HANNAH LEHMKUHL
she/her/hers
Design Major and Environmental Studies Minor
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Portland, Oregon, I have now found a home in San Francisco. My love for design has grown over my time in the city and I’m more than ready to step into new creative spaces. I believe in design thinking as an essential human practice and feel eager to make meaningful contributions.
It Belongs To You
As technology and art become more deeply integrated, I have developed a personal interest in acknowledging the rare instances where newly designed technological tools are not meant to supplant human craftsmanship or serve profit-driven agendas. Most of the spaces where this has been present are in the hands of artists and designers.
As creatives, we have a special ability to intervene in the progression of technology and engage our audiences in social and political conversations through our work. I have been inspired by modern artists and designers creating nuanced integrations of art and technology and making them accessible to the public, as well as abstract artists in the 1960’s who challenged traditional art forms and undermined the growing market for contemporary art, which they found elitist and creativity stifling. They valued concept over end result and used experimental mediums. My project aims to do the same, but in modern-day contexts.
It Belongs To You explores avenues of engaging an audience with an object that is designed to make “digital art” and technology fun and accessible to all. My mission has been to leave the majority of the art-making process intact while using non-traditional mediums (sensors, coding, and LED lights).
Through this accessibility, this project extends an invitation into a domain that is often monopolized by those with other intentions. Much of the world of art and technology is bound to corporate and algorithmic models. As we rapidly advance, it’s necessary to recognize arising issues and how, from NFTs to Artificial Intelligence to the Digital Divide, artistry and technology are not equally distributed.
It Belongs To You is a physical model representing a broader ideology focused on preserving collective agency over technology. The project aims to remind people that the commodification of technology should not interrupt prioritization of the collective good.
Key Acknowledgements: Artificial intelligence was instrumental in assisting with the coding of this project. Additionally, special thanks to USF Professor Brian Bartz for his guidance.
