This early video installation, "Inverted Revolution" (2006), was born from a poem I wrote and recorded. The live-recorded remix weaves in the voice of Prof. Lila Abu-Lughod (courtesy of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown Univ, 2008). #Poetry #DigitalArt #ArabFuturism #rotoscope

Eighteen years ago, I stepped into my cyborg self, VJ Um Amel, for the first time. This early video installation marked the beginning of a journey through archives, bodies, and machines. 🎥 Intro to Arab, Mother, Cyborg: Digital Performance (v1) #DigitalArt #CyborgPerformance #ArabFuturism

"Portrait of a Cyborg: 2017"--a meditation on form, content, composition, materiality, virtuality, and data. A limited series of inkjet on metal. A self portrait. Shown in Cairo, San Francisco, New York, Buenos Aires, Rio di Janeiro, and Seoul. It just arrived back home in Santa Barbara.

Sharing glimpses from the exhibition catalog, featuring my work. This historic publication and show at Diriyah Art Futures brings together pioneers of Arab new media art in one landmark exhibit. 🔗 Explore more: canvasonline.com/event/maknana-an-archaeology-of-new-media-art-in-the-arab-world/

Just dropped a clip from my upcoming project, From the Cyborg’s Desk — part historical fiction, part speculative futures. I reconstructed the Capitol in 3D using millions of Jan 6 social media images, then glitched the model. Features lyrics from Land of the Freefall #GlitchArt #DigitalFutures

As my year-long sabbatical of research and recovery (R&R) comes to a close, I'm grateful to have been able to dedicate time to my health, fitness, and strength. As of July 1, I return from sabbatical as Director of Graduate Studies. And so with strength, humor, and a calm mind, we go forth.

I am honored to exhibit "R-Shief Portal" (2020) in Diriyah Art Futures' latest show, Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World. This groundbreaking exhibition brings together over 40 artists from across the Arab world. Open through July 2025. #DAF #Maknana #digitalart #arabartists

In the latest Autonomous Futures substack post, Sarah Papazoglakis asks, "Is Instinct a Techbology?" Link in bio 🤓

Ready to recharge this weekend? Check out the cultural texts our collective is turning to for inspiration this year ✨️

Gen ai in our ed tech imaginations open.substack.com/pub/autonomo... @autonomousfutures.bsky.social

Dropping some new and old here. Two of my works have been nominated for the 2025 Auggie Awards. They are up now for public voting. May I ask for ur vote? Societal Impact category: auggies.awexr.com/entry/vote/b... Indie Creators category: auggies.awexr.com/entry/vote/b...

Two of my works are being considered for the Auggie Awards. They are up for public voting. May I ask for your votes for “Arab Future Tripping” under Societal Impact and “Capital Glitch” under Indie Creators? Societal.. auggies.awexr.com/entry/vote/b... Indie.. auggies.awexr.com/entry/vote/b...

NEW EPISODE! Join us as we talk to the incredible @vjumamel.bsky.social about data bodies, feminist data sets, and Arab futurisms. Watch us now on YouTube, or find us on Apple, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts! ✨ YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm3m...

What is Autonomous Futures? "We envision a future where communities own, operate, and determine the appropriate processes of development and application(s) for ai to support our society." @autonomousfutures.bsky.social

We made this in my Fem-Tech Lab seminar in 2017 after a workshop with the Overpass Light Brigade. #vjumamel #olb #overheadlightbrigade

As Frederick Douglass said, "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will...The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." @schumer.senate.gov has no endurance.

"The Trump administration wants to review all prospective citizens’ social media accounts. People applying for US citizenship or personal residency may soon have to disclose their social media handles to the government." www.theverge.com/policy/62494...

We did dataviz today! If you want to use Flourish, a web-based tool for making graphs and charts, you're welcome to learn along: docs.google.com/presentation...

