About the Residency
Astria Suparak joins UW–Madison as the Division of the Arts’ Spring 2026 Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence from March 8–14, 2026, hosted by the Art Department and Professor Helen Lee, with cross-campus support from multiple campus partners.
Her residency centers on the multimedia lecture-performance Asian Futures, Without Asians (AFWA) and related engagements exploring race, futurity, media representation, and Asian and Asian American visibility. Campus and community events include public performances, class visits, studio conversations, and cross-disciplinary dialogue across the arts and humanities
About the Artist
Astria Suparak is a curator, artist, and writer whose work examines race, gender, and power in popular culture and speculative futures. Her projects use research-driven creative formats to reveal how institutionalized racism, classism, and colonialism are embedded in media such as science fiction film, rock music, memes, and sports.
Her installations, videos, and performances have been presented at the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Institute of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), and ArtScience Museum (Singapore), among others. She has curated exhibitions and screenings for the Liverpool Biennial; Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City; MoMA PS1; The Kitchen; Carnegie Museum of Art; and EXPO Chicago, as well as unconventional venues including roller-skating rinks, sports bars, and music clubs. Suparak is a recipient of the San Francisco Bay Area Artadia Award and lives and works in Oakland, California.
As artist-in-residence, Suparak brings her research-based practice to UW–Madison, creating opportunities for students, faculty, and community members to critically examine representations of Asian-ness in science fiction and contemporary media while imagining more equitable futures.
Media & Recognition
- Asian Futures, Without Asians presented widely at universities and arts centers internationally
- Coverage includes The New York Times, KQED, 4Columns, V Magazine, Variable West, and campus press outlets
- Work noted for combining humor, scholarship, and multimedia performance strategies to unpack techno-orientalism in popular media
- YouTube
Selected Press Quotes
- The Michigan Daily described AFWA as “a compelling yet brutally honest exploration,” highlighting its use of lighting, multiple screens, and performance structure.
- The California Aggie noted that audiences “can’t unsee” how Asian cultures appear in the background of speculative futures while white protagonists remain centered.
Public Events
Asian Futures, Without Asians
Play Circle Theater
- Wednesday, March 11, 2026
5:00 pm performance | 4:30 pm doors - Thursday, March 12, 2026
7:00 pm performance | 6:30 pm doors
panel to follow: Preeti Chopra, Derek Johnson, Nam Kim; moderator: Helen Lee
Mask-wearing is requested by the artist; masks will be available at the venue.
Glass & Neon Fabrication Demonstration
UW Glass Lab, Art Lofts
- Friday, March 13, 2026
2:00–5:00 pmStep inside the UW Glass Lab for a live demonstration exploring how glass and neon shape the visual language of futurity. Artist Astria Suparak collaborates with Daniella Thach (MFA ’27) in the Neon Lab to fabricate an animated neon snake, while UW Glass Lab staff and students work with musician Tammy Lakkis to experiment with glass instruments and electronic sound. Part studio visit, part performance, part experiment — this is a rare behind-the-scenes look at material, light, and sound coming together.
Free and open to the public. Mask-wearing is requested by the artist; masks will be available at the venue.
Guest Artist
Tammy Lakkis
Tammy Lakkis is a songwriter, singer, producer, poet, and DJ based in Hamtramck, Michigan with a focus on genre-defying and transnational electronic music. Lakkis—who grew up in Windsor, Ontario and Dearborn Heights, Michigan—made a name for herself performing playful, all-hardware live sets, singing bilingually in English and Arabic. Her debut EP, Notice (2021), gained international traction and accolades. She is a resident DJ at Motor City Wine and Temple Bar, in Detroit. Lakkis is working on a full length album.
Presenters
The Astria Suparak Interdisciplinary Arts Residency is presented by the UW–Madison Division of the Arts through the Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program, in partnership with the Art Department and Professor Helen Lee, with support from campus units committed to cross-disciplinary engagement around race, media, and futures.
Collaborators & Partners
Lead Partners
Division of the Arts (DotA), Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program
Art Department / The Studio
Campus Co-Sponsors
Brittingham Wisconsin Trust
Anonymous Fund
University Lectures
Art Department
Center for Visual Cultures & Performance Studies (CVCPS)
Asian American Studies
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Art History
Communication Arts
Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies
Center for Design and Material Culture
Additional partners as confirmed in the shared budget spreadsheet
Venue Partner
Wisconsin Union Theater — Play Circle