State Of The Art

Latest Episodes:

The Art of Mona Kasra, New Media Artist Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

Today we speak with Mona Kasra, new media artist, interdisciplinary researcher and Assistant Professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Virginia. Mona uses her tech to explore, document, and augment nature, culture, theater and more. Together, Mona and Gabe discuss her trajectory into the arts initially through video experimentation, the significance and history of selfie-rallies, and her collaborative interactive and immersive VR projects which merge nature and music, and preserve and present traditional aboriginal dances.

Projects Discussed

It's Misogyny That's HumiliatingGif Animation (2013)

Dwelling in the Enfolding(2020) created in collaboration with Matthew Burtner (composer)

Embodied Cultural Practices & Immersive Media(2019-Present) created in collaboration with Luke Dahl (UVA Music Dept) and the indigenous community of Peppimenarti

-About Mona Kasra-

Mona Kasra is a new media artist, interdisciplinary researcher, and Assistant Professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Virginia (UVA).

Her research trajectory involves exploring the confluence of media technologies, art, and culture, reflecting on the impact of emerging media on personal, political, and creative expression, and experimenting with affordances of such media for artistic practices of performance and installation. Currently, she is researching representational, affective, and creative possibilities of immersive media, and designing experimental and performative experiences in Virtual Reality (VR/360). One of her latest projects is in collaboration with music prof Luke Dahl where we will be exploring how motion capture, spatial audio, and interactive XR environments can represent and transmit embodied cultural practices.

Mona was born in Tehran, Iran. I hold a Ph.D. in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication from the University of Texas-Dallas, an M.F.A. in Video/Digital Art from California State University Northridge, and a B.A. in Graphic Design and Visual Communication from the Art University of Tehran.

Learn more about Mona at https://www.monakasra.com/

Follow Mona @monaism

The Art of Resistance & Documentation: Morehshin Allahyari, New Media Artist Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

Morehshin Allahyari is an Iranian media artist, activist, educator, and curator uses technology as a philosophical toolset to explore the social, political, and cultural. Her projects are often research heavy and employ new media as a method of documentation and as acts of resistance. In this episode we discuss Allahyari's use of 3D printing to recreate and preserve cultural artifacts destroyed by ISIS, and her exploration and reframing of Middle-Eastern myths and folklore to include female/queer figures.

Projects Discussed

Material Speculation: ISIS

She Who Sees the Unknown

-About Morehshin Allahyari-

Morehshin Allahyari is an artist, activist, writer, and educator. She was born and raised in Iran and moved to the United States in 2007. Her work deals with the political, social, and cultural contradictions we face every day. She thinks about technology as a philosophical toolset to reflect on objects and as a poetic means to document our personal and collective lives and struggles in the 21st century. Morehshin is the co-author of The 3D Additivist Cookbook in collaboration with writer/artist Daniel Rourke.

Morehshin has been part of numerous exhibitions, festivals, and workshops around the world including Venice Biennale di Archittectura, New Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Pompidou Center, Museum of Contemporary Art in Montreal, Tate Modern, Queens Museum, Pori Museum, Powerhouse Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, and Museum für Angewandte Kunst. She has been an artist in residence at BANFF Centre (2013), Carnegie Mellon University’s STUDIO for Creative Inquiry (2015), Autodesk Pier9 Workshop in San Francisco (2015), the Vilém Flusser Residency Program for Artistic Research in association with Transmediale, Berlin (2016), Eyebeam’s one year Research Residency (2016-2017) in NYC, Pioneer Works (2018), and Harvest Works (2018). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, Huffington Post, Wired, National Public Radio, Parkett Art Magazine, Frieze, Rhizome, Hyperallergic, and Al Jazeera, among others.

She is the recipient of The Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant (2019), The Sundance Institute New Frontier International Fellowship, and the leading global thinkers of 2016 award by Foreign Policy magazine. Her 3D Additivist Manifesto video is in the collection of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and recently she has been awarded major commissions by The Shed, Rhizome, New Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Liverpool Biennale, and FACT.

