The Arts, Democracy, and Technology Spring 2026 Forum
Overview
This spring, The Arts at Lafayette presents The Arts, Democracy, and Technology Spring 2026 Forum, a series of public conversations and gatherings that explore how artistic practice can deepen our understanding of democracy in a world shaped by platforms, algorithms, and data.
March 5, 2026 | 4:30-6 p.m.
Mashinka Firunts Hakopian | Writer, Artist, and Researcher
Lecture: Ancestral Intelligences: Data Feminisms and Algorithmic Coloniality
Mashinka Firunts Hakopian is an Associate Professor of Technology and Social Justice at ArtCenter College of Design. She is currently a 2025-27 Fellow at the Vera List Center for Art & Politics at the New School.
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April 2, 2026 | 5:30-7 p.m.
Shannon Mattern | Director of Creative Research at the Metropolitan New York Library
Shannon Mattern’s writing and teaching focus on archives, libraries, and other media spaces; media infrastructures; sites where data intersect with art and design; and media that shape our sensory experiences. She is the author of four books, including A City Is Not a Computer.
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April 16, 2026 | 5:30-7 p.m.
Radical Data |team of independent artists repurposing tech for liberation and joy
Lecture/Workshop: Joyful Data
Radical Data is a collective of mathematicians, technologists, dancers, and designers working with digital technology for joy and liberation. Their work consists of tools, analyses, and artworks that are infused with queerness and decoloniality.
Admission
Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, April 2
- Thursday, April 16