Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts and Technology at York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) is welcoming its first-ever Connected Minds Artists-in-Residence, Ar Ducao and Gala Hernández López.
Over the next six months, these artists will develop new research-creation projects, host public talks and workshops, and engage with students and faculty at AMPD.
Meet the Artists-in-Residence
Ar Duaco
Artist, creative engineer, educator and organizer Ar Ducao is the co-founder of Multimer, a bio-spatial analytics firm, and the executive producer of The Great Tit is a Bird, a sci-fi arthouse animation series. Ducao brings a unique perspective that blends technology, education and social advocacy.
“I'm excited to see how Connected Minds members are working across disciplines, and how this will inspire me to merge my own practices,” says Ducao.
As a Brown, Latine, API, trans, nonbinary, disabled artist and educator, Ducao develops materials to help marginalized learners feel safe, supported and well-resourced in pursuing their creative ideas.
“I'm particularly interested in learning about legacies of colonialism and imperialism in Canada, and how these legacies have led institutions to address race and indigeneity differently than in the U.S.”
Gala Hernández López
A filmmaker, artist and researcher, Gala Hernández López explores the impact of computational capitalism on subjectivity, often through an ecofeminist lens. Her critically acclaimed film La Mécanique des fluides (2024) won a César Award and has been showcased at major international festivals.
During her residency at Sensorium, Hernández López will focus on Dreams of Prophets, a film and research project exploring the ethics and politics of dream engineering technologies powered by artificial intelligence.
“We will try to imagine possible futures for these types of technologies, in which, for example, dreams could become data that can be bought and sold, almost functioning as a currency in a neuro-structural capitalist society—which, in many ways, we are not so far from,” says Hernández López.
“What excites me most is the interdisciplinary aspect of Connected Minds, and of course, working with AMPD students. I’m eager to find ways for students to actively participate—whether through shooting or engaging in other creative roles. I have no doubt that their fresh perspectives and passion will make them inspiring collaborators.”
What to Expect
Throughout their residencies, Ducao and Hernández López will lead a series of public talks, workshops, and studio visits where students and faculty can engage with their research-creation practices.
At the culmination of their residencies, they will each present a body of work in an exhibition or performance format, inviting audiences to reflect on the societal and ethical dimensions of emerging technologies.
About Sensorium
Housed within AMPD, Sensorium is a leading research centre dedicated to creative inquiry at the intersection of media arts, performance, and digital culture. Bringing together artists, scholars, and technologists, Sensorium serves as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary collaboration and artistic experimentation.
About Connected Minds
Led by York University in partnership with Queen’s University, Connected Minds is a first-of-its-kind research program that studies the risks and benefits modern technology has on society, now and in the future. Connected Minds brings together experts from across multiple disciplines to explore and seek answers on how best to balance technological progress and its unintended consequences for society, particularly for equity-deserving groups.