Negentropy Nexus Online Residence

Reimagining Electronic Opera - Art and Technology in the Post-Digital Age

Step into the Negentropy Nexus online residence where the frontiers of electronic music, digital art, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic performance converge with the concepts of hyperobjects, speculative futures, and post-digital aesthetics as subcultural speculative narratives.

This online residence brings together artists, theorists, and researchers to explore how these interdisciplinary themes can redefine a speculative ground to reframe electronic opera and contemporary digital art.

At the heart of our exploration is the concept of negentropy—a force that counters the chaos of entropy, symbolizing the creation of order and coherence within complex systems. In the post-digital era, where entropy often dominates at the heart of the post-digital aesthetics, we propose using negentropy as a framework to reimagine and reconstruct the aesthetics of electronic opera, integrating the immersive potential of electronic music, sound art and digital and multimedia art as key components of inspiration.

This residency leverages the concept of negentropy to delve deeply into the computational process integral to contemporary artistic production. We will explore how the use of software, hardware, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and interactive systems can produce works that transcend mere entertainment, especially within contemporary operatic and performative formats. These tools allow for the creation of art that conveys meanings, fosters resistance, and gives voice to sub-cultures, particularly through sonic manifestations that echo the aesthetics of avant-garde, post-minimalism and post-techno art production. As Acousmatic music—where sound is divorced from its visible source works as a first approach to virtuality—creates an auditory experience that transcends the physical, invoking the vast, unseen dimensions of hyperobjects. The concept of Hyperobjects, such as climate change or the Anthropocene, are entities so vast and complex that they defy simple comprehension, much like the disembodied nature of acousmatic sound and the digital as an extension of the real. By embracing these sonic phenomena, we invite participants to engage with the immense and often overwhelming forces that shape our world and new meanings, using sound as a medium to explore the intricate layers of post-digital existence and future narratives. In this sense electronic music, deeply rooted in digital technology and experimental sound, becomes a powerful conduit for expressing the speculative futures that lie at the intersection of cyberculture, technoculture and radical ecology. Through the lens of hyperobjects, electronic music can represent the vast, interconnected systems that define our environment and our relationship with it, offering new ways to reflect on the complexities of our time.

Artist in Residence

Jack "Mia" Shamblin

José Carlos Teixeira

Jack "Mia" Shamblin, (USA).

Is a genderqueer performer, playwright, and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Shamblin creates mixed-media theatre that explores evolving identity. Currently, Jack is working on "Flower Child," a queer multimedia fairy tale, and has had plays produced by theaters such as La MaMa ETC and Dixon Place. In 2015, Shamblin published "Queering The Stage," a collection of his plays produced in the 1990s.

The artist debuted as a creator and performer with NY-based theatre and visual artist Theodora Skipitares, who describes Shamblin's creations as "heroic." New York legends such as La MaMa ETC, Dixon Place, Mother, and HERE have produced their plays.

In 2015, Shamblin published Queering The Stage, a collection of their LGBTQIA++ scripts. In addition to a NY community, Shamblin lived several years in Portugal where they wrote and performed for choreographer Paulo Henrique and others, taught at Centro Em Movimento, and created the experimental film O Castelo Preto. Highlights were performing with Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Skriker by Caryl Churchill and with Kate Bornstein in Shamblin’s play Thurma.

Recently, Shamblin completed their short film THERAPYTHIA, which delves into non-binary evolution. Shamblin made the film this January in Delphi, Greece, with artist Colin Ginks. Notably, critically acclaimed transgender actor Alexis Arquette, performed their final role as Mommy Myra Breckinridge in Shamblin's short BLATANT.

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José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira, (PT-USA).

Is a visual artist, filmmaker, researcher and educator. MFA in Interdisciplinary Studio, UCLA; BFA in Visual Arts/Sculpture from FBAUP. Through participatory, performative and poetic methodologies, his practice examines ideas of identity, belonging, otherness, exile and displacement. At the intersection of cinema and anthropology, art and politics, Teixeira addresses the politics of representation, while generating space for empathy and intersubjectivity. His work (in video-essay, documentary, installation, text and photography) has been featured internationally in exhibitions and film festivals. In recent years, he had solo shows at MAAT (Lisbon), SPACES (Cleveland), MMoCA (Madison), Hawthorn Contemporary (Milwaukee), MNSR (Porto), as well as group shows and screenings in venues such as LACE, Hammer Museum (Los Angeles), UnionDocs, Anthology Film Archives (NY), MOCA, The Sculpture Center (Cleveland), Württembergischer Kunstverein (Stuttgart), DAZ, Rosalux (Berlin), 104 Cent Quatre (Paris), Hélio Oiticica Art Center (Rio de Janeiro), S.P. Cultural Center (São Paulo), Oriente Foundation (Macao), Carpe Diem, Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon),

