Matteo Bittanti

Born and raised in Milan, Matteo Bittanti is an adjunct professor in the undergraduate Visual Studies and Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies programs at California College of the Arts. He currently teaches "Eye Openers: introduction to Visual Studies," "Game On: introduction to Games Studies," "Bright Lights, Global Cities," and "Advanced Visual Studies" in the Visual Studies Program in San Francisco and Oakland.

Bittanti's research and artistic practice focus on the cultural, social, and theoretical aspects of emerging technology, with an emphasis on the interrelations of popular culture, visual culture, film studies, and the arts. He is especially fascinated by gaming practices, simulations, and various manifestations of techno culture. Before joining CCA, he worked at Stanford University as a social science associate researcher and at UC Berkeley as a postdoctoral researcher.

In 2011 Bittanti curated the exhibition ITALIANS DO IT BETTER!! with Domenico Quaranta in the Fringe section of the 54th Venice Biennial, where he presented his latest project, Game Arthritis, created in collaboration with art collective IOCOSE. The event was part of NEOLUDICA. ART IS A GAME 2011-1966, a biennial within a biennial.

He is the author of various books and essays about video games, including GameScenes: Art in the Age of Videogames (with Domenico Quaranta, Johan&Levi, 2006). Bittanti regularly writes about new media, art, videogames, film, and popular culture for WIRED Italia, Rolling Stone Italia, LINK magazine and Duellanti. He also curates a blog about Game Art, GameScenes.

Bittanti lives in San Francisco.