Julian Oliver is a Critical Engineer, educator, artist, and activist. His work has been exhibited at numerous museums, festivals and galleries worldwide, among them Transmediale, Ars Electronica, the Vienna Biennale, the Frankfurter Kunstverein, and the Japan Media Arts Festival. Lectures related to his work and ideas have been presented at many conferences and universities internationally, including The Chaos Communication Congress, Tate Modern, Princeton University, and the ZKM in Karlsruhe.
Julian has received several awards, most notably the distinguished Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica 2011 for the project Newstweek (with Daniil Vasiliev). He is the co-author of the Critical Engineering Manifesto and member of the Critical Engineering Working Group.
Julian has given numerous workshops and master classes in data forensics, creative hacking, computer networking, counter-surveillance, data sovereignty, system administration, software art, object-oriented programming, operational security, radio, UNIX/Linux, disaster-tolerant communications, (and previously) augmented reality, virtual architecture, video-game development and information visualisation worldwide.
ACTIVISM
Julian Oliver is an advocate of Free and Open Source Software and is a supporter of, and contributor to, initiatives that reinforce rights of privacy and anonymity in networked and non-networked domains. His lectures worldwide have called for broader techno-political and infrastructural literacy, such that citizens can better assert their rights in digital, networked contexts.
Julian has often donated his time and experience in these areas to the support of activist initiatives, at risk individuals and groups worldwide, with a particular focus on protecting environmental and human rights defenders from the surveillance of corporations and statecraft. Thousands of activists worldwide use secure infrastructure he has deployed, some of which are active in very hostile operating conditions.
In his home country of Aotearoa New Zealand, Julian is engaged in volunteer rainforest conservation and restoration efforts.
CONSULTANCY
Julian is co-director of Nīkau, a global platform, information and operations security consultancy in service to NGOs, impact-driven organisations and grassroots movements.
PRESS
Articles about Julian’s work, or work he’s made with others, have appeared in many news channels. Among them are The BBC (UK), The Age (AU), Der Spiegel (DE), El Pais (ES), Liberation (FR), The New York Times (US), La Vanguardia (ES), The Guardian Online (UK), Cosmopolitan (US), Wired (DE, US, UK), Slashdot (US), Boing Boing (US), Computer World (World) and several television stations worldwide.
OTHER
Since 1997 Julian has lived in Australia, Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Germany, with months at a time in many other countries. He currently lives in Aotearoa / New Zealand, his country of birth.
CONTACT
You can reach Julian here.
