Orkan Telhan investigates how living systems, materials, and computation reshape design and artistic practice.
His individual and collaborative work has been exhibited internationally in venues including the Venice Architecture Biennale (2025), Triennale Milano (2025), Istanbul Biennial (2013, 2022), Istanbul Design Biennial (2012, 2016, 2021), Milano Design Week, London Design Week, Vienna Design Week, the Armory Show 2015 Special Projects, Ars Electronica (2007, 2017), ISEA, LABoral, Archilab, Matadero Madrid, Architectural Association, the Architectural League of New York, MIT Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Design Museum, London, Museo Reina Sofia, among others.
Telhan serves as the president of the Biodesign Challenge. Between 2021-2026, he held leadership roles in AI, data systems, and computational infrastructure for biotechnology, manufacturing, and knowledge management companies. From 2010- 2023, he was Associate Professor of Fine Arts in Emerging Design Practices at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design. He also co-founded Biorealize, serving as its Chief Technology and Design Officer from 2015 to 2021. Telhan was fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s program in Art, Culture, and Technology between 2024-2025.
Telhan holds a PhD in Design and Computation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was part of the Sociable Media Group at the MIT Media Laboratory and a researcher at the MIT Design Laboratory. He studied Media Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo and theories of media and representation, and graphic design at Bilkent University, Ankara.
Contact: orkan@design.bio
An interview with the Articulate show hosted by John Cotter.