MAT Seminar Series 2024 • 2025
Winter 2025
Abstract
What would it be like if we could generate, control and transform complex information like quantum mechanics or molecular dynamics the way that a composer or artist creates and transforms a work of art, if we could use our senses to perceive very complex n-dimensional information intuitively and as second nature?
I would like to discuss composing and performing complex systems like quantum mechanics by using the model of music composition and performance. A complex system is an arrangement of a great number of various elements with intricate relationships and interconnections. They are difficult to model and predict. Components of a complex system may appear to act spontaneously such that predicting the outcome of the complete system at any given point of time may be difficult if not impossible. In this respect composing music is analogous to building a complex system. The system changes and unfolds over time at many different levels of temporal and spatial dimensions and the outcome of the total system may not be predictable at various stages of composing the work. As a composer creating these complex systems the creative process involves what I describe as non-linear leaps of intuition. Could these leaps be quantum phase transitions? Let’s explore the possibilities.
Bio
Composer JoAnn Kuchera-Morin is Director and Chief Scientist of the AlloSphere Research Facility and Professor of Media Arts and Technology and Music at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on creative computational systems, multi-modal media systems content and facilities design. Her years of experience in digital media research led to the creation of a multi-million dollar sponsored research program for the University of California: the Digital Media Innovation Program.
She was Chief Scientist of the Program from 1998 to 2003. The culmination of Professor Kuchera-Morin’s creativity and research is the AlloSphere, a 30-foot diameter, 3-story high metal sphere inside an echo-free cube, designed for immersive, interactive scientific and artistic investigation of multi-dimensional data sets. Scientifically, the AlloSphere is an instrument for gaining insight and developing bodily intuition about environments into which the body cannot venture—abstract higher dimensional information spaces, the worlds of the very small or very large, and the realms of the very fast or very slow. Artistically, it is an instrument for the creation and performance of avant-garde new works and the development of new modes and genres of expression and forms of immersion-based entertainment. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin earned a Ph.D. in composition from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester in 1984.
This seminar features Michael Fox and Brad Bell, authors of the new book with the same name.
Abstract
Only recently has computation fostered profound new ways of designing, fabricating, constructing, and thinking about architecture. While the profession sits at the end of the beginning of this historically transformative shift, it is now possible to look back upon the rapidly maturing landscape of projects, influencers, and tools that have finally begun to catch up with the visionary thinking of the past. A newly-released book, The Evolution of Computation in Architecture, is the first comprehensive overview of the pioneering works, events, and people that contributed to the paradigm shift defined by computation in architecture. Join authors Brad Bell and Michael Fox as they discuss their book – this conversation is sure to inspire students of computation in architecture, as well as researchers and practicing architects to think about how the tools we use and the ways we design our buildings and environments with them can truly impact our lives.
Michael Fox received his Master of Science in Architecture degree with honors from MIT and his undergraduate professional degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon. He has been elected twice as the President of ACADIA (Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture). Fox founded a research group at MIT to investigate interactive and behavioral architecture, which he directed for 3 years. He has taught at Art Center College of Design, USC, MIT, HKPU, and SCIARC and is a Full Professor at Cal Poly Pomona. Fox’s work has been featured in numerous international periodicals and books and has been exhibited worldwide. He is the author of two previous books on architectural computation. He is a practicing registered architect and directs the office of FoxLin Architects. foxlin.com.
Brad Bell received his Master of Science in Architecture degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning & Preservation and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M. Brad is the former Director of the School of Architecture (2016-2023) and an Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington. He currently directs the Digital Architecture Research Consortium (DARC) at UT Arlington and was a founding member of TEX-FAB (2008-2017). In 2020 Brad was honored by the Texas Society of Architects with the Award for Outstanding Educational Contribution in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec FAIA. Brad is a member of the Board of Directors of The Dallas Architecture Forum and Chairs The Forum’s Lecture Programming Committee. He has previously taught at Tulane University and the University of Colorado. His research focuses on innovative material applications and computational fabrication within the architectural design process. darc.uta.edu.
Abstract
The emergence of blockchains as an artistic medium has provided new possibilities for artists working with code. Ethereum and other smart contract blockchains allow artists to publish Turing-complete, self-executing code that permanently stores and processes data on the network. This represents the "World Computer" thesis of crypto—an open, decentralized computational layer—contrasted with the speculative "Casino" that has dominated headlines.