Learn more at http://www.morehshin.com/

Follow her Morehshin @morehshin

The Art of Time: Emilio Chapela, Artist Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Multidisciplinary artist, Emilio Chapela uses a diverse range of mediums and media to delve into concepts around time. Together, Emilio and SOTA host Gabe BC, discuss cosmic micro waves, the Big Bang and its relation to white noise, and the construct of time.

Projects Discussed

Usumacinta

Noise Paintings

Ask Google

The Earth is dying… (from the "Ask Google" series)

-About Emilio Chapela-

Emilio Chapela is a visual artist with a background on mathematics, photography and the moving image. His work explores intricate connections between science, technology and ecology through the art practice. He enquires on notions of time and space that are manifested through various forces and agencies such as astronomical phenomena, light, gravity, rocks, plants, volcanoes and rivers.

Challenging our fixed notions of time and space, Emiio aims to develop a practice that visualizes our bonds and connections with humans and nonhumans to reconcile with the world’s temporalities and movements.

Emilio is interested in the poetic possibilities of the visual arts as a means to establish a connection with the world. Emilio enjoys writing, walking, hiking and stargazing, which are tools that he deploys in his art practice.

Learn more by visiting http://www.emiliochapela.com/

Follow Emilio @echapela

The Art of Molly Soda Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

Web artist Molly Soda's work delves into our internet identities, our online legacy and archiving the internet.In this episode, Molly shares her thoughts on growing up on the internet, the evolution of her work, how and why she embraces past online iterations, and why she thinks the internet has become boring.

Projects Discussed

Inbox Full

Wrong Box

House Tour

-About Molly Soda-

Amalia Soto, known as Molly Soda, is a Brooklyn-based artist and internet celebrity. Soda works across a variety of digital platforms, producing videos, GIFs, zines, and web-based performance art, which are presented both online and in gallery installations in a variety of forms. Molly Soda's work explores the technological mediation of self-concept, contemporary feminism, cyberfeminism, mass media and popular social media culture. Molly Soda is the co-editor with Arvida Byström of the 2017 book, Pics or It Didn't Happen: Images Banned From Instagram.

Learn more at https://mollysoda.exposed/

Follow Molly @bloatedandalone4evr1993

The Art of AIYA: Lady PheOnix, Artist & Curator, and Jacqueline Assar, XR Creator & Cognitive Scientist Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

AIYA is a digital human that analyzes the world’s problems and philosophically weighs in with knowledge from our greatest thinkers and problem-solvers. Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, creators Lady PheOnix and Jacqueline Assar designed AIYA to emote and age as she consumes media content in real-time.

In this episode, we discuss how Project AIYA explores heightened humanity in AI, the future of grieving, and the role digital humans may play in our future.

-About Lady PheOnix-

LADY PHEONIX is a curator of contemporary art and a passionate producer of creative works at the intersection of visual art and technology. She elevates and amplifies the work of artists through curated group shows organized in her virtual gallery, @yesuniverse.art on Instagram. She has organized exhibitions for the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, 836M in San Francisco, Library Street Collective in Detroit and HuffPost Arts. As an autodidact, she began curating in 2015 as a form of creative self-care. #theyesuniverse has reached a global audience of millions, making it a virtual institution. Lady PheOnix is regarded as one of the most influential virtual gallerists and curators, having built an engaged community of dynamic artists and collectors by leveraging virtual space’s ability to generate and facilitate new forms of collaboration. She currently lives and works in the Bay Area.

Follow Lady PheOnix @yesuniverse.art

-About Jacqueline Assar-

JACQUELINE ASSAR is an XR creator with an academic background in cognitive science. Her work explores the relationship between humanity and emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. She currently works at Magic Leap. Prior to Magic Leap, she founded Coresights, a virtual reality healthcare platform with real-time biometrics backed by MIT Play Labs. She was selected as a 2016 Oculus Launchpad Fellow, a Microsoft SH//FT Spotlight recipient and her work has been shown at the MIT Tech Conference, Institute of Contemporary Art, TEDxYouth and Games for Change. Her most recent project AIYA explores the creation of digital humans with traditionally non-digital traits such as empathy, grief, and aging.

