Nathalie Guimbretière
Design Researcher
Nathalie Guimbretière works at the intersection of design research, anthropology and STS (science and technology studies). She develops protean devices — installations, audiovisual performances, interactive systems, speculative objects — that question the boundaries between the living, the technical and the imaginary. Her current work focuses on creative and reflective processes between artists and scientists, within the fields of organic robotics, astrophysics and material culture.

She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at LESC (CNRS / Université Paris-Nanterre) within the PEPR Organic Robotics programme (ANR / France 2030), where she coordinates the Maison des Humanités Potentielles. She is also an associate researcher at the Centre de Recherche en Design (ENS Paris-Saclay / ENSCI), at the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (CNRS / Paris-Saclay) and a member of the Chaire Espace (ENS Ulm – PSL).

Nathalie holds a doctorate in arts from Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III (2022). She has exhibited and performed internationally — Berlin, Montréal, Reykjavík, New York, Conakry, Syracuse — and is supported by Stereolux (Nantes). Co-founder of the collective Pronaos (Paris).

Her work takes the form of publications in academic journals in design and STS (ACM CHI, Academic Mindtrek, Revue Plastir, À l’épreuve...), practice-based research experimental devices (Protolexique, Tribunal des technologies, Cinémathèque des imaginaires techniques), immersive and performative installations (Cosmic Utopia, Laboratoire Arianna, Hi-brides, Eidôlon).


Themes
Technical imaginaries and design trajectories
Design research and practice-based methodologies
Art-science collaborations
Soft robotics and hybrid materialities
Anthropology of techniques

Current research
Experimental Devices

Publications Conferences
Teaching

Portfolio
HAL

Email


Teaching
Current positions ENSCI-Les Ateliers (since 2024) — Studio « Ethnofiction(s) » (with A. Behar); « Éthique et création »; « Savoirs-faire et bricolages »; « Histoire de la recherche en design »
ENS Paris-Saclay (since 2018) — Master Recherche en Design: research methodology, documentation, scientific writing. Workshop Low Tech. Supervision of Master 2 dissertations
Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (since 2023) — L3 Arts & médias: scenography, video, digital interactions for the stage

Previous IMT Atlantique (2021–2024) — Low Tech & Soft Robotics workshops; Video game & utopia workshop
ENS Paris-Saclay (2019–2021) — ATER, Département Design
Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III and Université Sorbonne Nouvelle — Video mapping and digital interactions for the stage (Performing arts)

Pedagogical responsibilities 2019–2023: Co-direction of the Master 2 Recherche en Design, ENS Paris-Saclay
Regular member of diploma juries at ENSCI-Les Ateliers (since 2024) and ENS Paris-Saclay (since 2018)
Supervision and co-supervision of Master 2 dissertations (ENS Paris-Saclay)

Research-creation and Design-research oriented workshops (selected) 2025-: Le dur, le souple, le weird — MSH Mondes / ENSCI (with E. Grimaud, E. Ducourneau, J. Wacquez) - 6 sessions
2022 Hacking Natural-Cultural Systems — Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
2022 Low Tech, Soft Robotic et Espace(s) — Stereolux / ESBANM, Nantes
2022 Actuated Materials and Soft Robotics for HCI Design — ACM CHI, New Orleans
2021  Laboratoire Arianna – Astrophysique et art — Stereolux / ESBANM, Nantes
2021  Reconnaissance faciale : des visages, des mondes — Chaire Arts & Sciences, Poitiers
2018  Research workshops — Montréal (Perte de Signal / SAT / StudioXX / UQAM)

Outreach with diverse audiences Workshops in prison settings (Maison d’arrêt d’Angers, Centre pénitentiaire de Bois d’Arcy)
Webdocumentary workshops with community centres (Angers, Nantes)
Born Social project with Le Cube, Garges-lès-Gonesse (2025)