Beyond its reputation as a marketplace driven by hype and speculation, blockchain technology enables autonomous, trustless, and censorship-resistant software, creating a fertile ground for generative and code-based art to thrive onchain. These unique properties offer artists both new creative opportunities and an alternative to traditional gatekeepers, allowing for permanent, self-sustaining artworks that exist independently of any centralized authority.
This talk will explore blockchain as both an economic instrument and a creative medium. We’ll discuss how artists can engage with crypto meaningfully beyond speculation and imagine what the future of onchain generative art might look like as the world accelerates.
Bio
Sterling Crispin (born 1985) is a conceptual artist and software engineer who creates smart contracts, generative art, machine intelligence, and techno-sculpture. Crispin’s artwork oscillates between the computational beauty of nature, and our conflicting cultural narratives about the apocalypse.
Crispin’s artwork has been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including ZKM Karlsruhe, The Mexican National Center for the Arts, The Seoul Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, The Deutsches Hygiene Museum Dresden, and the Venice Biennale. As well as published in The New York Times, Frieze, Wired, MIT Press, BOMB, Rhizome, ARTNews and Art in America.
His corporate career as a software engineer and designer has been focused in the AR and VR industry since 2014 at companies like Apple, and Snap as well as several startups.
Abstract
Brain organoids are not miniaturized brains. They are prepared by taking skin or blood cells from a person, converting them to stem cells, and differentiating those stem cells to neurons by encasing them in a gel-like material that induces growth in three dimensions. Their size is limited to only a few millimeters because they lack a vasculature system to provide nutrients. They make a remarkable but ultimately incomplete diversity of cell types that bear some resemblance to the developmental anatomy of the brain. Most intriguingly, their electrical signals have a high degree of temporal structure at multiple time scales. We have thought about these observations as an intrinsic framework for encoding information in a setting devoid of conventional information in the form of sensory inputs.
Inevitably, the question of brain organoid consciousness has arisen. Given current organoid technology it does not appear that they fit any of the operational definitions of consciousness. Advances in the field will introduce internal processing systems into organoids through statistical learning, closed loop algorithms and engram formation as well as interactions with the external world, and even embodiment through fusion with other organ systems. At that point we will be faced with questions of biosynthetic consciousness and establishing some well-conceived opinions in advance of that day is a useful exercise.
Bio
Kenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D. served as professor at the Harvard Medical School from 1996-2004 when he became the Harriman Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at the University of California Santa Barbara. He has conducted seminal research in Alzheimer's disease genetics and cell biology. He co-authored Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease. His work in Colombia on familial Alzheimer’s disease has appeared in the New York Times, BBC, CNN, PBS and CBS 60 Minutes.
Abstract
Generative AI is rapidly transforming how we create, from generating photorealistic images and composing music to fundamentally altering the product development lifecycle. But as AI takes on more creative tasks, a critical question emerges: Are we witnessing the dawn of a new era of human-AI collaboration, or are we ceding too much control to the machines? This presentation explores the evolving landscape of product thinking in the age of GenAI, drawing lessons from the complex history of AI's interaction with creative fields. We'll delve into recent breakthroughs in generative models, examine their impact on both artistic practices and product development, and discuss how we can design AI-powered tools that augment, rather than diminish, human creativity. Join me as we navigate the GenAI frontier, grapple with the ethical and artistic implications of this powerful technology, and consider the crucial role of human ingenuity in shaping the future of creation.
Bio
Xavier (Xavi) Amatriain returns to UCSB, where he previously taught in the Media Arts and Technology department and led research and development for the Allosphere. His time at UCSB, following his PhD, sparked a deep interest in the potential of technology to empower creative expression. This foundational experience, combined with his research background in AI, has shaped his career trajectory, leading him to explore the broader implications of artificial intelligence across diverse fields. While his early work explored the intersection of AI and media creation, his focus has evolved to encompass the wider landscape of AI and its impact on product development and user experience. His career has included pivotal roles at Netflix, where he helped develop the recommendation algorithms, and LinkedIn, where he led product innovation. Currently, as VP of Product for AI and Compute Enablement (ACE) at Google, he leads teams pushing the boundaries of generative AI, exploring its potential to transform how users interact with technology and how products are conceived and built. He's particularly interested in the evolving relationship between humans and AI, a topic he'll be exploring in today's talk, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by generative AI in the context of product development and the future of user interaction.
Fall 2024
Abstract
This presentation will begin with an overview of artificial intelligence (AI), covering its fundamental concepts and evolution. The discussion will then explore how artists, designers, and architects have started to integrate AI into their respective fields.
Bio
Sandra Manninger is an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture + Design at the New York Institute of Technology and the Co-Founder | Director of the Architecture + Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AR2ILab).
