ἐphemera ONE is an art and architecture studio, specialising in hybrid and ephemeral experiences. We work at the tension in-between virtual and physical realities to produce new tangible spatial senses. The studio consists of architect Daria Smakhtina and engineer Vadim Smakhtin. The duo’s skillset covers a mix of disciplines, which allows them to innovate with intent and freedom from both design and engineering perspectives mixing innovative spatial design with new kinds of technological ideas.

Daria Smakhtina – architect and artist. Daria is leading the studio ἐphemera ONE, performing the roles of artistic director and managing director. She is experimenting with emerging digital technologies for representing datasets of natural processes and animal habitats as artistic series and dynamic digital sculptures. In 2024, Daria started a researcher position in the Department of Experimental Architecture | Studio Colletti | University of Innsbruck, where she is investigating the topic of Interspecies Architecture and exploring the modalities of creating interfaces between humans and nature. By intertwining data representation skills and extended reality tools with advanced fabrication methods, she aims to explore the futures of architecture and human-non-human cohabitation.

Vadim Smakhtin – creative engineer, doctoral candidate at the Synthetic Landscape Lab | IOUD | University of Innsbruck. Works with spatial data and its artistic representation. As a co-founder of ἐphemera ONE he is responsible for data analysis and technical tasks like constructing an updatable VR spaces from various data sources. As a background, Vadim has a wide experience working in big data startups, leading everything from data processing to architecting cloud-based client-server applications. He is also experienced in creative engineering, working on various technological art projects.

Selected Exhibitions

  • 2024 Noise Media Art, Istambul, Turkey
  • 2023 Nairobi Design Week, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 2023 CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2023, Venice, Italy
  • 2023 The Wrong Biennale, Online,
  • 2022 The Society for Arts and Technology's XR residency, Montreal (Online), Canada
  • 2022 Publication: 'Digital Materiality' by Vadim Smakhtin, Traits of Postdigital Neobaroque Conference, Orbergugl, Austria

Workshops

  • 2025 More than human mantra, UIBK, Austria
  • 2022 Introduction to Extended Reality, ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
  • 2022 Innerscapes of Emotions, ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
  • 2021 Space as a Story, Digital Futures Workshop, online
  • 2021 Datascapes workshop, British Higher School of Art & Design, Moscow, Russia