Events are an integral part of the master programs: from workshops with guests professors to lectures series with relevant practitioners.
Wed, Mar 18, 2026
Masters’ Talks
7.30 pm — Event at DHub
Open to the public
Kathy Ryan
Backstories
Backstories
Kathy Ryan will choose a handful of photographs that stand out in her mind from the pages of The New York Times Magazine during the 39 years she worked there. She will share the backstory for each picture to give insight into how that image came into being. The photographs will cover a wide range of subject matter including international news, lifestyle stories, and culture coverage.
© Inez and Vinoodh
Ryan will also show and talk about some of the photographs from her Office Romance series that she made during the last decade she worked at The NYTMAG. They are a love poem to her colleagues and a celebration of the radiant light in the Renzo Piano-designed New York Times building.
The longtime director of photography at The New York Times Magazine, Kathy Ryan has been a pioneer of combining fine art photography with photojournalism. She has worked with the world’s best photographers across all genres of photography. She regularly brought new talent into The Magazine’s pages. She left The Times after 39 years to focus on her own artwork, curating exhibitions, teaching a course at Yale, and speaking engagements.
In 2011, Ryan edited The New York Times Magazine Photographs, a landmark book published by Aperture. An accompanying exhibition, curated by Ryan and Lesley Martin opened at the Rencontres d’Arles in 2012, traveled to FOAM Museum in Amsterdam, Palau Robert in Barcelona, Universidad Católica in Santiago and ended its run at the Aperture Gallery in New York City.
Ryan has contributed essays and Q&A’s to books by photographers Lee Friedlander, Christopher Payne, Seydou Keïta, Paolo Pellegrin, Lynsey Addario, Jack Davison and Brian Finke. She was the picture editor of Feeling the Spirit by Chester Higgins.
The Magazine‘s photography and videos have been recognized with numerous awards. Ryan was awarded the Dr. Erich Salomon Prize from the German Photographic Society in September 2025. Ryan was a recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Griffin Museum of Photography in 2007; the Royal Photographic Society’s annual award for Outstanding Service to Photography in 2012; the Vision Award at the Center for Photography at Woodstock in 2014; and the Outstanding Contribution to Photography recognition from Creative Review in 2016. Ryan has been recognized as Photo Editor of the Year by the Lucie Awards and Visa Pour l’Image. Ryan won two Emmy’s for videos she produced for The New York Times Magazine’s Great Performers series. Kathy was the International Center of Photography’s Spotlight honoree in 2024.
Office Romance, a book of Ryan’s photographs featuring her colleagues and the beauty and poetry to be found in the radiant light in the New York Times building was published by Aperture in 2014. This work has been exhibited in Europe and the U.S. All of Ryan’s photography is done with the iPhone.
April 9 — 11, 2026
Workshop
Núria Nia
IA & Performance
Only for MAIAD students
AI & Performance
The workshop will give the main keys of Performance Art and its intersections with disciplines, technologies and concepts to propose the exploration of a creative investigative process based on IA and performance. We will explore the history, theories, and practices of Performance Art while learning about the interactions between Performance Art and other disciplines, to be able to incorporate technology and IA into a transdisciplinary creative process.
Núria Nia
Trained in cinema, digital art and communication, doctoral student in Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, her artistic practice starts from the audiovisual medium to combine with other forms such as performance or installation, activating mixtures of contexts and practices several that nurture theoretical and artistic research on topics such as digital bodies, digital work, the image-screen, the performed archive and collective thought.
Wed, May 27, 2026
Masters’ Talks
7.30 pm — Event at DHub
Open to the public
Jonas Janke, b+
Love me one time, two times … x times !
Love me one time, two times … x times !
The lecture is not a conventional showcase of selected projects from our daily practice, but rather aims to provide a broader insight into the network of actors in which b+ (bplus.xyz) operates, how we understand the contemporary way of an architectural practice and scope of work of an architect, and how we approach our projects—in short: who b+ is and how we work, what our values are, and what our understanding of our duties and responsibilities as architects is.
Jonas Janke (DE, 1991) is an architect and partner at bplus.xyz (Berlin). He has a diverse background in architecture, was trained as an architectural draughtsman before pursuing his studies in Hamburg, Stockholm, and Berlin. He gained valuable experience as a tutor and assistant in various departments including design & typologies, building construction, and structural design. He was part of the team 2038, the German Pavilion at 17th Venice Architecture Biennale 2021.
His early teaching experiences include guest studios at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Politecnico di Milano (Italy). He is regularly invited to give lectures and guest critiques at universities, cultural institutions, and public institutions. His focus is on new ecological construction materials and methods for adaptive reuse and renovation projects, seeking pragmatic and efficient technical and mechanical solutions that use material and construction thoughtfully.
bplus.xyz (b+) is a collaborative architecture practice (led by Arno Brandlhuber, Olaf Grawert, Jonas Janke and Roberta Jurčić) that operates at the intersection of theory and practice, using different media and formats. The practice seeks to engage with the contemporary challenges of our time, particularly those related to the social-ecological transformation of existing buildings, offering economically viable solutions.
b+ understands architecture as an open process, and views buildings as part of larger systems that require a systemic approach. The practice sees the given framework of existing buildings and legislation as an active design tool with the potential for transformation. Thus, b+ celebrates the potential of the existing built environment and aims to reveal and activate the latent potentials within.
b+ emphasizes working with different actors and stakeholders in project development. The practice values their knowledge and expertise and aims to create spaces for exchange and collaboration. b+ seeks to advance a new value system in architecture, one that places greater emphasis on collective responsibility, systemic thinking, and ecologically and economically viable solutions.
