Katina Bitsicas, a new media artist and Assistant Professor of Digital Storytelling at Mizzou, breaks boundaries within the field of visual studies and between disciplines. Her work examines death, interpersonal connections, medicine and agriculture. As the newest Artist in Residence for the University of California San Francisco, Bitsicas will extend the frontier of digital storytelling even further.

You may have seen Bitsicas’ work in the NextGen Precision Health building’s Visualization Studio. The eye-catching work, titled Enduring Impermanence, shows deep blue cell structures. The combination of art and science is uniquely appropriate to the collaborative spirit of the NextGen center.

Another of Bitsicas’ interdisciplinary collaborations, Cecelia, is featured on the homepage for MU’s new Center for the Humanities.

“Bisticas’ artwork was a perfect symbol for our new Center for the Humanities,” says Julie Elman, Director of the Center. “Cecelia showcases the collaborative possibilities of humanities research: the ways in which issues of science, technology, arts and culture interface with individual memories and life experiences.”

Recently, Bitsicas was selected as the newest Artist in Residence for the University of California San Francisco. There, she will create an immersive multimedia project that will transform perspectives on death, loss, agriculture and ecology.

Bitsicas’ project, “Glyphosate Dreams,” will be an immersive experience, combining video, installation, live performance and virtual reality. The experience will examine the potentially harmful effects of glyphosate — a widely used herbicide.

Throughout the creation of this project, Bitsicas will collaborate with UCSF researchers studying toxic chemicals’ effects on the human body. Bitsicas hopes this project will demonstrate the harsh realities of herbicide use and encourage viewers to take action to ensure a healthier future.

Bitsicas’ art fearlessly questions the choices we make every day, like choosing to spray herbicide on the weeds in our gardens. However, Bitsicas is also sending a bigger message: By creating this immersive art experience, Bitsicas is encouraging viewers to deeply explore how our choices today will affect communities, ecosystems and wildlife in the future. “Glyphosate Dreams” is scheduled to debut at UCSF in June 2024.