Carolyn Kirschner

Carolyn Kirschner is a Lecturer in Design at Goldsmiths, University of London, with a background in architecture. Her research explores complex relationships between humans, ecologies, and machines, particularly in the context of the climate crisis. She employs scientific tools, digital fabrication, environmental data, and film to create speculative fragments from alternate worlds, focusing on realms beyond human senses.

Education: Carolyn holds an MA in Architecture from the Royal College of Art (2015-2017) and a BArch in Architecture from the University of Nottingham (2011-2014).

Research Interests: Her interdisciplinary work spans ecological design, speculative design, and art-science research. She investigates the Arctic through machine vision and remote sensing, exploring non-human perspectives and geopolitical implications. Her projects include studies of the Earth's magnetic field, satellite data gaps, and the use of zebrafish as model organisms for understanding human-fish interconnectedness.

Publications: Her articles and book chapters focus on speculative applications of environmental data, machine vision in ecological contexts, and material explorations of climate narratives. Recent works examine Arctic geopolitics through remote sensing and embodied experiences of cultural artifacts.

Awards and Fellowships:

• Prize Funding Award, City Science Lab Hamburg & German Federal Cultural Foundation (2023)
• Research & Enterprise Funding, Goldsmiths (2022)
• Production Grant, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (2019)
• Dissertation Distinction, Royal College of Art (2017)

Teaching: Carolyn co-leads Year 2 of the BA Design program and mentors students through residencies and research collaborations. She has held positions at Parsons School of Design and Designed Realities Studio.

Labs/Teams: Current S+T+ARTS EC(H)O Resident at TU Dresden University of Technology, collaborating with Max Planck Institute scientists on zebrafish biomolecular research. Previously fellow at Designed Realities Studio (Dunne & Raby) and ZKM Center for Art and Media.