SCARLETMOTIFF (b. Noel Apitta) is an artist from Kampala, Uganda.
He creates video, soundscapes, computational sculptures, and audio-visual installations to give physical form to emotional landscapes just outside what language can clearly express.
A self- & community-taught artist with an initial education in Electrical Engineering, his practice developed from D.I.Y experimentation with electronics and iterative image making using procedural graphical programming tools. This, paired with explorations in spontaneous soundscape composition, resulted most prominently in the daily audio-visual project GENERATIVE DREAMS, 1628 unique audio-video artworks created from 2020 to 2024.
Work from this series has been adapted into monumental projection mappings, immersive audio-visual installations and video sculptures exhibited at: the Coventry Biennial (2025-2026), Indonesia Bertutur (2024), DENVER DIGERATI (2024), the Noor Riyadh Light Art Festival Riyadh (2022), Afri Art Gallery Kampala (2024,2022), and Afropocene StudioLab Kampala (2024,2023).
SCARLETMOTIFF has completed residencies with Prohelvetia Artist in Residence at L'Abri Geneva, Switzerland and the British Council.
Since 2023, he has been an artist in residence at the Afropocene StudioLab
He is also currently an artist in residence in the Emerging Artist Program at Diriyah Art Futures.
EDUCATION
YouTube Distributed Academies for the Dark Art of Everything The Internet [Ongoing]
BSc. Electrical Engineering Makerere University Kampala, UG [2020]
EXHIBITIONS
Obsessions, Possesions Featured Coventry Biennial, Coventry,UK [2025-26]
In Transit Under Another Sky Featured The Africa Centre, London, UK [2025]
RESPIRATIONS Featured A.B.R.A.C.A, Bergesserin, FR [2024]
FORTRESS OF BLOOM Open Studio L'Abri Genéve, Geneva, CH [2024]
DENVER DIGERATI: SILENT SCREEN Featured Denver, CO, USA [2024]
Indonesia Bertutur 2024: KIRANAMAYA Featured Bali, ID [2024]
In Transit Under Another Sky Group Exhibition Kampala, UG // Nairobi, KE [2024]
Festa das Luzes de Joinville Featured Joinville, BZ [2024]
PROOF OF WORK Group Exhibition Afropocene StudioLab, Kampala, UG [2023]
We Dream of New Horizons Noor Riyadh Light Art Festival Featured Riyadh Art, Riyadh, KSA [2022]
PORTALS Solo Afri Art Gallery, Kampala, UG [2022]
BuzzFest Tech Art Festival Featured Austin, TX, USA [2022]
NeoShibuya TV 15 Second Museum Featured Tokyo, JP [2021]
Creative Code Festival Featured Lightbox NYC, NYC, USA [2020]
RESIDENCIES
Diriyah Art Futures Emerging Artist Program Residency Riyadh, KSA [2025-present]
Prohelvetia Artist In Residence at L'Abri Genève Residency Geneva, CH [2024]
Moving Image East Africa Workshop British Council, Kampala, UG [2024]
African XR Realities Workshop Electric South/Meta, Cape Town, SA [2023]
Afropocene StudioLab Workshop Kampala, UG (2023-Present]
Electric South New Dimensions Lab 5 Workshop Cape Town, SA (2022]
PUBLICATIONS
Noor Riyadh : A New Visual Culture [2024] — ASSOULINE
STAGE + VISUAL
MoRoots: A Concert From The Sun Scenography / Visuals Kampala, UG [2019]
CTRL AD Presents: LISTEN Scenography / Visuals Kampala, UG [2018]
TALKS + SELECTED PRESS
Yinka Shonibare Foundation Article From Kampala to Nairobi ‘in transit under another sky’ explores creative practice across borders [2024]
STIRWorld Article Exploring the digital arts practice of retro-inspired artist and musician, Noel Apitta [2021]
Touchdesigner InSession Showcase / Interview TouchDesigner InSession with Noel Apitta [2021]
theFound Article Noel Apitta | a self-taught creative technologist and audio-visual artist [2021]