Ali Santana is a director and multi-disciplinary artist working with video, sound, collage, installation, and performance. Santana, a native Brooklynite is influenced by community, natural patterns, music and, ancient cultures. His work often explores topics related to Black American identity, observations of nature, and sensory perception. Ali's a…

Brett Volker and Steve Milton are the founders of Listen, a cultural innovation agency rooted in sound and music, but seasoned at the strategic use of cultural programs to make an impact. They work with brands and innovative artists to craft boundary-pushing creative projects. Learn more about them at www.wearelisten.com Follow them @wearelisten…

Ziv Schneider is an artist and designer working with new and emerging technologies, often in the context of non-fiction storytelling. She is an alumna, former research fellow, and sometimes lecturer at NYU ITP. Ziv is currently a Creative Technologist at The Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Her recent project Sylvia is a storytelling experimen…

Vivian Greven’s painting is based on an adept play with various notions of bodies, being and representation, with concepts of classical antiquity merging with pop art and digital image worlds. Vivian Greven’s painting is characteristic of our present times, which are shaped by the internet and social media and thus dissolve the hierarchies between …

Yuge studied drawing under Chinese contemporary painter Kaixi Cui 崔开玺 and eventually moved into Video Art after earning her Master of Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Yuge’s work addresses connections, isolation and longing across urban and natural environments. She creates immersive experiences through digital collaging an…

Greg is the co-founder and CEO of Backyard Brains, an Ann Arbor-based company started as a neuroscience graduate student at the University of Michigan. Greg is a published neuroscientist and engineer and develops tools, curriculum and experiments that allow the general public participate in neural discovery. He is an award-winning investigator at t…

In this episode, Peruvian artist Efraín Rozas talks with us about his career, projects, how he uses software programming to produce sound installations and his experience dancing with robots. -About Efraín Rozas- Peruvian performer/composer and robotics/software developer. His work was described as “A heady confluence of technology, culture and cog…

In this episode, multidisciplinary artist, Saks Afridi discusses his collaborative projects with artisans and technologists across the globe to create sociopolitical and thought provoking works of art. These collaborations range from the creation of intricately designed traditionally woven rugs featuring UFOs to explorations with archaeological lea…

In this episode, we speak with video artist Kameron Neal who uses his body and personal narratives to explore intimacy and to challenge socio-political ideologies. -About Kameron Neal- Kameron Neal is a queer Black video artist, designer, and performance-maker based in NYC. Forbes described Kameron’s solo exhibition at Detroit Art Week 2019 as “an …

In this episode, SOTA host Gabriel Barcia-Colombo speaks with David Goodman, former VP of Digital Development & Marketing at Sothebys about the role of media in the arts, his work at Sotheby's, his trajectory into the art world, and how art infiltrates many corners of everyday life. -About David Goodman- Experienced C-Suite executive who has spent …

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, th…

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 rec…

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 "As…

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 Bo…

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 …

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…

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 a…

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 Internet of Things Asy…

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 ro…

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 thi…

We speak with producer and director, Jennifer Juniper Stratford who uses analog media to create video art pieces inspired by the look and feel of 80s and 90s late-night TV. Jennifer and SOTA host Gabe dive into topics ranging from analog broadcasting tools to Dungeons and Dragons, music videos, and more. Projects Discussed: MoCA LOTION John Maus, T…

Jon Han creates surreal, digital renderings that meld digital environs with painterly mark-making. His process combines contemporary digital tools, traditional painting, and collage to produce unconventional illustrations. Learn more about his trajectory into illustration after pivoting away from mechanics, his mission to stay authentic, and the pr…

Ghostwriter turned creative technologist, Ross Goodwin uses machine learning to develop fully automated writing machines. Goodwin's inventions have authored poetry, stories, and even film scripts. Tune in to learn more about his projects, what he calls "narrated reality," and how his creations are intended to be used as tools for human writers, sin…

