MIT Open Documentary Lab

MIT Open Documentary Lab The MIT Open Documentary Lab brings technologists, storytellers, and scholars together to advance the new arts of documentary.

Experience powerful stories in virtual reality at the Medford Public Library! 🎧🌍The MIT Open Documentary Lab (MIT Open D...
07/24/2026

Experience powerful stories in virtual reality at the Medford Public Library! 🎧🌍

The MIT Open Documentary Lab (MIT Open Documentary Lab), in partnership with the Independent XR Distribution Coalition (IXRDC), invites you to explore a curated collection of award-winning immersive documentaries at our next:

🎥 IMMERSIVE DOCUMENTARY POP-UP

📍 Medford Public Library – Bonsignore Hall
111 High St, Medford, MA 02155
đź—“ Monday, July 27
⏰ Drop in anytime from 2:00–7:00 PM

Step into groundbreaking VR experiences that explore climate change, identity, immigration, indigeneity, racial justice, disability, memory, and civic life through the work of innovative artists from around the world. No prior VR experience is needed—just bring your curiosity.

Featured projects include:
• Ice Sailors
• Less Than Five Grams of Saffron
• Travelling While Black
• You Destroy. We Create.
• Notes on Blindness
• Danse, Danse Matisse
…and more.

Presented as part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs, an MIT Open Documentary Lab civic research initiative exploring how public libraries can become welcoming spaces for immersive media, community dialogue, and shared discovery.

With generous support from Agog

PublicLibraries MedfordMA CommunityArts ImmersiveMedia CivicMedia InteractiveDocumentary IXRDC

📚✨ Join us tomorrow for an evening exploring the intersection of books, art, technology, and collective experience.We’re...
07/23/2026

📚✨ Join us tomorrow for an evening exploring the intersection of books, art, technology, and collective experience.

We’re excited to welcome Sister Sylvester for an artist talk and book exhibit, “Against Immersion: The Essay Form, Chaos and Order, and Emerging Technology.”

In this talk, Sister Sylvester will explore the possibilities of the essay form within emerging and immersive media, sharing insights from her practice that brings together ✍️ handmade books, 💻 digital technologies, and 🤝 audience participation to create shared experiences.

She will discuss projects including The Eagle and The Tortoise, Drinking Brecht, and Constantinopoliad, as well as methods for exploring the philosophical questions and possibilities of new technologies through works such as Shadowtime and Our Ark.

Whether you’re interested in 📖 reading, ✨ writing, 🎨 book arts, or the future of storytelling through technology, we’d love to have you join us!

đź“Ť Medford Public Library
111 High St, Medford, MA 02155
🗓️ Thursday, July 23
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM

🎟️ Free and open to the public — bring a friend and come be part of the conversation!

MIT Open Documentary Lab today announced that Lab Director Sarah Wolozin is stepping down from her role, effective Sept...
07/20/2026

MIT Open Documentary Lab today announced that Lab Director Sarah Wolozin is stepping down from her role, effective September 1, 2026. Wolozin’s departure marks the culmination of fifteen years of leadership that has shaped the global documentary media field.

Under Sarah’s tenure, Open Documentary Lab has flourished, reinforcing its position as an industry catalyst that unites, sustains, and grows a diverse creative field. Working with Lab founder and Principal Investigator, Professor William Uricchio, Wolozin served as the first director, designing its programming, resources, research, and convenings, forging partnerships supporting artists and scholars, and creating opportunities for students.

We are deeply grateful to Sarah for all she has built and stewarded. The Open Documentary Lab and Co-Creation Studio will continue key projects while restructuring in the fall of 2026 and will announce a new programmatic framework.

Read the full announcement in link in bio.

