Future of Storytelling: art, tech and decentralization

Join us for an evening of art & code, as we host a special meetup in collaboration with the Solana Foundation. This Columbia DSL gathering will explore the evolving relationship between creative technology and storytelling. We'll establish an open classroom that invites practitioners, students and industry professionals from across film, TV, gaming, theatre, podcasting, and beyond to engage in a deep dive into the past, present, and future of storytelling through technology.

We’ll examine historic intersections of art and tech—such as Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.)—while also uncovering how emerging and decentralized technologies are reshaping narrative forms today. How do blockchain, AI, and new digital infrastructures influence the way we tell, share, and experience stories? How can we harness these tools to push the boundaries of creative expression?

This is a space for collective exploration, experimentation, and discussion. Whether you’re a storyteller, technologist, researcher, or just curious about the future of narrative, we invite you to take part in this Columbia DSL community conversation.

Special guests include (more to be added)

Josh Corn is one of the founders and lead creative technologist for Double Take Labs – a transdisciplinary design studio that is always looking for unique ways to blend creative technology and physical design into interactive experiences. His work includes designing hardware for immersive theater shows, custom vending machines for slime amusement parks, a robotic airport assistant, and mechanical objects for virtual/physical field day games. Josh also teaches at New York University’s ITP program, CUNY City College of Technology and Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

Robbie Shilstone — a Los Angeles-based animator, director, and filmmaker. His body of work showcases a wide variety of styles, themes, and techniques to match each projects' narrative. He pulls from abstraction, minimalism, music, fine art and philosophy to create soulful works. Having worked with pillars of the art world such as Apple, The MoMA, and Disney, he now looks to tell his own stories and push animation forward.

Nikhil Kumar works on new product development at the Solana Foundation and is a multimedia artist primarily focused on sound and biomaterials. He's fascinated by non-human scale and uses his art to explore subjects from unconventional perspectives.

Lance Weiler (aka culturehacker) is a storyteller, entrepreneur and thought leader. An alumni of the Sundance Screenwriting Lab, he is recognized as a pioneer because of the way he mixes storytelling and technology. WIRED magazine named him “one of 25 people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood.” Always interested in experimenting with new ways to tell stories and engage audiences, Lance has designed experiences that have reached millions of people via theaters, mobile devices, and online. In recognition of these storytelling innovations, BUSINESSWEEK named Lance “One of the 18 Who Changed Hollywood.”