Restoration /Regeneration

the New Media Caucus Symposium

March 6-8, 2026

Arizona State University

Restoration /Regeneration

the New Media Caucus Symposium

March 6-8, 2026

Arizona State University

Welcome!

The New Media Caucus invites you to join us for the 2026 Symposium: Restoration / Regeneration, a three-day in-person gathering exploring the transformative potential of new media art and scholarship during times of planetary and social crisis.

Hosted at the Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center at Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona, the symposium brings together international artists, designers, theorists, educators, and students to explore how new media practices can contribute to healing, revitalization, and reimagination.

Our 2026 Theme

Restoration / Regeneration calls upon us to rethink how systems—biological, cultural, digital, ecological, and embodied—can be renewed and re-envisioned.

Topics of exploration include (but are not limited to):

  • restoration of indigenous rights & rituals
  • solutions-focused restorative justice
  • restorative somatic practice
  • regenerative bio-processes
  • reimagined and fluid physical bodies and identities
  • eco-regenerative practices and architectures
  • regenerative technologies and the concept of digital restoration

This theme emerges from a collective desire to move beyond extraction, toward care and renewal—in our environments, our bodies, our histories, and our tools.

Schedule

The symposium schedule of presentations and workshops is growing and taking shape! Also, be sure to check out all the great single-channel video and expanded media artworks.

Friday

75°F / 24°C 45°F / 7°C

Saturday

76°F / 24°C 46°F / 8°C

Sunday

78°F / 26°C 49°F / 9°C

Full Schedule

DAZZLING AWESOMENESS

Registration

Registration is OPEN!

Registration Closes: February 16th, 2026

Registration Costs:

  • Full Conference (3 Day Pass): $250.00 Regular
  • Full Conference Hardship Waiver (3 Day Pass): $150.00 Email us for information on hardship waivers.
  • Full Conference Full-Time Student (3 Day Pass): $40.00
Register Now

Our Keynote Speaker

We are thrilled to announce our keynote speaker, Paula Gaetano Adi, Professor of Experimental and Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)!

Paula Gaetano Adi is an Argentine interdisciplinary artist working in robotics, video, and performance. Gaetano Adi’s robot Alexitimia was awarded the first prize in the international competition VIDA, Art & Artificial Life, and the first prize LIMBØ by the Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires. Her Mestizo Robotics long-term project has been distinguished with Fundación Telefónica’s Award for Ibero-American artists, and she was awarded with the Creative Capital Award in 2023 for her project Guanaquerx. Winner of the 2025 Ars Electronica Golden Nica in the category Artificial Life & Intelligence, she is also a former fellow at Argentina’s National Endowment for the Arts, the Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance at UCLA, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s EMPAC. She currently lives between San Juan, Argentina, and Providence, RI, where she is Professor of Experimental & Foundation Studies and Computation, Technology, and Culture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

TouchDesigner Workshop with SudoMagic

NMC is excited to partner with SudoMagic to offer an advanced TouchDesigner workshop (limited seating!) at the symposium!

Digital Reconstructions: Sculpting Digital Forms with TouchDesigner

Join Matthew Ragan and Zoe Sandoval from SudoMagic for a look into the mystical world of particles, point clouds and digital artifacts. This intermediate TouchDesigner workshop will introduce POPs, the new Point Operator family, and will explore techniques for working with points to construct virtual forms and generative systems. TouchDesigner is a node-based programming environment used in installations, live events, and museums internationally.

SudoMagic is a boutique software and design studio that partners with organizations to bring their creative and technical ideas to life. The team at SudoMagic has produced everything from branded activations to immersive experiences, from permanent installations to bespoke pipeline tools and educational resources.

This workshop is an add-on cost in the registration portal.

Note: Participants will need to bring a laptop with the latest build of TouchDesigner installed. Please contact us with any questions regarding this guideline.

Event Location

Arizona State University
Media and Immersive Experience (MIX) Center External link
Location
50 N Centennial Way
Mesa, AZ 85201

Travel & Lodging

Symposium will be held at the Arizona State University MIX Center located at 50 N Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ 85201

The MIX Center is accessible via Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and is served by Valley Metro light rail from downtown Phoenix.

Accommodations
ASU has discount links in the Phoenix and Mesa area through their official visitor travel page. By clicking the link embedded in their page, a discount code should be automatically be added to your hotel booking price.

  • Delta Hotels Phoenix Mesa is the closest hotel to the MIX Center with rates starting at $399/night.
  • The Crowne Plaza Resort Phoenix - Chandler Golf Resort is 8.5 miles away from the MIX Center with rates starting at $258/night.
  • Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa is 3.3 miles away from the MIX Center with rates starting at $315/night.

About New Media Caucus

The New Media Caucus (NMC) is an international non-profit association advancing the understanding and evolution of new media art. Our interdisciplinary membership spans artists, scholars, educators, designers, and students. We support a wide range of creative and critical practices through conferences, publications, and community-driven initiatives.

Learn more at newmediacaucus.org

Sponsors

Symposium Steering Committee & Volunteers

A sincere thank you to the symposium steering committee and volunteers for your hard work and dedication in organizing this event!

Rob Ray

Dan Fine

Alex Lee

Diana Rojas

JLS Gangwisch

Nick Bontrager

Kat Mustatea

Kim Lyle

Mona Kasra

Robert Derr

Sal Moreno

Tacie Jones

Taylor Hokanson