The current project in the field of political activism is the European citizens’ initiative HouseEurope! – HouseEurope! wants to create incentives that make renovation the new norm. This will boost the renovation market and give new value to what is already there. The goal is to preserve homes and communities, ensure a fairer and more local building industry, save energy and resources, and preserve our memories and stories.
May 25 — 29, 2026
Conference
Geneva, Switzerland
AI for Good
Global Summit 2026
Recommended external event for MHUAI students
AI for Good Global Summit 2026 is the leading United Nations global event focused on using artificial intelligence to address major global challenges. Over five days, experts from technology, design, science, public policy and international organisations come together to explore how AI can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The event combines conferences, technology showcases, workshops and multidisciplinary collaboration spaces.
AI for Good is a United Nations initiative led by ITU that promotes the responsible use of artificial intelligence to generate positive social impact. Through summits, projects and collaborative platforms, it connects governments, companies, researchers and designers to develop technological solutions aligned with current and future social, environmental and humanitarian challenges.
May 2026
Workshop
Garden of Light, Movement & Sound, Stephanie Rodriguez
Only for MHUAI students
Garden of Light, Movement & Sound is an intensive workshop where students explore collaboration between humans, artificial intelligence and physical systems. Over four days, participants design and build reactive plants that respond to human presence through light, sound and movement. The workshop combines creativity, technology and hands-on experimentation, culminating in a collective installation that embodies the idea of human machine co creation.
The workshop offers a collaborative learning environment focused on creative experimentation with artificial intelligence and basic electronics. Participants work in small groups to design an interactive object using Arduino, sensors and AI tools as creative support. The process prioritises exploration, hands-on learning and the collective construction of a shared interactive installation.
Stephanie Rodriguez is a professional working at the intersection of technology and human experience. With a background in mechatronics engineering and intelligent interactive systems, she specialises in artificial intelligence, programming, data science and human robot interaction. Her work focuses on the ethical and human centred use of technology in creative and educational contexts.
past events
Wed, Dec 13, 2023
masters’ talks
7.30 pm — Event at DHub
Open to the public
Yazmany Arboleda
Color Changing Everything
At the heart of Yazmany Arboleda’s practice is the idea that art is a verb, not a noun. It is something we do, and something we see. He believes that art is a universal language of invention and agency, through which we define and redefine culture, express our shared experiences and envision all possibilities. His values driven practice centers collaboration and interdependence as a future-casting practice. The talk will explore a series of projects that showcase the evolution of his practice.
Yazmany Arboleda (b. 1981, Colombian-American) serves as the first People’s Artist for New York City at the Civic Engagement Commission and is the Founder of The People’s Creative Institute. An architect by training, Yazmany art practice fosters community connections through expansive public art initiatives. He also holds the role of Senior Artistic Advisor for the Community Art Network, He has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the Yale School of Management, and the United Nations.
His artistic practice is deeply rooted in the trauma he endured when his father and uncles were assassinated in Medellin, Colombia, at the age of 11. For him, art became a sanctuary for exploration and self-discovery. It has provided him with the means to grasp his own evolving identity as a continually changing individual. His mission is to convey that art can function as a similar space of discovery and transformation for others as well. He endeavors to inspire people to recognize the potential of art for personal growth and collective understanding.
Wed, Oct 25, 2023
masters’ talks
7.30 pm — Event at DHUB
Open to the public
Alice Rawsthorn
Design as an Attitude
What does design mean to us now? What will it mean in the near future? How can it help us to address the complex challenges of this turbulent, often terrifying time: from the climate emergency and refugee crisis, to curbing inequality, bigotry and violence, and ensuring that powerful new technologies will be used to make our lives better, not worse. Alice Rawsthorn will describe how the new generation of “attitudinal designers” are reinventing the practice and possibilities of design by using their skills, networks and resourcefulness to address these issues and to foster positive change.
Alice Rawsthorn is an award-winning design critic and author, whose books include Design as an Attitude and, most recently, Design Emergency: Building a Better Future. co-written with Paola Antonelli, senior design curator at MoMA, New York. Alice’s weekly design column for The New York Times was syndicated worldwide for over a decade. In all her work, Alice champions design’s potential as a social, political and ecological tool to foster positive change.
Born in Manchester and based in London, she is a founding member of the Writers for Liberty campaign for human rights and a cofounder, with Paola, of Design Emergency, a podcast and research platform that investigates design’s role in forging a fairer future.
