Two internationally renowned artists are coming to Michigan State University this winter to explore new frontiers at the intersection of art and sciences.

Now in its third year, the MSUFCU Arts Power Up Residency program supports visionary creators as they push the boundaries of cross-disciplinary practice. Designed to foster collaboration, experimentation and bold new thinking, the program gives artists the time, space and resources to develop original, groundbreaking installations while engaging with scholars and researchers across fields.

Carl Craig

Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in electronic music, Detroit-based artist Carl Craig will be in residence from mid-January through April 2026, working in close collaboration with researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, a world-unique rare isotope research laboratory located on MSU’s main campus. Through this residency, Craig will engage directly with cutting-edge scientific inquiry, translating complex research environments into new creative and conceptual forms.

Best known for expanding the boundaries of electronic music through projects that span sound, performance, film and visual art, Craig’s work has been presented internationally in both music and contemporary art contexts. His practice is rooted in experimentation, collaboration and systems-based thinking.

“This residency offers a rare opportunity to immerse myself in an environment where science and creativity converge and to explore how sound, technology and experimental research can inform one another,” said Craig. “I look forward to engaging with the MSU community and creating work that reflects this unique interdisciplinary dialogue.”

Craig’s residency is hosted by the MSU Museum’s CoLab Studio in partnership with FRIB. The legendary DJ and producer’s time here will culminate in a new installation at the MSU Museum in fall 2026, bringing his signature blend of innovation, sound and conceptual exploration into a museum context.

Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm

Leader of the art and technology studio ARTificial Mind (founded in 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark), award-winning Danish artist Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm employs her revolutionary use of artificial intelligence to create an exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum that asks us to question what happens to us as humans — our shared humanity — living in algorithmic societies.

“My artwork explores how data and AI-driven feeds sculpt our public selves while quietly reshaping the inner-rooms of thought — a digital chorus of sirens whose alluring songs pull us, almost unknowingly, toward our own unraveling,” said Falkenstrøm.

Opened to the public on Jan. 30, the exhibition “Synthetic Sirens” was developed out of generative machine-learning models and artificial intelligence, or AI, programs. The residency and exhibition are co-creative endeavors, developed out of the artist’s embedded and ongoing engagements with faculty, staff, researchers and students at the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Falkenstrøm’s residency is also presented in partnership with the MSU Ethics Institute.

Working together, and with a wide range of inputs, visitors continue to shape “Synthetic Sirens” in real time through their participation and engagement. The very idea of learning — together, and with machines — is at the core of this project and ultimately will reveal both the limits of, and opportunities within, our ever-changing algorithmic societies.

Public programs

Both artists bring unique perspectives and backgrounds that position them to bridge artistic inquiry and scientific research here at MSU. In addition to their work with campus researchers and students, Craig and Falkenstrøm will also engage in several public programs during their residencies this semester. Audiences are invited to join the artists for the following events:

Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation

Feb. 19, 5:30–7 p.m.

Join artist Carl Craig and University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University Rodney Whitaker for an in-depth conversation on creativity, improvisation and artistic practice. Both born in Detroit around the same time, Craig and Whitaker bring perspectives shaped by sustained creative inquiry and a shared attention to process.

“Synthetic Sirens: At the Crossroads of Ethics, AI and Social Media”

Feb. 19, 7–8:30 p.m.

As part of MSU’s Ethics Week programming, MSUFCU Arts Power Up artist in residence Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm joins Maral Zakharia, associate professor in the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and Steven L. Bridges, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the Broad Art Museum, to discuss Falkenstrøm’s new artwork, “Synthetic Sirens.” Part talk, part immersive experience — this event is at the intersection of art, technology and ethical considerations today.

This event is presented in partnership with the MSU Ethics Institute, Arts MSU and MSU’s Department of Advertising and Public Relations.

Conversation: Music, Science and Video Games

March 18, 5:30–7 p.m.

Join us for an engaging discussion that explores the intersections of music, science and video games. Featuring composer and techno innovator Carl Craig, physicist Pablo Giuliani from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, game developer Ryan Thompson and musician/producer Chris Vrenna (University of Michigan, Nine Inch Nails), this conversation dives into creativity, technology and interactive media. Moderator Amanda Cote, associate professor and director of the Serious Games Certificate in the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, will guide the panel through how sound, science and play inform artistic and experiential practice.

Artists in Residence in Conversation

April 8, 5:30–7 p.m.

MSUFCU Arts Power Up artists in residence Carl Craig and Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm come together for a conversation exploring art, technology and creative practice. Moderated by Sophia Saliby of WKAR, the discussion offers insight into how artists working across disciplines imagine and shape the future.

The MSUFCU Arts Power Up Residency program is generously supported by an endowed gift from Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.