Esben Bala Skouboe is a dynamic and thought-provoking keynote speaker who masterfully blends art and science through vivid case stories. With a unique aesthetic perspective, he weaves together his own practice with theoretical and philosophical insights, creating engaging and inspiring talks. Whether addressing creativity, innovation, or the intersection of disciplines, Esben captivates audiences with his deep knowledge and compelling storytelling.
Upcoming
The role of Beauty in Birth on Public Hospitals, Keynote talk at The Global Birth Design Network, Toronto Canada
Existential Spaces for Birth & Death, Keynote at the International Human Science Research Conference (IHSRC), Copenhagen, Denmark
Aesthetic Birth Environments, Health Architecture Design Network (HADN), Talk and panel discussion, Australia
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2025, Introduction to the movie; Tracing Light, at CPH:DOX, Skagen, Denmark
2025, Æstetisk værtsskab i demenspleje, VidensCenter for Demens, Aalborg, Denmark
2024, Health Innovation & Birth, Region North Sealand
2024, Poetics in rituals at Aalborg Army, Skagen
2024, Resonans Festival, Oure Højskole
2022, Beeotopia, Danish Design Museum, Copenhagen
Presentation of research papers in academic forums: ACADIA, ACM, .....
Poetic Health Environments: Designing for Life’s Most Vulnerable Moments
For over 12 years, Esben Bala Skouboe has been at the forefront of arts and health innovation, blending expertise from health sciences and the artistic disciplines to create spaces that offer profound care, dignity, and emotional resonance.
This talk will take you on a journey that begins in award-winning delivery rooms, designed to transform the experience of childbirth, and extends to rituals for families navigating stillbirth, cancer, and cancer rehabilitation. How can the design of healthcare spaces support both patients and professionals in life’s most fragile moments? How do atmospheres, rituals, and spatial storytelling help shape our experience of care?
Drawing from scientific research and hands-on experience, this talk will introduce the concept of "Atmospheric Gap Analysis", a tool for developing hospitals as places of true healing. Through real-world cases and deeply moving stories, attendees will gain insights into how space, light, sound, and materiality can shape healthcare environments that nurture, comfort, and empower.
This talk is for:
Health professionals, architects, designers, and policymakers interested in a new, human-centered perspective on healthcare design—one that is firmly rooted in science but enriched by lived experience and artistic sensibility.
Key References:
📖 Atmospheric Gap Analysis – a tool to develop hospitals as places of care (Caring Places Conference, Aarhus University, Denmark, 2023)
📖 Crafting Atmospheres for Healthcare Design (The Journal of Somaesthetics, 2022)
📖 Rum der kan mærkes (Journal Medico Teknik, 2017)
📖 Crafting Atmospheres for Healthcare Design (The Journal of Somaesthetics, 2022)
📖 Rum der kan mærkes (Journal Medico Teknik, 2017)
Join us for a deeply inspirational exploration of how design and care intersect, shaping the way we experience health, illness, and healing.
Worldmaking Through Design: Rethinking the "Good" for a Sustainable Future
Every day, goods traverse thousands of kilometers to connect with you and sustain your lifestyle—this journey demands more than just movement; it calls for a shift in perspective, a redefinition of what good design truly means. In a world where longevity, sustainability, and adaptability are at the core of progress, how can design become a catalyst for meaningful change?
This inspirational talk will weave together the timeless principles of Danish Design, the sensorial richness of Nordic Gastronomy, and philosophical reflections on the evolving definition of "good." By drawing from cutting-edge research on product longevity, digital product passports, and local manufacturing, we explore how design can move beyond aesthetics to create systems that support resilience, circularity, and deeper human connections.
Through insights from peer-reviewed research and case studies, we will uncover how strategic durability, distributed manufacturing, and even bees can inspire a radical reformulation of design thinking. This talk is an invitation to step into a new paradigm—one where design is not just about products, but about shaping worlds.
Key References:
📖 How to Promote Product Life Using the European Digital Product Passport (Plate23, Espoo-Finland)
📖 The Strategic Durability of Digital Product Passports (Plate23, Espoo-Finland)
📖 The Aristotelian Causalities in Localised Distributed Manufacturing (ICED23, Bordeaux, France)
📖 Bee’otopia: Made by Bees (A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling)
📖 Perceptual Ecologies: MINE (Worldmaking as Techné, Riverside Architectural Press, Canada)
📖 How to Promote Product Life Using the European Digital Product Passport (Plate23, Espoo-Finland)
📖 The Strategic Durability of Digital Product Passports (Plate23, Espoo-Finland)
📖 The Aristotelian Causalities in Localised Distributed Manufacturing (ICED23, Bordeaux, France)
📖 Bee’otopia: Made by Bees (A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling)
📖 Perceptual Ecologies: MINE (Worldmaking as Techné, Riverside Architectural Press, Canada)
📖 Chapter 6: Bee'otopia: Made by Bees (A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling)
Join us for an exploration of design as worldmaking—a radical shift toward sustainability, longevity, and rethinking the foundations of the "good."
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