Wednesday
May 31, 2023
7.30 pm
Gail Bichler, The New York Times Magazine
Masters’ Talks
Design for the Times
Design for the Times
The New York Times Magazine is known for bringing together ambitious journalism, powerful visuals and daring typographic systems. Creative Director, Gail Bichler will discuss how her team approaches designing for the diverse range of content that the magazine publishes including designing for current events in real-time.
She will talk about the current role of the magazine within the larger context of the Times, give a behind the scenes look at how their conceptual covers are made, and share her thoughts on the role of experimentation in everything from the magazine’s special issues to their digital presence to some of their forays into other mediums like audio and print only sections of the paper.
Gail Bichler is the creative director of The New York Times Magazine where she leads the creative team responsible for the design and art direction of The Magazine and its supplements. She and her team have won numerous awards for their print and interactive design from organizations including the Art Directors Club, the Society of Publication Designers, D&AD, the American Institute for Graphic Arts, the Type Directors Club and Creative Review, among others. Gail has taught and lectured internationally. She is a member of AGI and a former board member of the SPD.
Wednesday,
April 12, 2023
7.30 pm
Lev Manovich
Masters’ Talks
One billion Rembrandts?
Inside Visual AI Revolution
Event at COA, Plaça Nova 5
Book your seat (soon)
In an article about people using AI image synthesis tools, WSJ compared their arrival to another major technological revolution in art – the adoption of photography in the 19th century (8/19/22). New Yorker magazine stated: “How we work — even think — changes when we can instantly command convincing images into existence.” (9/19/22) NYT wrote that “A.I.-based image generators like DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have made it possible for anyone to create unique, hyper-realistic images just by typing a few words into a text box.” (10/21/22)
Are we indeed living through a major revolution in visual culture? Is it true that “anybody” can create “unique” images using this technology? In my talk I will critically evaluate some of the claims made about AI Image Synthesis, and suggest alternative ways of understanding it. The talk draws on the latest chapter in the book “Artificial Aesthetics: a Critical Guide to AI, Design and Media” (Manovich and Arielli, 2021-) being published online at manovich.net
Lev Manovich is a world-renown innovator and top influencer in many fields, including digital art, media theory, digital humanities, and cultural analytics. He is a Presidential Professor at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and a Director of the Cultural Analytics Lab. Manovich was included in the list of “25 People Shaping the Future of Design” and the list of “50 Most Interesting People Building the Future”. He is an author of 15 books that include The Language of New Media described as “the most suggestive and broad-ranging media history since Marshall McLuhan.”
Wednesday,
March 22, 2023
7.30 pm
Jesper Kouthoofd, Teenage Engineering
Masters’ Talks
Work and life at Teenage Engineering
Event at COA, Plaça Nova 5
Book your seat (soon)
teenage engineering is developing the alternative future of consumer electronics, each invention designed to last. from reimagining music-making with the iconic OP-1 portable synthesizer and growing the synth population with the affordable pocket operator series, to rethinking listening with the OD-11 ortho directional speaker and the OB–4 magic radio, they have applied their signature mindset to a new legacy of enduring technologies.
Their creations have attracted collaborations with well-known artists and brands, sharing in their vision to integrate creativity into the everyday. teenage engineering was founded in 2007 and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Jesper Kouthoofd is head of design, founder & CEO of teenage engineering. His work has been recognised in magazines such as New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Wall Street Journal, Wallpaper, Wired, Popular Mechanics, G3 and many more across the globe. Together with his 40 engineers at teenage engineering he has launched products such as the already legendary synthesizer OP-1, pocket operators and reengineered the classic OD-11 (by Stig Carlsson). He believes in making products for everyone, no matter where you live or what language you speak.
Wednesday
February 22, 2023
7.30 pm
Amical Dall, Assemble
Masters’ Talks
The Work of Repair
Event at COA, Plaça Nova 5
Book your seat (soon)
The Work of Repair
Amica will reflect on how architectural and creative practices can orientate themselves away from invention and innovation towards the patient and slow work of repair, and consider work that is based on making long-term, personal or ethical commitments to sites, situations, and social contexts. She will cover some of Assemble’s early work, before discussing a set of projects that reorientated her and the studio’s attitudes towards the city and the rural, material ethics and intergenerational justice.
Amica Dall is an inter-disciplinary practitioner focused on architecture and city culture and children’s right to the city. She is a founding member of Assemble, where she delivered more than 15 major projects over ten years. Her work as a writer and filmmaker has been broadcast on the BBC, exhibited at the Venice Biennale, and published in E-Flux. She recently co-wrote a book on post-carbon future for architecture with architecture practice, Material Cultures. Amica has taught across a wide range of subjects and works with both children and post-graduates.
Assemble is a multi-disciplinary collective working across architecture, design and art. Founded in 2010 to undertake a single self-built project, Assemble has since delivered a diverse and award-winning body of work, whilst retaining a democratic and co-operative working method that enables built, social and research-based work at a variety of scales, both making things and making things happen. Turner Prize in 2016, and nominated in 2022 to the Royal Academy in recognition of their collective contribution to the culture of city making.
