Born in 1976 in London. Currently lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon.

Zena El Khalil's art addresses issues relevant to politically unstable Beirut. Using familiar materials to produce vibrant work in pink and other bright colors, she links in her work the dreams of Lebanese people with the reality of war. El Khalil works in a diverse range of media, including painting, installation, performance and fiction. Her novel Beirut, I Love You: A Memoir (Saqi Books, 2008) became a bestseller in Lebanon. Her recent major exhibitions include “Hopes and Doubts” at Fondazione Merz, Turin, Italy (2009), “Ou Ali mama’ou Khabar (And Ali Has No Idea...)” at Galerie Tanit, Munich, Germany (2010), and “Beirut ReBirth” at Beirut Exhibition Center, Lebanon (2011). In 2012, she was selected to be a TED Fellow.

Born 1985, Tokyo.

Sputniko!'s multimedia artworks explore the intersection between technology, feminism and pop culture. Often involving collaborative research with scientists, Sputniko!'s works are critical speculations on the possible future of humanity and technology. Sputniko!'s collaboration project with Cesar Harada, was awarded the “Next Idea” award at Ars Electronica in 2009. After her graduation from Royal College　of Art (she majored in Design Interactions) in 2010, Sputniko! participated in exhibitions such as “Talk to Me” at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2011), and “Transformation” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2011). Since this year she has served as a guest professor at Kobe Design University