Particle Episode 16: Sarah Brady
What is the material interface of the pandemic? Sarah Brady addresses this question in her work and teaching practice at University of California, Santa Barbara and discusses her experiences and current thoughts with Victoria Vesna. Sarah is interested in face-to-face and tactile exchanges between humans, emphasizing this as an essential component of research and her art practice. In the face of the pandemic, however, Brady is having to figure out new modes of material interaction. Brady is prompting her students to think creatively about technology – beginning with the body – seeing how the body can be used as an override through the zoom platform.
As a multiracial First Nations and Xicanx artist, Sarah shares information about her home communities, who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 due to a substantial lack of relief efforts and support. This conversation is vital and brings issues such as, who has access to materials, resources, and technology to the forefront. Sarah’s work, teaching and research lead us down a radical path that compassionately confronts these many issues.