Abstract:
In an era of ubiquitous computing, algorithmic decision-making, and the increasing entanglement of digital and physical infrastructures, how can creative practitioners intervene in and reimagine these systems to be more equitable, inclusive, and just? This talk explores the work of rootoftwo, a research-driven collaborative practice that leverages participatory design, speculative inquiry, and civic future-making to engage with socio-technical systems, infrastructures, and networks.
Drawing from recent projects, the session will invite discussion on the intersection of design, technology, public policy, and social justice, offering insights into methodologies for collaborative creativity and inclusive design practices that connect research with real-world social impact.
Bio:
Under-imagined futures have consequences
rootoftwo is a research- and practice-driven art, design, and technology studio led by Cézanne Charles and John Marshall. Since 1998, they have interrogated ubiquitous computing, digital infrastructure, and the socio-technical systems shaping contemporary life. Their work facilitates tangible interactions with emerging technologies, while also imagining alternative, more just futures through collective action.
Their projects span artifacts, spaces, publications, and public interventions, often addressing the intersection of design, technology, and policy. Recent projects include creating the Art Program for Michigan Central and leading the master planning for the creative/civic technology aspects of the Detroit Cultural Center Planning Initiative. Their public work, Whithervanes, a networked sculptural installation that visualizes societal anxieties through real-time data, has been commissioned by Locust Projects, Miami (2018), and for the 2014 Folkestone Triennial.
Recognized for their ability to bridge creative practice with civic engagement, Charles and Marshall were awarded a 2024 Knight New Work and a 2023 Creative Capital Award, underscoring their continued impact in shaping public discourse around technology, equity, and design. Their chapter, “Not at all evenly distributed,” in The Routledge Companion to Media and the City (2022), further interrogates how culture and the arts can mediate consentful, place-based technology.
Whether through parametric urbanism, speculative domestic objects, or participatory design frameworks, rootoftwo’s work consistently challenges assumptions, engages communities, and prototypes alternative futures for a more inclusive and adaptive society.
https://rootoftwo.com/