The Speculative Artifact

How do we design solutions for contemporary social justice ills with the use of design and technology? Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde talks about his practice of utilizing Speculative Design, connected objects, ritual, and performance to create spaces and narratives where social justice issues may be brought to light, discussed, and addressed in non-traditional fashions.

Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde is an artist and interactive designer living and working in New York City. Okunseinde was the co-founder and creative director of Dissident Display Studios, an award winning studio and art gallery based in Washington DC. As a collaborator with, amongst others, choreographer Maida Withers, Carmen Wong, and Yoko K., He has created several interactive performance based works and has performed in several countries including Mexico, Finland, and Croatia. His art residency and presentation participation includes Finland’s Invitation to Helsinki, IDEO’s Fortnight, New Inc, Eyeo Festival, The Laundromat Project, and Eyebeam. He has held exhibitions and workshops at The Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Art, Shanghai Biennale, Recess Assembly, and August Wilson Center amongst other museums and galleries. His works range from concepts in Afrofuturism and Speculative Design to participatory social justice projects, and painting. Okunseinde holds B.A in Fine Arts from Rutgers University and an MFA in Design and Technology from The New School, Parsons School of Design in New York where he is currently an adjunct faculty member.