Atif Akin (born 1979, Bandırma, Turkey) is a Turkish-born artist, designer, and educator whose work explores intersections of science, nature, mobility, and politics through a technoscientific lens. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Art & Design at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in New Jersey, United States.
Akin earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Industrial Design from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. His educational background in both science and design informs his interdisciplinary artistic practice.
Akin began his academic career teaching in Istanbul, Europe, and the United States. From 2006 to 2011, he was on the faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, directing the MFA in Visual Communication Design. In 2011, he joined Rutgers University and has since contributed to the development of the MFA in Design program. He has worked across disciplines and served as a fellow at Rutgers' Center for Cultural Analysis.
Akin’s work spans data visualization, immersive installation, and media theory, addressing themes like radiation, digital culture, and political memory. His projects include:
His work is included in the Younger Than Jesus artist directory by the New Museum.
Akin’s work has featured in over 40 exhibitions internationally. Selected:
At Rutgers, Akin teaches courses on design, digital media, computation, and research methods. He has advised MFA and undergraduate theses, developed the MFA in Design curriculum, and organized interdisciplinary collaborations on Critical AI and design research.
His work is featured in Tidalectics (MIT Press), Greenlight - An Artistic Workshop (Sternberg Press), Climates. Habitats. Environments. (MIT Press), and others.