Sandra Manninger's research focuses on exploring architecture as a representation of the social, cultural, political, mathematical, and physical forces that shape our environment. She engages with technologies not just as design tools but as instruments that uncover and reveal the underlying structures that constitute our world.
Sandra Manninger has taught internationally, and her award-winning projects have been published and exhibited, for example, at La Biennale di Venezia 14/16/18/21, the MAK, the Autodesk Pier 1 and have been included in the permanent collections of the FRAC Centre-Val de Loire, The Design Museum/Die Neue Sammlung in Munich, or the Albertina in Vienna.
SPAN, consisting of Dr. Matias del Campo and Dr Sandra Manninger is a team of architects from Vienna, Austria. Their architecture is characterized by a combination of advanced techniques and philosophical inquiry interrogating the ontological and epistemological framework that produces a paradigm concerned with advanced technology as an agent of culture. The work covers the range from text, installations, industrial design to buildings and urban concepts. The diverse oeuvre can be found in public collections as well as in private collections. In 2014, Matias del Campo and Sandra Manninger accepted the call from the University of Michigan to join the faculty of Taubman College. In close cooperation with the Faculties of Robotics and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, SPAN developed new design methods for architecture based on Artificial Intelligence. The Robot Garden for Michigan Robotics is the first built project using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN’s) as a design method.
www.instagram.com/sandramanninger_studio
See video recording of the talk here
Abstract
Geometric Patterns have a long tradition dating back to early antiquity. Each motif steeped in the annals of time is a cipher, unlocking the secrets of civilizations that once mapped the heavens into their architecture. These patterns are not mere ornamentation, but the mathematical heartbeat of cultures, echoing the fundamental truths of geometry, the circle, the triangle, and the square. The widespread use of everyday mathematics in the period also facilitated the increase of the competence of artists with high skills in abstracting visual content. Today, various methods are used to create such complex shapes faithful to their original representations. In this presentation, I wish to make the connections, shrouded in the mist between the past's geometric art and the present's generative art visible by utilizing creative coding methods.
Bio
Selçuk ARTUT’s artistic research and production focus on the theoretical and practical dimensions of human-technology relations. Artut’s artworks have been exhibited at Sonar Istanbul, ISEA, AKM Istanbul, Siggraph, Dystopie Sound Art Festival Berlin, Moving Image New York, Art London, ICA London, Art Hong Kong, Istanbul Biennale, and received coverage at Artsy, Creative Applications, CoDesign, Visual Complexity, and CNN GO. He holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communications from the European Graduate School, in Switzerland.
An author of seven books and an editor of one, Artut is an Associate Professor at the Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design Program Sabanci University, Istanbul where he mainly teaches courses at the intersection of Art and Technology. He has been releasing several albums as a Post-Rock Avant-Garde music band Replikas member since 1998. In 2016, Artut founded an audio-visual performance duo named RAW which produces works through creative coding and live-coding techniques.
See video recording of the talk here
Abstract
Shana will present her work in video and performance while trying to parse how technology has informed her practice and the work of other contemporary video artists.
Bio
Shana Moulton is a California-born-and-based artist who works in video, performance, and installation. In 2002, Moulton began the video series Whispering Pines, in which she performs as Cynthia, an alter-ego searching for purpose and fulfillment through home decor, self-help paraphernalia, and cosmetic rituals. Moulton has had solo exhibitions at international institutions including Palais De Tokyo, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Kunsthaus Glarus, Art in General, and the New Museum. Her work has been featured in Artforum, the New York Times, Art in America, Flash Art, Hyperallergic, and Frieze, among others. Her single-channel videos are distributed by Electronic Arts Intermix.
As an INFJ (Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging) (Myers-Briggs), Cynthia lives in a world of hidden meanings and is more interested in what is possible than what is actual. She prefers having a vivid imagination over having a strong hold on reality, and her supernormal intuition can take the form of visions or uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance. Her ARTIST (Dominant Introvert Abstract Feeler) (Spark) aspect allows her to have a rich inner life that often turns the real world into a prison of foolishness and embarrassment. As a Type 4:Artist (Riso-Hudson), she enjoys probing topics like femininity, home decor, and spirituality with open-ended playfulness.
