Mckenzie Wark, Danielle Brathwaite-Shriley, Nicola Cruz, machìna, Mélanie O’Bomsawin & Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Meet the Speakers of the 11th Edition

This year, artists and thinkers from all over the world will be taking part in MUTEK Forum to share their expertise in digital creation. Their experiences expand from critical theory to immersive storytelling while highlighting the intersections of art, technology and society.

Joining us for the first time at MUTEK Forum is McKenzie Wark, a key voice in contemporary critical theory. Author of influential texts like A Hacker Manifesto, Gamer Theory, and Capital is Dead, she explores how media, technology, and class intersect in the digital age. She has also written works that contribute to an alternate history of Marxism, including Leaving the Twentieth Century and Molecular Red. As a professor at The New School in New York, she brings sharp insight into the shifting dynamics of culture and power.

Graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley is an artist based between Berlin and London coming to share their experience across animation, sound, performance, and video game development. Driven by a commitment to advocate for Black Trans lives, they create interactive works that blend personal experience with speculative storytelling. Their installations have been shown at institutions such as Studio Voltaire and the Serpentine Galleries.

machìna and Nicola Cruz will lead a joint masterclass at the multidisciplinary production house DASA, offering an intimate look into their distinct creative processes. Drawing from their diverse cultural backgrounds and sonic explorations, they will share insights into their approaches to sound design, live performance, and technological experimentation. This collaborative session promises a rare opportunity to engage with two forward-thinking artists shaping the future of electronic music.

A returning speaker from the Odanak Abenaki community, Mélanie O'Bomsawin, is a new media artist, editor, and videographer based in Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyaang / Montréal. Born to Abenaki and Québécois parents, she uses video in its many forms to explore intergenerational ties, working at the intersection of identity, language, memory, and transmission, always with both ancestors and descendants in mind.

Media artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, returns to MUTEK Forum to explore his large-scale, participatory installations that blend architecture, performance and technology. From robotic lights to telematic networks, his work transforms public space into a site of shared experience, challenging the boundaries between viewer and artwork. He was also the first artist to represent Mexico at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and his works can be found in major collections like MoMA, Tate and the MAC. Widely exhibited, he has received awards from BAFTA, Ars Electronica, and the Governor General of Canada.

This year’s Forum invites audiences into a rich, cross-disciplinary dialogue that reflects MUTEK’s ongoing commitment to the future of digital culture. Book your access now before prices go up on May 14!

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