Experience award-winning immersive documentaries—right at your neighborhood library! 🎧🌍The MIT Open Documentary Lab and...
07/10/2026

Experience award-winning immersive documentaries—right at your neighborhood library! 🎧🌍

The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independent XR Distribution Coalition) are bringing immersive storytelling to:

🎥 IMMERSIVE DOCUMENTARY POP-UPS

đź“Ť Mattapan Public Library - 1350 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan, MA 02126
đź—“ Tuesday, July 14 | Drop in during event hours

Step into powerful virtual reality experiences that explore themes of climate change, identity, immigration, indigeneity, racial injustice, disability, memory, and civic engagement through the work of groundbreaking artists.

Featured projects include:
• Ice Sailors
• Less Than Five Grams of Saffron
• Travelling While Black
• You Destroy. We Create.
• Notes on Blindness
• Danse, Danse Matisse
…and more.

Presented as part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs, an MIT Open Documentary Lab civic research initiative exploring how libraries can become welcoming spaces for immersive media, community dialogue, and shared discovery.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at Massachusetts libraries:
📍 Mattapan Public Library — July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27
…and more coming soon.

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Rashin Fahandej , Iranian-American immersive filmmaker, futurist, and cultural activist
✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , multidisciplinary artist, educator, and poet

With generous support from

WatertownLibrary PublicLibraries VR ImmersiveMedia CivicMedia InteractiveDocumentary IXROC

Discover the power of immersive storytelling at your local library! 🥽📚✨The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independ...
07/10/2026

Discover the power of immersive storytelling at your local library! 🥽📚✨

The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independent XR Distribution Coalition) invite you to:

🎥 IMMERSIVE DOCUMENTARY POP-UPS

📍 Medford Public Library — 111 High St, Medford, MA 02155
🗓 Monday, July 13 | Drop in anytime from 3:00–8:00 PM

Explore an inspiring collection of virtual reality documentaries created by visionary artists examining climate change, identity, immigration, indigeneity, racial justice, disability, memory, and civic life.

Featured experiences include:
• Ice Sailors
• Less Than Five Grams of Saffron
• Travelling While Black
• You Destroy. We Create.
• Notes on Blindness
• Danse, Danse Matisse
…and more.

These events are part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs, a civic research initiative from the MIT Open Documentary Lab exploring how public libraries can foster immersive storytelling, community connection, and new ways of learning.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at Massachusetts libraries:
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27
📍 Mattapan Public Library — July 14
…and more to come.

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Rashin Fahandej , Iranian-American immersive filmmaker, futurist, and cultural activist
✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , multidisciplinary artist, educator, and poet

With generous support from

WatertownLibrary PublicLibraries VR ImmersiveMedia CivicMedia InteractiveDocumentary IXROC

Updated graphic: The event is Monday, June 15, 6:30–8 PM.✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨Join the MIT Open Do...
06/10/2026

Updated graphic: The event is Monday, June 15, 6:30–8 PM.

✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨

Join the MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC for a public talk with Peabody-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Michaela Ternasky-Holland

🎥 Navigating the Crossroads: When Art and Technology Intersects and Diverges
đź“Ť Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
đź—“ Monday, June 15
⏰ 6:30–8 PM

Part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at other MA libraries:
📍 Mattapan Public Library — June 24 & July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , multidisciplinary artist, educator, and poet

Learn more: opendoclab.mit.edu/presents/libraries

✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨Join the MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC for a public talk with Peabody-no...
06/09/2026

✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨

Join the MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC for a public talk with Peabody-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Michaela Ternasky-Holland.

🎥 Navigating the Crossroads: When Art and Technology Intersects and Diverges
đź“Ť Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
đź—“ Monday, June 15
⏰ 6:30–8 PM

Part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at other MA libraries:
📍 Mattapan Public Library — June 24 & July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , multidisciplinary artist, educator, and poet

Learn more: opendoclab.mit.edu/presents/libraries

✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨Join the MIT and IXRDC for a public talk with Peabody-nominated and Emmy awa...
06/09/2026

✨ Artist Talk at Cambridge Public Library ✨

Join the MIT and IXRDC for a public talk with Peabody-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Michaela Ternasky-Holland

