Our Story
onto was founded by three artist–developers working at the intersection of media art, archiving, and artificial intelligence. Coming from both artistic and technical backgrounds, our team builds tools and experiences that connect creative practice with structured data.
We work across commercial and artistic projects, from AI-driven archive systems to interactive installations. Having collaborated on numerous joint exhibitions and research projects, we bring an interdisciplinary mindset to every partnership.
Thanks to this hybrid background, onto can design and deliver projects that span technology, culture, and design. We’re always open to new collaborations with brands, institutions, and studios that share a curiosity for meaningful, data-driven storytelling.
Our Team
Begüm Çelik
Designer & Web Developer, Archive Researcher
Begüm Çelik is a Turkish artist, creative technologist, and researcher. She holds an M.A. in Visual Arts & Visual Communication Design from Sabancı University, alongside a B.Sc. in Computer Science & Engineering with a minor in Art Theory & Criticism. Begüm's practice spans artistic research, archival studies, and interactive media. She is co-founder of metr.cube, an independent art initiative based in Istanbul, and a creative technologist at Ekho Collective.
Lù Chén
UX Designer & Participatory Design Researcher
Lù Chén is a Helsinki-based design researcher and media artist who combines techniques of data visualisation, physical computing, and co-design with inquiries into migration, sustainability politics, and feminist techno-science studies.
Vertti Luostarinen
AI Researcher & Developer
Vertti Luostarinen is a Finnish media artist, developer and AI researcher. He has an MA in New Media from Aalto University. Vertti’s oeuvre is multidisciplinary, operating in the intersection of artistic research, media, and technology. He works as an AI researcher, collaborating with media industry clients such as Alma Media and Yle News Lab. He's also part of the artist group Ekho collective.
Our Approach
At onto, we build AI systems that are transparent, explainable, and grounded in respect for data ownership. Working with archives often means handling sensitive and irreplaceable material, so security and privacy are always our first priorities.
We don’t use or train on client data without consent, and we reject “black box” AI practices. Every project runs on traceable, permission-based pipelines, ensuring that companies and institutions retain full control of their datasets.
Our approach combines ethical AI design, data governance, and creative thinking while balancing automation with human oversight to make archiving both intelligent and responsible.
Reach Us For
Custom AI & Data Solutions
Consultancy
Research & Curatorial Projects
Concept development, exhibition production, and digital interfaces for media art and heritage archives.
Collaboration
Partner with us to strategize and build future-proof archive ecosystems that balance automation and human insight.