Éric Desmarais^CA/QC

Since 2010, Éric Desmarais is the General Director of Sporobole, an artist center located in Sherbrooke. Founded in 1973, the center now specializes in technological creation, supporting artists at every stage of their creative process through several research, production, and dissemination residency programs. In 2014, Sporobole launched the Interface: art science program, which brings together artists and researchers for long-term research and co-creation residencies. The program has enabled cross-sector collaborations between the arts and artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, biotechnology, astrophysics, geomatics, and quantum physics. In 2018, Sporobole added a new division (0/1, a digital hub) offering digital development services for Québec artists and cultural organizations. Desmarais is a former president of the Conseil québécois des arts médiatiques (CQAM), where he served from 2010 to 2021. He was one of the founders of REPAIRE, created in 2021 from the merger of CQAM and RAIQ, which brings together artists, organizations, cultural workers, and researchers from all fields, and works to highlight the importance of independence and artistic experimentation in the vitality of creative ecosystems.