Eyebeam

If you’ve ever watched a glitch artist manipulate a CRT television, seen a speculative design project about surveillance capitalism, or wondered who funded that wild AI-generated installation at your local museum—chances are, Eyebeam’s fingerprints are all over it.

In other words, Eyebeam doesn’t just produce pretty projections. It produces who understand that every line of code is a political choice.

When an Eyebeam fellow makes a camera that refuses to record faces, or a chatbot that only lies, or a thermostat that demands to know why you’re touching it—they’re not being whimsical. They’re stress-testing the world we’re about to live in. eyebeam

Ultimately, Eyebeam serves as a necessary counter-narrative to the corporate narrative of technological progress. It reminds us that innovation does not belong solely to startups or military contractors; it belongs to the poets, the hackers, and the provocateurs who ask "why" and "at what cost?" rather than just "how?" As we navigate an era defined by Artificial Intelligence, algorithmic governance, and virtual realities, the need for Eyebeam’s model of critical, collaborative, and open-source creativity is more urgent than ever. It stands as a testament to the idea that to build a humane future, we must first allow artists to hack the present.

Creating immersive environments that redefine spatial engagement. If you’ve ever watched a glitch artist manipulate

: Uses the standard Session Initiation Protocol to connect with various service providers.

: Historically based in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, it now operates through various "brick-and-mortar" partnerships and digital studios. When an Eyebeam fellow makes a camera that

But unlike a university lab, Eyebeam has no corporate sponsors dictating the research agenda. Unlike a commercial gallery, it doesn’t care if the work sells. Their mission is simple and radical:

Central to Eyebeam’s identity is its unwavering commitment to open source culture. In an era where proprietary software and "walled gardens" dominate the digital landscape, Eyebeam has consistently advocated for the democratization of knowledge. The organization modeled itself less on the traditional art institution and more on the research and development lab or the hacker space. Residents are expected to share their processes, code, and findings with the public, fostering an environment of collaboration rather than competition. This ethos has produced seminal projects that have rippled far beyond the art world, influencing how we think about information sharing and digital rights. By treating code as a cultural material, Eyebeam helped legitimize the idea that programming is a form of creative writing.

: Supports Voice over IP (VoIP), video calling, instant messaging, and "presence" (seeing if contacts are online).

Originally established in the Chelsea neighborhood, Eyebeam later relocated to Brooklyn, returning to its roots as a "public" space for sharing, playing, and connecting in a more accessible environment. The move reflected a commitment to integrating art with civic engagement in a rapidly changing urban landscape.