PLASMA​ presents a LIVE and IN-PERSON presentation by Dr. Elia Vargas, MONDAY FEBRUARY 20th

Dr. Elia Vargas is an artist and a scholar working across multiple mediums, ranging from video and sound to writing and performance, focused on naturecultural media practices. His work is critical, speculative, ecological, energetic, and technocultural. It is engaged in an interdisciplinary approach with contemporary and historical experimental media, digital cultural, and feminist science studies. His current work considers the cultural, philosophical, and techno-scientific conditions of the early American oil industry and argues for refiguring crude oil as media to decenter anthropocentric representations of nature.

Towards the pursuit of challenging historical forms of meaning-making, he is interested in concepts that perform change—a multi-species, or posthumanist practice of worlding. His work seeks non-representational ways to trouble the entanglements of nature, culture, and technology. Vargas collaborates widely with artists, musicians, and institutions. He holds a PhD from UC Santa Cruz. He is currently a visiting assistant professor of Media Study at the University at Buffalo, and is commissioned by Goethe Institute to host and produce a monthly podcast on global technocultural exchange. He is the co-founder of the SF Bay Area art and technology organization, the Living Room Light Exchange.

As always, PLASMA lectures are free and open to the UB community and the public.​

PLASMA is sponsored by the University at Buffalo's Department of Media Study and funding is provided by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The series is taught and organized by Dr. Paige Sarlin, Assistant Professor of Media Study, in collaboration with Sylvie Fortin, UB Art Gallery, Ekrem Serdar, and Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center.

For virtual access to the series, use Zoom Meeting ID: 933 1482 2173 with PASSWORD: PLASMA2023

Upcoming PLASMA Lectures:

Monday February 20  ELIA VARGAS

Monday February 27  EVERY OCEAN HUGHES

Monday March 6  OLIVER HUSAIN & KERSTIN SCHROEDINGER

Monday March 13  CHRISTINA CORFIELD/LAURA MCGOUGH 

Monday March 27  HIBA ALI

Monday April 3  JAYNELLE NIXON

Monday April 10 AKIL FLETCHER

Monday April 17 PLASMA 2023 CINETRACTS SCREENING

Monday April 24  LINDSAY CAPLAN

Monday May 1  PEDRO NEVES MARQUES

Monday May 8  DEREK CURRY & JENNIFER GRADECKI

For more information regarding the series: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/media-study/news-events/plasma.html

The recordings of previous presentations can be found on MediaStudy@UB's PLASMA YouTube Channel