference today in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tempest explained that he has to follow technological progress closely — lest it put him out of a job.
Marco Tempest
Marco Tempest is a Swiss-born magician known for using emerging technology to create and enhance his mind-bending tricks and illusions.
Pick Some Pixels, Any Pixels: Open Source Illusionist Hacks Magic ...
Marco Tempest sees the marriage of science and magic as a way to envision where technology might take us.

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