Abstract
In this talk, I will present my work in the area of graphical sound---the direct translation of sound into the visual domain. My specific area of interest is in curve generation. This domain of investigation has antecedent in early drawing machines, the geometric chuck, oscillography and, most recently, the computer which enables precise linking of sound and graphics. It is well-known that such systems are capable of producing an endless variety of highly complex and intriguing figures. However, the question of how to navigate this vast space is still pending. My interest in this area is one part exploration and one part organization. Specifically, I utilize harmonics as a building block as they are effective at describing symmetry, motion and visual complexity. From harmonics, higher-level constraints and organizing principles emerge. I will share my findings, both old and new, and speculate on possible future directions in this still nascent field.
Bio
Lance Putnam is a composer and researcher whose work crosses boundaries of sound, graphics, mathematics and computer science. He is currently a Lecturer in Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London where he teaches across the creative computing, computer science and games programs. He received his doctorate from the Media Art and Technology program at the University of California, Santa Barbara under the supervision of Dr. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin. His dissertation "The Harmonic Pattern Function: A Mathematical Model Integrating Synthesis of Sound Graphical Patterns" was selected for the Leonardo journal LABS 2016 top abstracts. While at UCSB, Lance was a member of the AlloSphere Research Group and played a key role in developing its software libraries and applications. He was named an Emerging Leader in Multimedia by the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. Lance has presented his computer artworks at major international events such as Cyfest, New Scientist Live, ICMC, Ars Electronica, ISEA and ACM Siggraph.
Video work by Lance Putnam Cast of Kenas
See video recording of the talk here
Abstract
In this talk, I will look back at the different stages of my practice since graduating from the Media Art and Technology program, focusing on key artistic projects that involved collaboration and working across disciplines. Drawing on a series of inquiries into making with technology, I will provide insights into how these experiences have shaped my creative practice. I will further examine my role as an educator for the next generation of creatives, exploring how current technologies not only transform creative processes and imagination, but also guide future practitioners into new territories of artistic expression, application, and societal impact.
Bio
Andreas Schlegel is a Singapore-based artist and educator whose work explores the intersection of art, design, and technology. With a background in Media Arts and Technology from UCSB (2003), he has developed a practice rooted in creativity, experimentation, and computation. As a Senior Lecturer in the School of Design Communication at Lasalle College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore, Andreas has led the College's Media Lab, fostering an environment that blurs the lines between creative practice and current technologies. His emphasis on collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and practice-based approaches has shaped his research and teaching, guiding a new generation of artists and designers.
Andreas's artistic practice is characterized by its multifaceted nature, spanning multiple mediums including generative art, installation, performance, and audio-visual work. Since the early 2000s, his individual and collaborative works have been showcased and presented in local and international conferences, contemporary art spaces and museums. His passion for coding and computational art has driven initiatives such as Syntfarm, contributions to the Processing community since the early 2000s, and audio-visual performances with duo Electromagnetic Objects and trio Black Zenith. As an artist-researcher, Andreas develops works that blend making, computation and human-computer interaction to create artefacts, interactive installations and experiences that engage with our relationship to see machines and the environment.
Abstract
Against the background of a failing Modernity, I will show how my music theatre, sound art, and video works make use of aesthetic concepts from mediaeval Japan and East Asia. The focus will be on my works related to the non-human world, the interconnectedness of all things, and the meanings of ‘silence’. I will also talk about the fundamental rhythmic structure of nō theatre, how nō relates to aesthetics and philosophy, and how I have used nō structures in my contemporary practice. Throughout the talk I will illustrate with examples taken from my work, as well as selected contemporary composers and artists who have influenced my practice.
Bio
Daryl Jamieson (b.1980) is from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He studied at Wilfrid Laurier University with Glenn Buhr and Linda Catlin Smith, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Diana Burrell, and then with Nicola LeFanu at the University of York. He has lived in Japan since 2006, first studying under Jo Kondo at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He is currently an assistant professor of composition and aesthetics at Kyushu University, and his music is published by Da Vinci Edition, Osaka.
Jamieson's work explores time and place, and is heavily influenced by nō theatre and Japanese poetry. His earliest large-scale series is a trilogy of musical theatre pieces called Vanitas, which received the 2018 Toshi Ichiyanagi Contemporary Prize. In his citation, Ichiyanagi called the Vanitas Series 'an epic musical work of extraordinarily elegance and contemporary topical perspective'. Jamieson's other pieces include solo, chamber and orchestral works, and many songs. Since 2016 he has begun to incorporate field recordings into his work, particularly in his utamakura and Descants series. His music has been performed around the world by many artists, including the Quatuor Bozzini, the Thin Edge New Music Collective, Muromachi Ensemble, and Satoko Inoue.
He founded the intercultural musical theatre company Atelier Jaku in 2013. He is also active as a researcher, writing on aesthetics of the Kyoto School and Japanese philosophy, as well as contemporary music and spirituality. He has received grants and awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, among others.