Today we speak with Can Büyükberber about his immersive installations inspired by philosophy, physics, and dreamscapes. Can's multidisciplinary approach experiments with virtual and augmented reality, projection mapping, geodesic domes, large-scale displays and digital fabrication. Projects Discussed: MORPHOGENESIS MULTIVERSE SERIES NOUMENON -About…

Heidi Lee harnesses technology to create surreal headwear that walks the line between fashion, design, and fine art. Her whimsical pieces derive inspiration from mythology and have been worn by celebrities, including JLO, Madonna, Missy Elliot, and Lady Gaga. In this episode, we discuss her trajectory into millinery, her first creations, including …

Angelo Vermeulen has worked with astronauts, artists, and activists, integrating his love for science and artistry in his cross-disciplinary work. -About Angelo- Angelo is an artist, biologist and space systems researcher. In 2009 he co-founded SEAD (Space Ecologies Art and Design), an international transdisciplinary collective of artists, scientis…

Maja Petric creates transformative spatial experiences using data-gathering technology and light installation. In this episode Maja shares her thoughts on what it is to be an artist, her journey from site-specific performance art to techart, and offers insight into her celestial-based work using AI and machine-learning. -About Maja Petric- Maja Pet…

Drilling holes in grains of sand, creating larger-than-life seashells, organizing thousands of radio operators to say "hi" to satellites, these are some of the projects Dan Goods has brought to life in his creative attempts to make fathomable some of life's intricacies. In this episode, Dan discusses his work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory a…

Estella Tse creates VR and AR experiences with pointed and conscientious consideration of the user's experience. In this episode, she shares insight on her VR recreations of art historical masterpieces using Google's Tilt Brush, including Gustave Klimt's The Kiss and Rembrandt's The Night Watch, her residencies, and just how she got involved in the…

Winslow Porter discusses his trajectory into the world of immersive installations and his use of tech to craft virtual realities rooted in narrative simulations intended to shift perspectives. Winslow was most recently involved in the production of Tree, a VR simulation that transforms participants into a rainforest tree, allowing them to experienc…

Sarah Rothberg chats with Gabe about her creative process working as a VR and AR artist, her journey from the world of poetry to interactive media art, how she incorporates memory into her immersive environments, and debates the use of "users" vs. "participants." Check out her latest show opening at bitforms gallery, 131 Allen Street, New York, NY …

Dr. Annette Doms is an art historian with additional degrees in archaeology and psychology. Her interests have toward becoming a specialist in digital art and the art market. Annette, runs Independent Contemporary Art Advisory (ICAA), established the first art fair dedicated to media art, UNPAINTED, and has built an extensive collection of digital …

Sophie Kahn uses a 3D laser scanner to create fragmented sculptures that captivate viewers through their haunting beauty and visual association with death masks. Kahn's technique emerges from an interest in the restriction of technology and the narrow agendas of its design; in other words, she uses devices in ways they weren't intended to be used. …

SOTA host Gabe Barcia-Colombo, visited the Big Easy this week to experience LUNA FÊTE, New Orleans' public festival of light, art, and technology. Produced by the New Orleans Arts Council, LUNA FÊTE first emerged in 2014 as a celebration of New Orleans creative industries. Now in it's sixth iteration, Gabe had the opportunity to speak with Lindsay …

In this episode, Gabe speaks with Dr. Hannelore Roemich and Christine Frohnert who are leading the new Time Based Media (TBM) initiative at NYU. The three discuss the use of technology throughout art history, how conservation is evolving and developing alongside its use, and how the IFA's new Time Based Media initiative is preparing a new generatio…

In this episode we speak with Chilean-born artist, Andrea Wolf about her multimedia installations which explore memory-making, the act of remembering, and shared memories. Together with host Gabe Barcia-Colombo, Andrea discusses her obsession with memories, where and how she sources her preferred art-making materials, what she means by the “cultura…

In this episode, self-described Humanitarian Technologist, Benedetta Piantella discusses her work and describes what a "humanitarian technologist" is/does, how her 2004 trip to Sri Lanka changed the course of her life shifting her practice from artist to designer and developer, and why she's an advocate for open source. -About Benedetta Piantella- …