Follow Jacqueline @wonderxmotion

Revisiting The Art of Social Disruption: Glenn Cantave, Activist & Founder of Movers & Shakers NYC Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

At State of the Art we strongly believe Black Lives Matter and stand firmly against injustice and abuse of any kind. This week we revisit our conversation with social-activist, Glenn Cantave. Originally recorded in November 2019, Glenn shares with us his personal story into activism, how and why he began working "outside of the system", and how his nonprofit, Movers & Shakers, employs AR to highlight the narratives of oppressed communities.

Where to Contribute Your Support:

The Legal Rights Center: Provides criminal defense and legal services for low-income people of color in and around Minneapolis, including arrested protesters.

legalrightscenter.org/donate

National Bail Out: a Twin-Cities based organization created to deal with police brutality on an ongoing basis. NBO works on day-to-day abuses, extreme cases, and provides support for survivors and families of victims of police brutality. Their overriding goal is to create a climate of resistance to abuse of authority by police organizations and to empower local people with a structure that can take on police brutality and actually bring it to an end.

cuapb.org

Black Table Arts: Gathering Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures.

blacktablearts.com

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha: CTUL is a worker-led organization where workers organize, educate, and empower each other to fight for a voice in their workplaces and in their communities.

ctul.net

Bail Out Funds:

New York: The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund is bailing out protestors and pressuring Governor Cuomo to take action on defunding New York City police. Donate at brooklynbailfund.org/donate

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Black Lives Matter chapter is supporting organizers and fighting to adopt a "People's Budget" that reallocates police funding to vulnerable communities. Donate at blmla.org

National: The Bail Project works nationally, including several cities where protests are taking place, including Los Angeles, Louisville, and New York City. Donate at bailproject.org

-About Glenn Cantave-

Glenn Cantave is an activist, performance artist and social entrepreneur who uses immersive technology to highlight the narratives of the oppressed. Through his non-profit Movers & Shakers NYC, he organized a pop up slave auction performance piece/AR exhibit, ran the NYC Marathon in chains, and is creating AR educational content focused on highlighting the narratives of marginalized communities. He is also the Creator, Executive Producer of We the People, a 360 documentary focused on activism in the age of Trump. His team has documented the actions of several New York based activist groups and captured footage from events such as the Trump Inauguration, Charlottesville Riots, and a White Lives Matter Rally in Tennessee. He is a TED Resident, incoming artist in resident at Eyebeam NYU Something un Residence and a member at New Inc, an arts/tech incubator with the New Museum. He will be speaking about his work at TEDx in Ghent, Belgium this December.

The Art of ASMR: Melinda Lauw, Co-Creator & Artistic Director of Whisperlodge May 28, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we speak to Melinda Lauw, Co-Creator and Artistic Director of Whisperlodge, an immersive performance of live ASMR. Melinda guides us through the history of ASMR, common misconceptions around ASMR culture, how Whisperlodge took a medium that solely existed online and brought it into the physical world with live experiences. Melinda also treats us to an impromptu ASMR experience on air.

-About Melinda Lauw-

Melinda Lauw is a Singaporean artist, curator and performance creator based in San Francisco.

Melinda is the co-creator of Whisperlodge, an immersive spa for the senses. Combining her interests in immersive theatre and ASMR, Whisperlodge is based on the idea of providing ASMR in a live, one-to-one environment, translating the work of ASMRtists on Youtube, into a tangible, physical performance.

Her co-creators are Andrew Hoepfner, creator of Houseworld, and Steph Singer, founder of Bitter Suite. Whisperlodge has completed two sold-out runs in 2016 and is currently preparing for more performances.

Learn more at https://melindalauw.com/

-About Whisperlodge-

Whisperlodge is an immersive spa for the senses. Based on ASMR, Whisperlodge provides one-to-one live ASMR treatments for our guests in a safe and relaxing environment. Whisperlodge is designed to relax the body and mind, expand awareness and heighten the senses.

Co-created by Melinda Lauw, Andrew Hoepfner, and Steph Singer, Melinda now serves as its creative director.

Whisperlodge has performed 7 sold-out runs in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and have been featured in The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, VICE, Nylon and TimeOut. Melinda will also be speaking at the Immersive Design Summit 2018 in San Francisco.

