As part of the Gale Memorial Lecture Series, ARTSLab hosted an artist talk by duo Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S. Davidson, whose collaborative work animates the boundary between the mechanical and biological to question empathy with synthetic intelligence.
On Thursday, February 20, ARTSLab was thrilled to host Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S. Davidson. Hailing originally from New Mexico (Davidson himself is an alumnus of UNM) are a Brooklyn-based artist duo whose interdisciplinary practice spans environment, computing, robotics, and artificial life. Their work, often animated through materials such as metals, fluids, and pneumatic structures, invites viewers to consider how empathy might emerge between the organic and the artificial. Projects such as The Cloud in the Ocean (2022), commissioned for the Biennale of Sydney, exemplify their approach: glass conduits circulate water heated by a computer simulation of the ocean floor, feeding a soft robotic manta ray in an “amniotic” environment that couples chip and fetus in poetic resonance.
Each recipient of a 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship, Dubbin and Davidson teach at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute. They have exhibited internationally at major venues including the Biennale of Sydney, ZKM Center for Art and Media in Germany, and Moderna Museet in Sweden, and their work is held in collections such as the Centre Georges Pompidou. Their practice has also been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Cabinet Magazine, among others.
During their lecture, the artists presented new and ongoing projects, weaving together explorations of robotics, fluid dynamics, and material transformation, and illustrating how synthetic systems can evoke affective and poetic encounters.
Gale Memorial Lecture Series was established in memory of Dr. David his wife Sylvia whose generosity made the series possible. This is event co-sponsored by the Department Art and ARTSLab. All Gale Memorial Lectures are free and open to public.
Join organizers Madrone Matishak and Sarah Bennett Davidson for an overview of the New Mexico Dance Hackathon, an initiative bringing together dance and new media artists to experiment and create innovative work across performance, installation, and film. This info session offers a look at past projects, insights into the creative process, and details on how to apply for this year’s program, culminating in final presentations at UNM ARTSLab this July.
ARTSLab is excited to continue its partnership with Unity in Spring 2026 with two free webinars and two free 10-hour courses, open to anyone in the state of New Mexico.
ARTSLab was recently featured in two articles highlighting its work at the intersection of art, technology, and innovation, including student-led projects and a NASA-funded VR initiative.