Today we speak with activist, Glenn Cantave about his use of A/R to create interactive interruptions addressing social issues and highlighting the histories of overlooked communities. -About Glenn Cantave- Glenn Cantave is an activist, performance artist and social entrepreneur who uses immersive technology to highlight the narratives of the oppres…

SOTA host Gabe Barcia-Colombo speaks with Neon Saltwater, an artist who creates digital renderings of lonely interiors immersed in sentiments of false nostalgia. In this episode, the two discuss Neon Saltwater's aesthetic, her obsession with interiors, how her spaces moved from the digital to the physical sphere, and how she came to found the Room …

On Halloween, we speak with startup founder, artist, and engineer Abhishek Singh who's inventions include everything from bringing Super Mario and The Ring into "reality" to building a robot that communicates entirely through GIFs. -About Abhishek Singh- Wearer of many hats, experienced startup founder, part artist, part engineer with a love for bu…

In this episode we speak with Alfredo Caro-Salazar about his latest piece, Dreams of the Jaguar’s Daughter which uses VR to immerse patrons in the migrant experience. Alfredo also discusses the Digital Museum of Digital Art, a virtual institution he founded with collaborator, William Robertson. Check out Dreams of the Jaguar's Daughter's Trailer: h…

In this episode we speak with Neil Mendoza, self-described "maker of stuff," about his humorous art inventions which poke fun and draw attention to contemporary culture and social issues. These include a fish-controlled hammer that smashes miniatures of human things, a knife orchestra, and a hamster powered drawing machine just to name a few. Tune …

Ari Melenciano is an interdisciplinary artist using tech to underscore racial dynamics and alter our experiences in reality. She is the founder of Afrotectopia, a new media festival championing black artists, activists, and designers working with technology in creative and innovative ways. Today Ari speaks with us on her current projects, shares he…

Bailey Hikawa and Scotty Wagner's Emotional.Store brings to life ridiculous scenarios fully rooted in contemporary culture's addiction to digital engagement and our increasingly digitally and physically hybridized world. Through comedic storytelling, Bailey and Scotty's large scale, multimedia projects explore, and poke fun at our phone dependency,…

Ani Liu uses scientific processes to create art pieces that delve into the diverse aspects of humanity and our ever-evolving culture. These fringe art experiments have taken the form of biologically-modified plants, mind controlled sperm, a "forced" happiness lab (using science to induce positive feelings), and much, much more. Through all these ar…

One of the biggest challenges facing media artists today is the concept of preservation. Any work of art needs to be restored, touched up and preserved to last over time. But with rapidly evolving technology, it's become hugely necessary to regularly maintain and put systems in place to keep tech-art alive and functioning as it should. In this epis…

Often, when we think about the intersection of art and tech our minds wander to innovations like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, projection mapping, etc. In this episode, new SOTA host, Gabriel Barcia-Colombo speaks with interdisciplinary artist, Alicia Eggert on technology as a medium by which she explores our understanding of time, la…

State of the Art Founder Ethan James Appleby returns to introduce our new host, Gabriel Barcia-Colombo (aka Gabe), and SOTA's return to its roots primarily as an art + tech podcast. Gabe was previously a guest on the podcast, back in 2018 in episode 48 "The Art of Collecting Memories". Together they discuss Gabe's latest projects and where he plans…

In this laid back discussion with the crew, Host Andrew Herman (Herm) reflects on his time at State of the Art as he says goodbye to podcasting—for now. Together we share reflections on hitting 100 episodes, how the podcast has evolved, thoughts on AI Art, and Herm goes on a ride in Ethan's time machine.…

We continue our exploration into AI art this time speaking with San Francisco-based artist, Camila Magrane, whose recent project, OSMA, combines artificial intelligence and social media with plant-life. -About Camila Magrane- Camila Magrane is a multimedia artist originally from caracas, venezuela. having a father from the us and a mother from vene…