
Bio
Sophia Collender is a New York–based design researcher and creative technologist working at the intersection of human-centered design, emerging technology, and complex systems. Her practice moves between microscopic and time-bending film, web development, and experiments in human-computer interaction — using each to investigate the different scales of activity that make up everyday life, and to translate that research into tangible tools and experiences.
She holds an M.P.S. from NYU Tisch's Interactive Telecommunications Program, and has exhibited work at Yale's Center for Collaborative Arts and Media and the New York Transit Museum. Her work has received support from the Interledger Foundation and the NYU Prototyping Fund, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Artist Statement
Sophia Collender is an artist, researcher, and designer working at the intersection of materials, systems, and access. Her practice centers on making complicated systems approachable, usable, and safe for more people — exploring the mechanics and ephemera of the systems that comprise everyday life as a way of investigating how they might be reimagined to open them up.
She is fundamentally interested in how we think outside a box we've never seen outside of, and how the constraints inherent to the material laws and assumptions of fine art and computing can serve as fertile ground for experimentation and democratization. Her work bridges technical interests with a penchant for fluid, malleable materials and non-linear narrative formats, underlined by a conviction that expanding access to tools, materials, and knowledge expands what people can imagine and create.
Education
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May 2026
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
MPS, Interactive Telecommunications -
May 2024
Fordham University, Lincoln Center
Bachelor of Arts, Film, minor in Art History
Grants + Awards
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2025
Grant Recipient, Interledger Foundation — Awarded funding to research interoperable finance in global transit systems, Mexico City, Mexico.
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2024 & 2026
Grant Recipient, NYU Prototyping Fund — Designed and built a prototype exploring tactile music interaction, New York, NY.
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Nov 2025
Presenter, Interledger Foundation — Delineated research findings at the annual international conference, Mexico City, Mexico.
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2024
Best Experimental Film, NYFTSA Short Film Festival — TECHNOLOGIC awarded first place in the Experimental Film category, New York, NY.
Exhibitions + Publications
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Upcoming
Performance, "Aberrate Radio," Alt Ctrl Fest 2026, Wonderville, New York, NY.
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Upcoming
Group Exhibition, "Look at Her," video, 00:59 (2025), A Home Together, FLOHAUS, New York, NY.
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2026
Group Exhibition, "The Tridimensional Institute for Transportation Research, Analysis, and Discourse: Cartography Division," The New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn, NY.
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2026
Group Exhibition, "Portrait of an Alter Ego," Reflections: Portraits that Define Community, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ.
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2026
Group Exhibition, "The Global Institute for Transportation Research, Analysis, and Discourse: Cartography Division," Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM), New Haven, CT.
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2026
Group Exhibition, "Escape Clause," Complications, The New York Horological Society, New York, NY.
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2025
Group Exhibition, "Simulacra," Regensis, Flora Residency and Group Show, Brooklyn, NY.
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2025
Performance, "The North American Institute for Transportation Research, Analysis, and Discourse: Cartography Division," New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) Show, Littlefield, Brooklyn, NY.
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2025
Group Exhibition, "Rhetoric in Arms," The Public's Domain: Transforming Iconic Works of Fiction and Sound, Mamdouha S. Bobst Gallery, New York, NY.
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2024
Group Exhibition, "MIND CONTROL," Interactive Media Art Show, Brooklyn, NY.
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2025
Publication, "Being Without Brains: Exploring Slime Mold, AI, and Non-Human Spatial Intelligence," Adjacent Journal of Emerging Media.
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2025
Publication, "The Slime Mold Web Archive," Ranger Magazine.
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2025
Publication, "The Consequences of Staying Still," Wisteria Zine.
Work Experience
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Sept – Dec 2025
Graduate Assistant, New York University
Assisted with the development of graduate-level curriculum; facilitated group discussions and provided academic feedback. -
Oct 2024 – May 2026
Research + Data Specialist, New York University
Researching and compiling lists and archives for the Equitable Syllabus Project — artists, writers, theorists, makers, and technicians. -
May 2024 – Present
Art Appraisals Assistant, St. Lifer Art
Handled, identified, and verified pieces of 19th, 20th, and 21st century artwork; visually documented the appraisal process. -
Sept 2023 – Apr 2024
Art and Film Editorial Intern, INTERSECT Magazine
Wrote and published weekly articles on art, film, and television; crafted pitches based on Gen Z trend analysis. -
Jun – Aug 2023
Curatorial Intern, WhiteBox
Collaborated with other interns to update and redesign the company site using WordPress; coordinated with artistic talent. -
Jan – May 2023
Production Intern, Luminoustudios
Wrote and reviewed commercial scripts; worked as a Production Assistant on shoots for clients including H&M. -
Oct – Dec 2022
Graphic Designer + Videographer, Article 25, London
Summarized the annual efforts of the UK's leading architectural NGO using InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.