NEA Tech Check: rootoftwo

This NEA interview series will take you on a journey across the nation to learn how leaders in the arts and cultural field are approaching the intersections of technology, culture, and society. Inspired by findings from the NEA arts and technology field scan conducted in partnership with Knight Foundation and Ford Foundation, we aim to increase public awareness of creative approaches to technology that engage local communities, explore ethical issues, and increase digital skills through the arts. Here is our conversation with Cézanne Charles and John Marshall, who work collaboratively as rootoftwo.

NEA: Tell us about yourself

rootoftwo: We (Cézanne Charles and John Marshall) founded rootoftwo in 1998 as a collaborative creative and research-based practice. rootoftwo creates exhibitions, workshops, masterplans, publications, toolkits, and works for the public realm. Through projects that blend the digital with the physical, we seek to illuminate and interrogate the invisible technologies that shape our experiences and environments. Our work is characterized by a commitment to addressing ethical considerations in technology, such as digital rights, privacy, data governance, and accessibility, advocating for a responsible and equitable integration of technology into our lives. Fundamentally, our creative projects sit at the intersection of participatory design (PD) and science and technology studies (STS). In 2019, rootoftwo expanded our remit to consult with various values-aligned organizations (e.g., Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Design Core Detroit, Midtown Detroit Inc., Newlab, and Michigan Central), producing original applied research and strategies on inclusive design, urban revitalization, urban technology, cultural development, and civic infrastructure.

NEA: Tell us about a specific program (or other work) you are involved in which supports artist-driven explorations of technology. Also, if this is core to your organization, please elaborate.

rootoftwo: As creative practitioners, we have always been drawn to building infrastructure, platforms, curation, and commissioning opportunities for other artists, designers, and makers at the intersection of technology. Examples include curating Perimeters, Boundaries, and Borders in 2006 with funding from the Arts Council England and participating on the jury and curatorial team for BioLogic: A Natural History of Digital Life.

We also partner and consult with organizations to build and integrate technology into arts and culture programs. For a recent partnership with Michigan Central, we worked with leadership to define the initial framework and secure a four-year grant ($500K per year from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation) that provides seed funding for the Michigan Central Art Program, complemented by internal resources. We created, launched, and administered the 2024 Michigan Central x Newlab Art + Technology Residency. This edition of the program supported six Detroit-based artists for six months with studio space, professional development, and a $30,000 stipend to explore the confluence of art, design, science, and technology. Residents had unrestricted access to $15 million of advanced fabrication tools at Newlab, fostering significant personal and professional growth. The first cohort included Simon Anton, Ash Arder, Leith Campbell, Michael Candy, Kristina Sheufelt, and Wes Taylor.

NEA: Was there a specific interest or experience that led you to include technology in your arts programming (or arts practice)?

rootoftwo: Our inclusion of technology in arts programming and practice stems from our distinct yet complementary backgrounds. John, with roots in sculpture and product design, and Cézanne, with theater and public policy expertise, found technology to be a bridge between our disciplines. It was the shared domain we were both non-native to, but which allowed us to fuse our practices. Our first collaborative project as rootoftwo epitomized this fusion. We staged a version of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, where the audience discovered us assembling a large-scale puzzle without rules, script, or traditional theatrical roles at the second Philadelphia Fringe Festival. This experiment, A country road. A tree. Evening. blurred the lines between performers and the audience, as the public organically engaged to complete the puzzle each time we performed this work. A DIY micro-video system documented and locally live-streamed the process, emphasizing interaction and participation. This project encapsulated how technology could create new forms of engagement, bridging artwork and audience, and became the foundation for our approach to socio-technical exploration.

NEA: What are some of the ways you have experienced arts and technology activities contributing to the wellbeing of individuals and communities?

rootoftwo: Arts and technology activities are vital in enhancing community wellbeing, particularly in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked as consultants for the Cultural Center Planning Initiative (CCPI) in Detroit to develop the digital masterplan and strategic framework for this initiative. Early in the project, we identified the urgent need for digital connectivity and worked with Midtown Detroit, Inc., Wayne State University, and the other cultural institutions in the district to create a free public Wi-Fi network across this 83-acre cultural district. This initiative, supported by grants from the Knight Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, extended Wayne State University’s existing campus network to provide accessible and reliable internet throughout outdoor spaces.

This infrastructure was transformative during the pandemic, offering residents and visitors a safe way to stay connected while accessing digital programming, educational content, and cultural events. The public Wi-Fi network also supported pilot projects like DLECTRICITY, which utilized the technology for interactive light installations and live-streamed performances, ensuring that the arts remained accessible even during a period of social distancing. By bridging the digital divide, we demonstrated how technology can foster inclusion and resilience in challenging times.