See video recording of the talk here
Abstract
A central theme in New Media arts is the notion of the unexpected, that we seek to explore the creative boundaries of experimentation in art, science and engineering where they contribute to making cross-disciplinary impacts. With the advent of A.I. those boundaries have shifted, transforming the rules of production. This talk examines the dramatic shifts in the notion of the unexpected in every field and what it means to innovate in light of these changes. Through examples of bricolage in multiple fields, with both ad hoc and in-depth projects, I will demonstrate that new cultural meanings of creativity challenge the practice of New Media artists to redefine experimentation both more broadly and more dangerously.
Bio
Rama Karl Hoetzlein is a media artist and computer scientist working in the areas of knowledge systems, artificial intelligence and computer graphics. He received a BFA in Fine Arts and a BA in Computer Science from Cornell University with work in robotic sculpture, and a M.Sc. and Ph.D in Media Arts & Technology from the University of California Santa Barbara. His doctoral work explored novel interfaces for a visual internet, Quanta, and tools for creative procedural modeling. Rama has exhibited media art works internationally in Beijing, Geneve, Seattle, New York and Copenhagen. From 2013 to 2019, he was a Senior Engineer with NVIDIA and lead architect of GVDB Voxels, an open source framework for volumetric data in motion pictures, additive manufacturing and scientific visualization. From 2019 to 2023, Dr. Hoetzlein was Assistant Professor in animation at Florida Gulf Coast University and co-founder of the new Digital Media Design major. He is currently a professor in Interaction design (IxD) at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Artist: Sabina Hyoju Ahn (KR/US)
Lead Scientist: Yoojin Oh(KR/AT)
Sound: Ryan Millett (US)
Visual & Space Architects: Nefeli Manoudaki (US/GR), Iason Paterakis (US/GR)
Fabrication: Junsoo Kim (KR)
Scientists: Christina Watschinger (AT), Tobias Ruff(DE/AT), Rong Zhu(CN), Peter Hinterdorfer(AT)
Abstract
Microbial Mindscapes is an interactive audiovisual installation and performance exploring the impact of the human gut microbiota on emotions. Inspired by the artist’s struggles with panic disorder and depression, this project merges biophysics, gastroenterology, microbiome research, microbiology, pharmacology, and AI.
Using scientific discoveries on molecular interactions and microscopic techniques, it links gut microbiota with mental health and cognitive functions, highlighting the influence of lifestyle on well-being. The project explores philosophical and scientific correlations between humans and microbes, prompting a reevaluation of consciousness and self-identity. Through an immersive visual and auditory experience, the project encourages reflection on the interplay between art, science and human emotion. It broadens understanding of mental and physical health, emphasizing gut microbiota’s role in shaping our emotional and cognitive states and advocating for a holistic approach to health.
Bios
Sabina Hyoju Ahn is an artist working with auditory perception, tactile sense, visual elements, and a mix of digital and analog technology. Her research explores hidden patterns in nature and the relationships between humans and non-humans by translating imperceptible data into different perceptual experiences. Using biological materials, she combines them with machines to create transformative works. Her recent research focuses on human perception through post-digital media concepts and contemporary scientific and artistic methods.
Ryan is a composer, programmer, and PhD student in the Media Arts & Technology (MAT) program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work extends an ancient lineage of musical tradition through methods and models informed by contemporary theories of computation, mediated by the inherent abstraction of sound, and imbued with creative inspiration drawn from the natural world. As a member of the MAT transLAB, Ryan applies his research to collaborative multimedia systems and installations, integrating computational methods with collective artistic practices.
Nefeli Manoudaki is an Architect-Engineer and a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the Media Arts and Technology (MAT) program. Her bio-design works intersect nature and human senses, utilizing emerging technologies. Her research encompasses XR, AI, and generative architectural forms in both tangible and digital media. Her projects have been featured in exhibitions such as ACM SIGGRAPH, Erasmus XR Symposium, MIT Reality Hackathon, and more.
Iason N. Paterakis is a California-based Architect-Engineer and Media Artist pursuing a Ph.D. in Media, Arts & Technology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a member of the transLAB, where he researches, designs, and integrates generative AI, neurobiological data, and architectural mediated environments. He has exhibited and published work in international exhibitions and conferences, including SIGGRAPH's "Synaptic Time Tunnel," the International Astronautical Congress, "EcoRedux 02" at Disseny Hub Barcelona, and Ars Electronica.
See video recording of the talk here