Professor Behnaz Farahi, head of the Critical Matter group and inaugural Morningside Professor of Design, delivered a lecture on the occasion of receiving the DigitalFUTURES Critical Practice Award 2025.

In her talk, Farahi shared the thinking behind her research group, which explores the relationships between the human body, environments, and technology — from the intimate scale of wearables to architecture and public art. "For us, critical practice is not only about criticizing technology, but actually making things that allow us to perceive the world differently, question assumptions, and imagine other possibilities," she said.

She highlighted several projects from the group, including embodied robotic fabrication using biodegradable materials, an installation exploring the relationship between mind and matter through EEG-driven water vibrations, and "Gaze to the Stars," a participatory public art project that transformed the MIT Great Dome into an emotional interface for sharing dreams, fears, and stories.

The conversation that followed touched on invisible systems of control in contemporary technology, the blurring boundaries between theory and practice, and what it means to co-evolve with the tools we design.

DigitalFUTURES is an international platform connecting researchers, designers, and practitioners working at the intersection of design, technology, and critical theory. The Critical Practice Award recognizes practitioners whose work demonstrates critical engagement with design and emerging technologies.