New podcast- at the Paris AI Action Summit on February 10-11, remarks by EU and US leaders indicated significant divergence on how to think about AI. This episode is a sampler platter of the politics on display at the Grand Palais-and in Washington DC at #StateOfTheNet.

Thank you, Tina Guirguis, for this book review in the International Journal of Middle East Studies. I'm especially thrilled for all your accomplishments and the synchronicity of this review with them. Link: shorturl.at/ypXEa #bookreview #Arabic #glitch #revolution #ArabSpring #vjumamel

I asked Musk's AI what it knew about me

Update to 2025 Photo Credit: Matt Perko See article: magazine.ucsb.edu/fall-winter-... #vjumamel #humanities #vantage #Technoculture

On #Jan25, we commemorate 14 years since Egypt's Arab Spring, a beacon of hope for dignity. Today, the country and global community grapple with severe economic strain and political repression. I offer these glitch and mosaic pieces from 2011 to reflect on this tumultuous journey. 🇪🇬✨

Made it to the Creative Capital's shortlist. There were over 5,000 applications - will apply again next year. In the meanwhile,game is in production. Stay tuned for the trailer. creative-capital.org/shortlist-20... #vjumamel #databodies #arabfuturism #arabfuturist #videogame #gaming #cyborgs

Need to use more legs #snatches #crossfit #olddirtymasters #olympiclifting

Bluesky, please be better about labeling adult content. This is not adult content, it's non-sexual nudity at best.

✨R-Shief 2025 will launch a radical AI platform 🚀 As we witness the ceasefire in Gaza, we commemorate 15 years of the R-شيف (R-Shief) archive and media system launched at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in 2009. Stay tuned as we work on an alternative platform for the non-mainstream.

Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes decided to shut down billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X, as part of a broader effort against perceived attacks on democracy and the political use of disinformation.

Capital Glitch #Broken #Semiotics #UScapitol

#ArtIsNotACrime #CALArts #Talk #Poster #2022 #OldieButGoodie #RicardoDominguez #ElectronicDisturbanceTheater

American AI policy in 2025 will almost certainly be dominated, yet again, by state legislative proposals rather than federal government proposals, writes Dean Ball.

Meta turns into the National Enquirer - scroll through while waiting in the check out lines

Sherene Seikaly @srseikaly.bsky.social and Barbara Weinstein calmly explain why scholars have an ethical obligation to condemn the obliteration of universities, schools, archives, libraries, and lives. Incredible leadership in this historic vote. youtu.be/cO3efzMvruo?...

Explore 12,000 images fro Jan 6 social media archive in this online version of Capitol Mosaic 🌐✨ Here is the link: vj.live/mosaic-wall Choose from 18 unique Arab Cyborg avatars to piece together the narrative of January 6, 2021, through two distinct mosaics of the U.S. Capitol - day and night.

On January 6, 2025, before a new chapter in American politics, revisit the past with my solo exhibition "Capital Glitch: Arab Cyborg Turns to D.C." This 2021 installation at Gallery QI used interactive mosaics, glitch art, and mixed reality. Visit online at vj.live to interact with the works.

Loud explosions shake central Beirut, followed by sirens. It’s 4am here.

“The Israeli missile hits and the building collapses like a layer cake. The air fills with fulgent exhalations of dust. That was my great uncle’s apartment, one man wrote on Instagram. He had a massive library. It made me want to become a writer.” m0llycrabapple.substack.com/p/beirut-bei...

Is this Chrome's checkmate? Google's monopoly on search might just hit a wall. The DOJ's move to force a sale could be the beginning of the end for Google's all-encompassing digital empire. Is this the domino effect we've been waiting for in Big Tech? 🚨 #Google #Chrome #Antitrust #DOJ #TechNews

With its use of #AI, #facialrecognition, and other technologies, #Israel is setting a new precedent for #surveillance and the data-driven slaughter of civilians, writes @vjumamel.bsky.social. Will these tactics spread to other conflicts around the world?