Learn more at https://whisperlodge.nyc/

Follow them at @Whisperlodge

The Art of Hacking Contemporary Tech: Addie Wagenknecht, Artist May 21, 2020

Show notes

Addie Wagenknecht uses the basic tech devices to create art that pokes fun at our expectations of and reliance on technology, and how these instances in turn influence our relationships with one another. Her conceptual installations have co-opted Roombas, cell phones, drones, surveillance cameras, and more.

Projects Discussed

The perfect cat eye with or without your Zoom date

-About Adde Wagenknecht-

Addie Wagenknecht's work explores the tension between expression and technology. She seeks to blend conceptual work with forms of hacking and sculpture. Previous exhibitions include MuseumsQuartier Wien, Vienna, Austria; La Gaîté Lyrique, Paris, France; The Istanbul Modern; Whitechapel Gallery, London and MU, Eindhoven, Netherlands. In 2016 she collaborated with Chanel and I-D magazine as part of their Sixth Sense series and in 2017 her work was acquired by the Whitney Museum for American Art.

Her work has been featured in numerous books, and magazines, such as TIME, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Art in America, and The New York Times. She holds a Masters degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University, and has previously held fellowships at Eyebeam Art + Technology Center in New York City, Culture Lab UK, Institute HyperWerk for Postindustrial Design Basel (CH), and The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University.

Learn more at http://www.placesiveneverbeen.com/

Follow Addie @WheresAddie

The Art of Social Relationships: Lauren Lee McCarthy, Artist May 14, 2020

Show notes

Lauren Lee McCarthy creates experimental performances that take a close look at our intimate relationships with smart devices and our interactions with one another in our increasingly tech-driven and surveilled existence. In this episode, we discuss a selection of Lauren's thought-provoking experiments, including LAUREN in which she takes on the role of an Amazon Alexa, Follower wherein she becomes a physical, IRL "follower," and more.

Projects Discussed:

-About Lauren Lee McCarthy-

Lauren Lee McCarthy (she/they) is an LA-based artist examining social relationships in the midst of surveillance, automation, and algorithmic living. She is the creator of p5.js, an open source JavaScript platform that aims to make creative expression and coding on the web accessible and inclusive for artists, designers, educators, and beginners. She is Co-Director of the Processing Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to promote software literacy within the visual arts, and visual literacy within technology-related fields—and to make these fields accessible to diverse communities. She is an Associate Professor at UCLA Design Media Arts.

Lauren's work has been exhibited internationally, at places such as Ars Electronica, Barbican Centre, Fotomuseum Winterthur, SIGGRAPH, IDFA DocLab, Science Gallery Dublin, Seoul Museum of Art, and the Japan Media Arts Festival. She's a 2019 Creative Capital Grantee, ZERO1 Arts Incubator Resident, and has previously held residencies with Sundance New Frontiers, Eyebeam, CMU STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Autodesk, NYU ITP, and Ars Electronica, among others. She's the recipient of grants from the Knight Foundation, the Online News Association, Mozilla Foundation, Google AMI, Sundance Institute New Frontiers, Turner Broadcasting, and Rhizome. She holds an MFA from UCLA and a BS Computer Science and BS Art and Design from MIT.

Learn more at https://lauren-mccarthy.com/

Follow Lauren at @LaurenLeeMack

The Art of YACHT the band May 07, 2020

Show notes

We speak with Claire Evans and Jona Becholt of YACHT, Young Americans Challenging High Technology, about their use of tech to produce albums and performances that push the boundaries of how music is experienced, produced, delivered, and more. Such projects include their Grammy-nominated album Chain Tripping created with the assistance of AI. In this episode, we speak with YACHT about the creative process to produce Chain Tripping, address misconceptions around their use of AI, YACHT's origin story, and Evans' recently published book, Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet.

-About YACHT-

YACHT stands for Young Americans Challenging High Technology, but they're neither young nor all-American. YACHT is three people—Jona Becholt, Claire L. Evans, and Rob Kieswetter—working in Los Angeles, California, asking questions and answering them with records, texts, videos, objects, installations, scores and performances. They make as much as possible with as little as possible and learn by doing.

Chain Tripping is their Grammy-nominated seventh album, composed by running their 18-year back catalogue through a scotch taped-together assortment of machine learning models and then reckoning with the results.

Learn more at https://teamyacht.com/tour/

Follow YACHT at @teamYACHT

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