NEA: What are some ways the arts and cultural field can play a role in building a more equitable future with technology?

rootoftwo: The arts and cultural field can play a critical role in building a more equitable future with technology by fostering inclusive dialogue, participatory design, and public accountability. A compelling example is our 2023 Creative Capital project, Anyspace? Whatever. This public installation addresses equity and justice within “smart” city technologies. By creating a platform for workshops, community-led research, and people’s assemblies, the project encourages diverse stakeholders to co-create consentful technology practices and rights frameworks. For instance, the project’s mobile community engagement workshop (a tabletop game titled 463NCY) had its first public playtests during the Detroit Month of Design 2024, supported by the Design Justice Network and the National Science Foundation's Innovation, Culture, and Creativity project. 463NCY engages participants in examining issues like privacy, open data governance, and digital inclusion. Its development and premiere is supported through a 2024 Knight New Works grant. By initiating public debate and providing tools for envisioning equitable technological futures, Anyspace? Whatever. exemplifies how the arts can empower communities to shape accountable systems, resisting the unchecked implementation of networked urban technologies while imagining opportunities for greater agency and justice.

NEA: Can you share an example of how your work or practice raises the public’s awareness or understanding of the responsible use of AI in the field of arts?

rootoftwo: Our work intersects with artificial intelligence by engaging the public in critical discussions about its responsible use. For example, John uses AI as an editing tool, employing it in a controlled, iterative manner—not to generate content from scratch but to refine and enhance ideas, drafts, and fragments. This process highlights the importance of transparency in how AI is integrated into creative workflows. Cézanne is active in policy research and advocacy networks surrounding AI and its ramifications for creative workers.

rootoftwo advocates for an AI transparency statement in creative works to foster accountability. This framework outlines whether AI was used to generate, improve, suggest, or correct text and ensures that human discretion remains central in decision-making. The approach raises awareness of AI's role and encourages ethical practices by demystifying how these tools influence the creative process.

Generative AI poses growing challenges, including violating the intellectual property rights of creative people and flooding the digital ecosystem with self-referential content. By addressing these concerns through public conversations and creative projects, our practice aims to create critical awareness of its implications for culture and society in the full knowledge that the tech companies are largely driving public policy and how we view these issues with little regard for public interest. We think that artists, creative practitioners, and the cultural sector can play a role in unpacking the complexity of technological transformation in society.    

NEA: What have been some reactions or memorable experiences that has occurred during one of your arts and technology-related activities?

rootoftwo: We are probably best known for our Whithervanes project (2014-18). One of the most memorable experiences from this occurred during its first iteration at the 2014 Folkestone Triennial. The public art installation, featuring interactive headless chicken sculptures that responded to fear-related internet keywords, invited audience participation through (what was then) Twitter using hashtags like #skyfalling or #keepcalm to influence the system's "fear levels."

A particularly striking interaction involved a local resident who could see one of the sculptures from her kitchen window. Each night, she would post speculative Tweets about the chicken's behavior, interpreting its state and creating an ongoing narrative around it. This kind of sustained, personal engagement—where someone incorporates the artwork into their daily life—perfectly encapsulates the durational interaction and community dialogue we strive to foster through our art and technology projects.

NEA: Has technology always been a core interest to your work or practice? Is there a specific experience or cross-sector arts and technology collaboration(s) that was largely influential?

rootoftwo: Technology has been a core interest in our practice. It is a crucial bridge between our sculpture, product design, theater, public policy, and research backgrounds. An essential experience was the Serious Games exhibition at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1997. A major influence has been the work of Diller + Scofidio (now DS+R), whose trajectory from installation art, making things like Tourisms: suitCase Studies to groundbreaking architectural projects like the Blur Building for the Swiss National Exposition in 2002, inspired us deeply. When we were defining how we wanted to work, their innovative use of technology as both medium and message demonstrated the possibilities for creating immersive, thought-provoking works that blend art, design, and technology at an architectural scale.

A particularly resonant moment for us is their cover feature in Architecture magazine, with the headline "We Won!" (April 2000). It serves as a touchstone, a reminder of what’s possible when bold ideas and technology intersect. They look like a pair of goofballs. That cover got us through some critical moments where we pointed at it as an indicator of what's possible. Their approach has informed our commitment to using technology for collaboration and pushing boundaries in our work.

NEA: How can small or mid-sized arts organizations get involved with this work, if coming to it for the first time? Why should they not feel intimidated, and how can they explore these tools/activities even on a modest budget or with more limited resources?

rootoftwo: Finding moments of play and experimentation across an organization is a good strategy for demystifying and trying new things in technology. For example, “lunch and learn” sessions could invite staff members or local artists and creative technologists to give mini-presentations, demos or bite-sized workshops. It can also be incorporated into offsites as well. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES RECOMMENDED BY ROOTOFTWO

A People’s Guide to Tech: Team that creates books, guides, workshops, and creative resources that help people navigate their past and future with technology.

BULK Space: A dynamic network supporting Detroit’s cultural landscape of artists, curators, and arts enthusiasts. The media lab at BULK Space helps get artists excited about tech and helps them learn how to use it in their work. 

POWRPLNT: Media arts organization that empowers individuals to bridge the digital divide by organizing community interactions. 

Creative AI Lab: Ongoing project to aggregate tools and resources for artists, designers, engineers, curators, and researchers to incorporate machine learning and other forms of artificial intelligence into their practice. 

Serpentine Legal Lab: How the law can support collaboration across art, science, and technology. 

Jax Deluca oversees the NEA’s grant portfolio and resources focused on supporting the diverse ecology of film and media arts ecosystems across the nation.