Artworks produced by the BCNM Questioning New Media class
Professor Asma Kazmi
GSI J. Lee Crandall
The monsters and chimeras you will encounter at the final stop of the “Internet Tour” are conjured by students in BCNM’s Questioning New Media class. These hybrid creatures—a fantastical mixture of animal, plant, mineral, and machine—are creations of the artists’ collective consciousness, dreams, and imaginations. Moreover, the strange beings were conceptualized through research into the resource economy behind the global internet and communications technology.
You will see fiendish entities created out of earthly matter like aluminum, copper, silica, arsenic, lead, lithium, tangled coaxial cables, air conditioners, computer servers, water pipes, and generators. To reference the transcendental realm, the artists drew inspiration from mythical creatures, gods and goddesses, and ancestral beings to form their supernatural images of otherness. These monsters and chimeras are parasitic agitators—while drawing on the same carbon resources as the Cloud, they critically expose the hidden aspects of computing and prod us to imagine different ecological possibilities for the future.
Jeongmin Lee, Roopa Ramanujam, Kaylee Jung, Khia Jefferson
Hydrova is a multimedia installation that questions our growing dependence on artificial intelligence at the hidden cost of natural resources. In particular, it emphasizes the metal elements found in computers and the large amounts of water needed to cool data centers used for cloud computing. Displayed in a constructed environment of a precious metal mine and a digital environment of a flooded data center, the piece embodies the interplay between earth, water, and technology. At the heart of the installation is a siren (a figure known to be both alluring and terrifying in Greek mythology) reimagined as a personification of artificial intelligence. The siren lures and follows viewers through the digital landscape with her song; a subtle but persistent mix of human and computer, echoing our constant engagement with the cloud. She embodies both the benevolent and disruptive potential of AI—part muse, part overseer. As the siren moves through the data center, she tempts the viewer with the promise of knowledge, but with a warning that what we gain from her comes at the cost of her identity and environment. Hydrova immerses audiences in the visual and sonic textures of the cloud as a tangible, living entity. The installation ultimately asks viewers to question their relationship with artificial intelligence and the planet, evoking the fine line between knowledge, connection, and exploitation in the modern digital age.
Jeongmin Lee, (she/her): Jeongmin is a digital product designer currently studying in the Master of Design program at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on designing thoughtful digital products that prioritize user safety and ethical engagement in today’s evolving technological landscape, with an emphasis on secure AI technologies. Previously, she studied Media Interaction Design at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, and gained experience as a UX Designer.
Roopa Ramanujam, (she/her): Roopa is a multidisciplinary engineer, designer, and artist passionate about the intersection of these fields, particularly within the realm of emerging technologies. Her work focuses on designing and developing tech-forward products that help individuals manage chronic diseases and injuries. She is currently pursuing a Master of Design at UC Berkeley after earning a degree in computer science from Princeton University and working as a software engineer for a number of years. In her free time, she enjoys staying active through tennis and dance, tie-dying all of her clothes, and exploring everything the Bay Area has to offer!
Kaylee Jung, (she/her): Kaylee is a Master of Design student at UC Berkeley, and previously studied Integrated Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, specializing in mechanical and electrical systems. Her work explores the intersection of art, music, and technology, with a focus on applying these innovations in assistive technology and education. While her education bridges engineering and design, she is an artist and maker at heart, excited to contribute to the development of new media.
Khia Jefferson (she/her): Khia is a senior in her undergraduate studies of Media Studies, with a focus on digital studies and a minor in political economy, at the University of California, Berkeley. She hopes to go into Marketing or Market Research. She has enjoyed working on this project and using her large array of media skills. In her spare time, she enjoys theatre. This year Khia is on Barestage Productions Board of Directors as the theatre Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director. She hopes you enjoy this display.