WHAT IS EXPERIENCE? (2022-2023-2024) reflected on six years—two trilogies—of the What is…? Series. Experience has a long history in philosophy and more recently in systems, intersectionality, networks, criticism, dialogue and debate, organizing, responsibility, care ethics, sociology, critical cybernetics, globalization, sense-making, planning, critical advertizing, and ecofeminism. Some areas of exemplary inquiry include autopoiesis, feminism, flow, activism, politics, organization, peace and justice, economics, relational ethics, science and technology studies, ecological futures, democratization, multimodal communication education, social ecology, transformational change and justice, as well as fusions of art-science-design, recognizing patterns in the world, and interplays of change and continuity in the 21st century.

Dedicated to the experience and memory of

Mitchell Block
Brenda Dervin
Todd Gitlin
Hazel Henderson

bell hooks
Richard Hunt
Don Ihde
Robert Irwin
Daniel Kahneman

Elihu Katz
Klaus Krippendorff
Janet D. Kwami

Bruno Latour
Paul Lester













Jerry Mander
Humberto Maturana
Jack McLeod
Maria Mies
Vincent Mosco
Antonio Negri
Nel Noddings
Anita Schiller

Herbert Simons
Annabelle Sreberny
James R. Taylor
Bill Viola
Peter Weibel
Herbert Zettl

And, All Those We Remember

2022-2024 marks the twelfth annual What is…? and recognition of collaborative transdisciplinary research networks cultivating experiences as the heart of culture, nature, and pluriverse. What is…? returns in Spring 2025!


WHAT IS…?

What is Communication? (2021)
2021 • UO Speaker Series
Virtual Screening

What is Information? (2020)

2020 • UO Cyberconference
Oregon Historical Society

What is Technology? (2019)
2019 • UO Portland
OMSI

What is Universe? (2018)
2018 • UO Portland
Newmark • PCS • Schnitzer

What is Life? (2017)
2017 • UO Portland
Portland Japanese Garden

What is Media? (2016)
2016 • UO Portland
NW Film Center/PAM