Speakers Marco Tempest: Techno-illusionist

A magician and illusionist for the 21st century, Marco Tempest blends cutting-edge technology with the flair and showmanship of Houdini.

Why you should listen to him:

Marco Tempest’s imaginative combination of computer-generated imagery, quick-cut video and enthusiastic stage presence has earned him a place in the pantheon of great illusionists. At 22, the Swiss magician won the New York World Cup of Magic, launching him into international prominence. Tempest's award-winning television series “The Virtual Magician” airs in dozens of countries worldwide, while his lively phonecam postings on YouTube, done without post-production and video-editing tricks to astonished people on the street, get millions of views (search on "virtualmagician"). His Vimeo channel showcases his artistic side--like his recent hypnotic series "levitation," using a high-speed camera.

Through his art, Tempest creates a highly entertaining way to be entranced by the reality-bending tech magic that surrounds us all every day. Watch more Marco magic courtesy of Scobleizer ... or see Marco profiled on CNN.com's Next List.

He says: "I blend the line between what is incredibly real and what is incredibly not."

Watch a video on the making of his augmented-reality illusion >>

Watch a video on the making of his Nikola Tesla pop-up book >>

"I don’t know what magic will be like in 50 years, but I suspect that it will look a lot like Marco Tempest."

HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco

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Quotes by Marco Tempest

“Art is a deception that creates real emotions — a lie that creates a truth. And when you give yourself over to that deception, it becomes magic.”
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“The Chinese general Sun Tzu said that all war was based on deception. Oscar Wilde said the same thing of romance.”
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“About three years ago, I started an exercise in openness and inclusiveness to create new digital tools for magic — tools that could eventually be shared with other artists to start them off further on in the process and to get them into the poetry faster.”
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“The tricks of magic follow the archetypes of narrative fiction — there are tales of creation and loss, death and resurrection, and obstacles that must be overcome.”
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“We willingly enter fictional worlds where we cheer our heroes and cry for friends we never had.”
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“One of the key qualities of all stories is that they are made to be shared.”
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“The tools of social networking: These are the digital campfires around which the audience gathers to hear our story.”
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“Tesla created his inventions in his mind … and when they'd work in the vivid playground of his imagination, he would build them in his workshop.”
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“Everything I did, I did for mankind.” — quoting Nikola Tesla
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“Magic [makes] possible today what science will make a reality tomorrow.”
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