Arts
Today we speak with Mona Kasra, new media artist, interdisciplinary researcher and Assistant Professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Virginia. Mona uses her tech to explore, document, and augment nature, culture, theater and more. Together, Mona and Gabe discuss her trajectory into the arts initially through video experimentation, the significance and history of selfie-rallies, and her collaborative interactive and immersive VR projects which merge nature and music, and preserve and present traditional aboriginal dances.Projects DiscussedIt's Misogyny That's Humiliating Gif Animation (2013) Dwelling in the Enfolding (2020) created in collaboration with Matthew Burtner (composer)Embodied Cultural Practices & Immersive Media (2019-Present) created in collaboration with Luke Dahl (UVA Music Dept) and the indigenous community of Peppimenarti-About Mona Kasra-Mona Kasra is a new media artist, interdisciplinary researcher, and Assistant Professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Virginia (UVA).Her research trajectory involves exploring the confluence of media technologies, art, and culture, reflecting on the impact of emerging media on personal, political, and creative expression, and experimenting with affordances of such media for artistic practices of performance and installation. Currently, she is researching representational, affective, and creative possibilities of immersive media, and designing experimental and performative experiences in Virtual Reality (VR/360). One of her latest projects is in collaboration with music prof Luke Dahl where we will be exploring how motion capture, spatial audio, and interactive XR environments can represent and transmit embodied cultural practices. Mona was born in Tehran, Iran. I hold a Ph.D. in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication from the University of Texas-Dallas, an M.F.A. in Video/Digital Art from California State University Northridge, and a B.A. in Graphic Design and Visual Communication from the Art University of Tehran.Learn more about Mona at https://www.monakasra.com/Follow Mona @monaism