Augustus Wendell

Augustus E. Wendell is an educator and digital arts practitioner whose teaching and research explore the intersections of critical cultural studies, computational media, and emerging technologies. His work investigates how digital visualization, extended reality (XR), and generative systems shape creative and scholarly practices across art, architecture, and design. At Duke, his courses and research center on immersive environments, AI-based image systems, motion capture, and virtual production, emphasizing digital making as both a critical and cultural practice.

His recent creative and collaborative projects examine embodied interaction, digital heritage, and machine learning in art and design contexts. Current and recent works include Sensing Wind (interactive landscape installation), Looking for a Perfect Friend? (AI-based social practice artwork), Vulci Cistern Explorer (digital archaeology interface), and Txt|re|cite (telepoetry performance). His collaborative research has been supported by the National Historic Records Commission, the Kress Foundation, and numerous Duke University initiatives, including the Center for Documentary Studies, Bass Connections, and the Center for Computational Thinking. Wendell’s scholarly and creative output has been presented at venues such as SIGGRAPH Asia, the College Art Association, the European Conference on Computer Vision, and the Digital Humanities Conference, as well as in international exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and North America. His recent publications include “Embodied Movement and Generative Media Performance” (SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 Art Papers) and “Augmented Reality Memorials” (Design Communication Society Proceedings).

At Duke, Wendell contributes to interdisciplinary programs linking the arts, computation, and cultural inquiry. He advises students in the Digital Art History and Computational Media programs, participates in the Center for Computational Thinking, and supports the university’s growing ecosystem of digital and immersive arts. His teaching integrates critical perspectives on AI and visualization with hands-on creative experimentation, preparing students for the evolving relationship between art, technology, and society.

Before joining Duke, Wendell served on the faculty of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he coordinated the Digital Design program, and taught at The New School Parsons School of Design, the New York School of Interior Design, and Virginia Tech. In parallel with his academic work, he was founder and creative director of KWD (kim.wendell design llc) and Versatile CGI, studios specializing in 3D visualization, animation, and interactive media for architecture, design, and advertising clients.

Wendell holds an MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts and a BA in Architecture from Northeastern University.