Xavier Nokes

Xavier Nokes (they/them/elle) is a creative technologist and PhD student in Media Arts & Sciences; they hold a Master’s degree in Arts, Media and Engineering and currently serve as a faculty member teaching multiple digital art courses at Mesa Community College. Their research centers around the concept of the “utopian-alt”, a term that serves in lieu of the concept of utopia by addressing the concept of finality via utopia as dangerous and unobtainable for members of marginalized communities. Their work is built on concepts of Indigenous (communal, nonhierarchical) knowledge, psychedelic and adjacent practice (such as integration), archiving and histories (particularly in light of altered/unheard histories, such as those of specific communities and individuals), and phenomenology.

 

With primary software experience with the programs TouchDesigner and Notch, they also have experience in programs such as Max/MSP, Arduino, Rhino 6, and more. They currently are a leader of AMESA, the Arts, Media and Engineering Student Association, as well as a member of the second ever cohort for ESSA’s Weaving Relations program exploring Indigenous Food Justice, awaiting funding for a CAP LTER project centered around community engagement in understanding air quality and health with The Sagrado Galleria in South Phoenix, and also will serve as an intern with the Telluride Institute in Colorado in the Summer of 2023. Previous recent works include visualizations for The Air Around Us, designspace, and the Grand Opening of the MIX Center.