Mary Flanagan

Mary Flanagan is an internationally recognized artist, writer, and academic known for her interdisciplinary work at the intersection of art, computation, and narrative. She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, MFA and MA degrees from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in Computational Media with a focus on game design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Flanagan has held significant academic positions, including serving as a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she co-founded the Game Design Initiative. She is also a former director of the International Academic Program for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and the Games+Learning+Society conference. Her artistic practice encompasses interactive installations, virtual environments, and collaborative projects that explore themes such as identity, judgment, borders, and cultural memory. Notable works include *help me know the truth* (2016), which received an Award of Distinction at the 2018 Prix Ars Electronica; *borders* (2009), a video series documenting psychogeographic walks in virtual spaces; and *[collection]*, an interactive project featured in the 2002 Whitney Biennial. Flanagan's recent work focuses on virtual reality and interactive storytelling. Her collaborative projects often merge technology with creative expression, fostering dialogue between users and machines through computational techniques like machine learning. Her installations have been exhibited globally, including at venues such as the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon, the Museum of Fine Arts in Cologne, and the ZKM Center for Art and Media. Mary Flanagan's contributions to art, technology, and education have ...