Digital Performance

From Dystopia to Utopia, an interview with Sarah Turner, New Media artist

From Dystopia to Utopia, an interview with Sarah Turner, New Media artist

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Podcast: Tech in the Arts, Dr. Brett Ashley Crawford and Hales Wilson speak with media artist Sarah Turner about her interdisciplinary practice at the intersection of emerging technology, performance, digital culture, and arts administration. Turner reflects on how her background in history, arts management, and experimental video informs her work critiquing platforms such as Zoom, blockchain, and AI, as well as her long-term exploration of censorship, NSFW online spaces, and alternative distribution models. The conversation traces her experiences balancing administrative and artistic roles, building DIY communities through projects like mobile public projections, and navigating institutional boundaries around funding and content. Turner also discusses her recent AI-focused work—particularly her playful yet critical “Dolphins” series—as a way to interrogate utopian fantasies, oracle-like knowledge systems, and the absurdities of human–AI interaction. The episode closes with reflections on adapting to rapidly changing technologies and Turner’s advice to emerging digital artists: embrace experimentation, break tools intentionally, and treat media art as a space of play, critique, and collective making.

The Future of Technology in the Performing Arts: VR versus Broadcast

The Future of Technology in the Performing Arts: VR versus Broadcast

Have you ever wished you could be front row for your favorite artist or see a sold-out Broadway show, all from your living room? Technology is making that a reality, from VR concerts with stars like Sabrina Carpenter to the National Theatre Live broadcasting plays live to cinemas or to your couch. But can a headset or a movie screen ever truly capture the magic of being there? In this episode, Alexann Sharp and Lehan Xu explore the technological revolution changing live entertainment and ask if we're gaining accessibility at the cost of authenticity.