Museu FBAUP, Galeria do Palácio, MausHábitos (Porto), and at the Instituto Camões Cultural Centers, to name a few. Teixeira was the recipient of a Fulbright/FCC and Gulbenkian/FLAD grants, Efroymson Fellowship, AFFEST Jury Award 2019 (NY), SMHAF Experimental Film Award 2019 (Glasgow), FUSO Jury Prize 2011, and the 2005 EDP New Artists Prize nomination. Na artist-in-residence at the Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart), Townhouse Gallery (Cairo), MacDowell and the Headlands Center for the Arts (USA), he has also taught at ESAD.cr, (Portugal), at CWRU and CIA in Cleveland, in addition to UW-Madison (USA).

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Jixue Yang

José Carlos Teixeira

Edward Cunneen

Jixue Yang , (USA).

Is a contemporary classical pianist based in New York City, known for her diverse repertoire that blends Eastern and Western influences. She has performed in various cities, including Boston, New York, and several locations in China. As the first Chinese citizen in the Manhattan School of Music’s Contemporary Performance Program, she has introduced experimental contemporary music to Chinese audiences.

Born in 1993 in China, Jixue received extensive classical training, attending the Middle School attached to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, where she earned top scholarships. She later studied at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where she was inducted into the Bigelow Society and performed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

An active chamber musician, Jixue is currently the pianist/keyboardist for NYC’s InfraSound and the electroacoustic trio Apply Triangle, as well as Ensemble Blackbox. She has performed at various festivals and venues, including the Nief-Norf Summer Music Festival and the SinusTon Electronic Music Festival in Germany.

Jixue holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, where she is now pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. She has studied under notable teachers and serves as a teaching assistant in the Keyboard Skills Department at MSM.

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Edward Cunneen

Židrija Janušaitė

Edward Cunneen

Edward Cunneen , (USA).

Sound Artist and Engineer living and working in Phoenix, Arizona. His work focuses on the creative and therapeutic applications of biosensing technologies. He has worked extensively with electroencephalogram technologies, and has given workshops on EEG interfaces and digital signal processing globally. Conceptually his work focuses on the dissonance and transfer between external and internal anthropocentric spaces, as well as speculative futures of posthuman technologies. He is interested in what our species can, and should, become in relation to our ever accelerating digital world, as well as the disruption of anthropocentrism. He recently received a grant from Taiwan's Nation Textile and Craft Research Institute to develop spectral analysis tools to better understand non-human intelligence in kombucha cultures, as well as presented work on EEG data interpreted via traditional crafts in an attempt to connect cutting edge data acquisition tools with the natural world.

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Židrija Janušaitė

Židrija Janušaitė, (LT).

Is a Lithuania Intermedia artist working in painting, installation, land art, video and performance art. Active on the Lithuanian and international art scene since 2007. Židrija’s artworks are defined by stillness; her art opens up to an experience of intense meditative silence. What is personal is shared with whoever chooses to enter the special time space created by an artist. Her arts are mostly meditative, calming and mind relaxing. On another hand, this is how she creates the loop for particular and always individual comprehension and perception of the viewer.

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Work-in-Progress on Cultural Classics and Dramaturgy

Reimagining Myths

Jack “Mia” Shamblin’s untitled work-in-progress exemplifies how contemporary art can reinvent classical cultural narratives by merging dramaturgy, mythology, and speculative futures. This project, developed during their residency at Absonus Lab and inspired by the ideas of the Negentropy Nexus, engages in a transformative dialogue with the past to interrogate evolving notions of gender, identity, and interconnected systems.

Shamblin treats mythology as a living, dynamic force, deconstructing traditional archetypes—heroes, gods, and cosmic narratives—and situating them within a speculative post-digital framework. By blending ancient tales with themes such as hyperobjects, artificial intelligence, and ecological fragility, the project reshapes classical dramaturgy into an elastic medium that speaks to contemporary global challenges. This reinterpretation bridges the epic scale of myth with the intricate complexity of modern life, positioning the work at the intersection of timelessness and futurity.