🎥 Navigating the Crossroads: When Art and Technology Intersects and Diverges
đź“Ť Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
đź—“ Monday, June 15
⏰ 6:30–8 PM

Part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at other MA libraries:
📍 Mattapan Public Library — June 24 & July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , multidisciplinary artist, educator, and poet

Learn more: opendoclab.mit.edu/presents/libraries

✨HAPPENING NEXT WEEK AT ROBBINS LIBRARY IN ARLINGTON✨The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independent XR Distribution...
05/28/2026

✨HAPPENING NEXT WEEK AT ROBBINS LIBRARY IN ARLINGTON✨

The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independent XR Distribution Coalition) presents a Artist Talk at Robbins Library, Arlington:
🎥Art as Ecosystem: Rethinking Immersive Media Through Community and Care: Immersive storytelling as a community-centered practice that transforms technology into a tool for connection, care, and collective voice.
About the artist: Rashin Fahandej is an Iranian-American immersive filmmaker, futurist, and cultural activist whose “Art as Ecosystem” methodology uses long-term community engagement and co-creation to reimagine social systems across differences while expanding access to emerging technologies.
đź“Ť Robbins Library, Community Room, 700 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA
đź—“ Thursday, June 4 | 6-7:30 PM

Part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs, a civic research initiative by the MIT Open Documentary Lab exploring how public libraries can become spaces for immersive storytelling, community engagement, and new ways of knowing.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at other MA libraries:
📍 Robbins Library — June 6
📍 Boston Public Library: Mattapan Branch — June 24 & July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27

And more to come…

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Michaela Ternasky-Holland , Peabody-nominated & Emmy award-winning director

✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , American artist, educator, and poet

With generous support from

WatertownLibrary PublicLibraries VR ImmersiveMedia CivicMedia InteractiveDocumentary IXRDC

✨HAPPENING NEXT WEEK AT ROBBINS LIBRARY IN ARLINGTON✨Step into immersive storytelling! 🎧✨The MIT Open Documentary Lab an...
05/28/2026

✨HAPPENING NEXT WEEK AT ROBBINS LIBRARY IN ARLINGTON✨

Step into immersive storytelling! 🎧✨

The MIT Open Documentary Lab and IXRDC (Independent XR Distribution Coalition) present at Cambridge Public Library:

🎥 IMMERSIVE DOCUMENTARY POP-UPS
đź“Ť Robbins Library, Community Room, 700 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA
🗓 Saturday,, June 6 | Drop in 11 AM – 4 PM

Experience groundbreaking virtual reality works by trailblazing artists exploring climate change, identity, immigration, indigeneity, racial injustice, disability, memory, and civic life.

Featured projects include:
• Ice Sailors
• Less Than Five Grams of Saffron
• Travelling While Black
• You Destroy. We Create.
• Notes on Blindness
• Danse, Danse Matisse
…and more.

Part of Libraries as Immersive Storytelling Hubs, a civic research initiative by the MIT Open Documentary Lab exploring how public libraries can become spaces for immersive storytelling, community engagement, and new ways of knowing.

Upcoming VR Pop-Ups at other MA libraries:
📍 Boston Public Library: Mattapan Branch — June 24 & July 14
📍 Medford Public Library — July 13 & July 27

And more to come…

Upcoming artist talks and workshops:
✨ Rashin Fahandej , Iranian-American immersive filmmaker, futurist, and cultural activist

✨ Michaela Ternasky-Holland , Peabody-nominated & Emmy award-winning director

✨ Michèle Stephenson , Emmy award-winning filmmaker, artist, and author
✨ Sister Sylvester , multimedia artist
✨ L’Merchie Frazier , American artist, educator, and poet

With generous support from

WatertownLibrary PublicLibraries VR ImmersiveMedia CivicMedia InteractiveDocumentary IXRDC
Edited · 2w

Address

Cambridge, MA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MIT Open Documentary Lab posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to MIT Open Documentary Lab:

Shortcuts

Share

Category