about
The SMART (Sound and Media Art) Lab is an artistic research lab where students explore the intersection of art, technology, and science to create sound and media art. We use a multidisciplinary approach that blends disciplines such as sound design, human-computer interaction, NIME, artistic sonification, and bio-inspired art.
Dr. Zeynep Özcan
Dr. Zeynep Özcan is an experimental and electronic music composer, sound artist and performer. She holds a Ph.D. in Music from Istanbul Technical University, an M.A. in History of Architecture, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Middle East Technical University. She explores biologically inspired musical creativity, interactive and immersive environments, and generative systems.
Mya Gordon Electrical Engineering, BSE - lab lead
Lauren Kocher Electrical Engineering, BSE
Serena Flaxenburg Art & Design, BA, Computer Science, BS
Tina Lin Art & Design, BA, Mechanical Engineering, BSE
Dante Parker Computer Science, BS
Where Do I Go?
Where Do I Go? features a dynamic, multi-level game structure where the performer navigates a series of grids, points, and confidence metrics, often directed by the audience’s choices. Through symbols such as the rigid grid, the bell of external validation, and playful hopscotch forms, the work subverts traditional measures of success, revealing how confidence often decreases as achievements accumulate—a direct metaphor for the impostor phenomenon. Technical and musical glitches are embraced as creative opportunities, reinforcing the idea that imperfection and system failure are pathways to growth and alternative modes of expression. Gradually, the performer transitions from self-doubt and external control to intrinsic play and agency, culminating in an act of dismantling structures and reclaiming self-directed movement.
ZAP!
ZAP! is an interactive multimedia installation inspired by the electric eel’s Electric Organ Discharges (EODs). This project studies organisms and their adaptive behaviors, using the findings to develop sound installations and experiment with various materials, sensors, and technologies to craft wearable interfaces that allow participants to manipulate sound.
lab members during ZAP!
Ilkyaz Sarimehmetoglu Architecture, MS - lab lead
Natalia Quintanilla Cabrera Performing Arts Technology, MA
Shoma Sawa Computer Science, MA
Brooke Steele Fine Arts, BA
Sabrina Sugg Environment, BS & MS
making
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