A hallmark of Shamblin’s work is its radical queering of classical mythology. Where traditional myths often enforce binary and patriarchal constructs, Shamblin’s dramaturgy reframes these narratives through fluid, non-binary lenses. Their untitled project invites audiences to imagine archetypes redefined by multiplicity and intersectionality, expanding the possibilities of representation and identity in mythic storytelling.

At its core, Shamblin’s untitled work is a dramaturgy of resistance, repurposing classical myths to question cultural structures and envision alternative futures. By applying speculative narratives, they transcend historical contexts, using myth as a framework to reflect on today’s crises and imagine solutions. This work interrogates how mythology can move beyond preservation to serve as a dynamic, critical force for change.

In this work-in-progress, Jack “Mia” Shamblin reclaims and reimagines the stories that define us. By merging the ancient and the futuristic, they challenge audiences to rethink classical myths as powerful vehicles for contemporary reflection and future possibilities. Their work does not merely retell myths; it rewrites them for a world in flux, crafting narratives that resonate with the complexities of identity, technology, and ecology in our time.

Židrija Janušaitė

"Fragile" is a performative video work exploring fragility, technology, ecology, and loneliness in the post-digital age. Set against evocative landscapes, it contrasts natural elements with minimal action, accompanied by a soundscape reflecting the ephemeral nature of existence. The performance balances human creativity and the body's unpredictability, illustrating the interplay of order and chaos in contemporary life.

As the performance unfolds, the concept of negentropy emerges, emphasizing coherence within the gradual construction of a fragile mountain of leaves. This act encourages embracing imperfection and acknowledging instability as integral to the creative process. In contrast to the frenetic digital world, "Fragile" delves into themes of loneliness and contemplation, using nature as a backdrop for introspection. While technology often amplifies isolation despite fostering connections, the performance challenges this paradox, inviting reflection on authenticity and human relationships.

The narrative incorporates radical ecology, urging consideration of the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems. Through minimal gestures, it highlights the subtleties of creation, encouraging viewers to reconnect with their surroundings and each other. By presenting contemporary performance in a post-digital context, "Fragile" reclaims analog dimensions of human experience, emphasizing presence, perception, and balance amidst the digital era’s chaos.

Ultimately, "Fragile" is a meditation on identity and existence, underscoring fragility as a vital part of the human experience. It envisions speculative futures that honor life's delicate balance, fostering a grounded approach to creativity and connection in an increasingly rapid and fragmented world. (Paquete, 2024)

Negentropy Nexus Online Residence

Reimagining Electronic Opera - Art and Technology in the Post-Digital Age

Artist in Residence

Jack "Mia" Shamblin

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

Jixue Yang

José Carlos Teixeira

Edward Cunneen

Edward Cunneen

Židrija Janušaitė

Edward Cunneen

Židrija Janušaitė

Židrija Janušaitė

Židrija Janušaitė

Untitled by Jack Shamblin, 2024

Work-in-Progress on Cultural Classics and Dramaturgy

Reimagining Myths

Fragile by Židrija Janušaitė, 2024

Židrija Janušaitė

Our Goal:

O mecanismo ou dispositivo tecnológico designa não a tecnologia, mas sim o seu valor de conexão, ritmo, processos, dinâmicas e trocas num todo estético e social, numa ecologia de vibrações microscópicas e granulares. (Paquete, 2023)

Negentropy Nexus Online Residence

Reimagining Electronic Opera - Art and Technology in the Post-Digital Age

Artist in Residence

Jack "Mia" Shamblin

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

José Carlos Teixeira

Jixue Yang

José Carlos Teixeira

Edward Cunneen

Edward Cunneen

Židrija Janušaitė

Edward Cunneen

Židrija Janušaitė

Židrija Janušaitė

Židrija Janušaitė

Untitled by Jack Shamblin, 2024

Work-in-Progress on Cultural Classics and Dramaturgy

Reimagining Myths

Fragile by Židrija Janušaitė, 2024

Židrija Janušaitė

Our Goal:

O mecanismo ou dispositivo tecnológico designa não a tecnologia, mas sim o seu valor de conexão, ritmo, processos, dinâmicas e trocas num todo estético e social, numa ecologia de vibrações microscópicas e granulares. (Paquete, 2023)

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