Dirk Paesmans (*1965, Brussels) studied under Nam June Paik at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf before attending CADRE, the electronic arts laboratory at San Jose State University in California. He started his career as a video artist, and since 1994 has been working together with Joan Heemskerk. Both form the artist collective JODI, known for its pioneering net-based artworks.