Jessica Sarah Rinland

Jessica Sarah Rinland is a Professor specializing in interdisciplinary art and documentary filmmaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) within the School of Media, Arts, and Critical Technology (SMACT). Her work explores intersections between ecology, conservation, and museum practices, often collaborating with scientists and conservators. She holds the 2017 Schnitzer Prize and has received grants from Arts Council England, Wellcome Trust, and Elephant Trust, among others. Rinland’s films, such as Those That, at a Distance, Resemble Another, critically examine conservation processes and material culture through tactile, close-up cinematography. She has exhibited globally at venues like the New York Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, and her work engages with natural history, analogue film techniques, and the ethics of replication.

Her research investigates ecological and museological conservation, focusing on how artifacts containing organic materials are preserved. Rinland’s practice includes long-term collaborations with institutions like Harvard Art Museums and the Natural History Museum, London. She has also led workshops, such as Moving a Still Artifact at UnionDocs NYC, critiquing museum representation through film. Her creative outputs span installations, films, and books, reflecting a commitment to bridging art, science, and environmental discourse.