In the second part of our extended conversation, Tamiko Thiel discusses Beyond Manzanar, her collaboration with Iranian-American artist Zara Houshmand, where viewers confront the historical reality of Japanese-American internment while drawing connections to contemporary persecution.

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Today, the Spotlight again shines on media artist Tamiko Thiel, in the second of our two-part conversation.

In our first talk, we explored Tamiko's journey from designing the world's first AI supercomputer in the eighties to becoming a pioneering media artist. Today, we dive deeper into her groundbreaking work in virtual reality and other philosophical matters.

Tamiko's been creating immersive digital worlds since the mid-1990s when she worked with Steven Spielberg on a virtual space for seriously ill children. We'll talk about her project, Beyond Manzanar, which became the first VR artwork purchased by a major American museum, and how she uses emerging technologies to address political and environmental issues.

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[00:01:29] Introduction to Tamiko's work in VR and exploring difficult historical narratives
[00:02:06] Early career and education at MIT in the 1980s, beginnings with computer graphics
[00:05:28] Creating dramatic structure without characters in time-based media
[00:13:12] The Starbright World project with Steven Spielberg for seriously ill children
[00:17:04] Evolution toward creating intimate virtual world experiences
[00:29:30] How "Beyond Manzanar" addresses Japanese-American internment and connects to Iranian-American experiences
[00:33:39] Exhibition formats and audience engagement with VR installations
[00:35:01] The social dimension of Thiel's artistic practice and political themes
[00:37:23] Exploring emerging technologies and approaches to new media
[00:42:07] Reflections on AI, technology ethics, and humanity's relationship with technology
[00:47:12] Closing thoughts on technology optimism versus utopianism

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Visit Tamiko Thiel at https://tamikothiel.com

Follow Tamiko Thiel on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/tamikothiel.bsky.social
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/tamikothiel
and LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamiko-thiel-5b869b44

For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com

Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com

The Tonearm on Mastodon → https://social.lol/@thetonearm
The Tonearm on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm

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