Hiroshi Ishii and the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab have pioneered new ways for people to interact with computers, with the invention of the “tangible user interface.”It began with a vision of "Tangible Bits," where users can manipulate ordinary physical objects to access digital information. It evolved into a bolder vision of "Radical Atoms," where materials can change form and reconfigure themselves just as pixels can on a screen. This experimental exhibit of three iconic works — SandScape, inFORM, and TRANSFORM — is part of the MIT Museum's ongoing efforts to collect the physical machines as well as preserve the user experience of, in Ishii's words, making atoms dance.Learn more about the exhibits here, or watch the YouTube video of Hiroshi Ishii's talk at the MIT Museum below.This is an ongoing exhibition in our MIT Collects exhibition.

Janet Echelman's Remembering the Future widens our perspective in time, giving sculptural form to the history of the Earth's climate from the last ice age to the present moment, and then branching out to visualize multiple potential futures.Constructed from colored twines and ropes that are braided, knotted and hand-spliced to create a three-dimensional form, the immersive artwork greets you with its grand scale presiding over the MIT Museum lobby.This large-scale installation by 2022-2024 MIT Distinguished Visiting Artist Janet Echelman, was developed during her residency at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST). Architect, engineer and MIT Associate Professor Caitlin Mueller collaborated on the development of the piece.The title, Remembering the Future was inspired by the writings commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard: "The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you'll never have."As the culmination of three years of dedicated research and collaboration, this site-specific installation explores Earth's climate timeline, translating historical records and possible futures into sculptural form.Echelman's climate research for this project was guided by Professor Raffaele Ferrari and the MIT Lorenz Center, creators of En-ROADS simulator which uses current climate data and modeling to visualize the impact of environmental policies and actions on energy systems.Learn more about Janet Echelman and the MIT Museum x CAST Collaboration.Learn more about the exhibition at the MIT Museum.

Time: 12:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

Time: 12:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

Time: 5:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

BOWIE CELLO SYMPHONIC AURA: BLACKSTAR VISUALIZED Maya Beiser, cello; Evan Ziporyn, conductor; Ambient OrchestraSaturday, January 10 2026 8:00PM EST MIT Thomas Tull Concert Hall 201 Amherst St, Cambridge, MA 02139Tickets start at $47Add to Google Calendar | Add to iCal/OutlookComposer Evan Ziporyn unveiled a stunning reimagining of David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, as a cello concerto by visionary cellist Maya Beiser in 2017 that has mesmerized audiences around the world. Now, on the 10th anniversary of the legendary star’s passing, Alex Rigopulos (cocreator of Rock Band and Guitar Hero) and studio Secret Portal add an immersive video projection to the music performed live by Beiser and the 20+ musicians of Ambient Orchestra—resulting in the powerful multimedia tribute Aura: Blackstar Visualized. This concert honors legendary composer Glenn Branca and the continuing work of the Glenn Branca Ensemble to expand what is possible in contemporary music. Branca’s 45 years of work as a composer included music for experimental rock bands, large ensemble instrumentals for electric guitars, symphonies for both electric instrumentation and acoustic orchestras, chamber ensembles, an opera, a ballet, choral works, and music for film, dance, theater, and installation art. His impact is also felt in the influence he had on artists as diverse as Sonic Youth, David Bowie, Swans, and many other composers and sound artists. The Glenn Branca Ensemble, led by Reg Bloor, concertmaster and Branca’s right hand since 2000, will perform the soon-to-be-released The Third Ascension and Branca’s last composition, “The Light (For David)”. Also on the program will be two of Branca's rarely performed orchestral works, Free Form and the first movement of Symphony No. 14: 2,000,000,000 Light Years from Home, performed by the Ambient Orchestra under the direction of Evan Ziporyn.This performance is copresented by Global Arts Live and MIT Music & Theater Arts.