Emma McRae is a researcher, writer and curator living and working in Naarm/Melbourne. Emma’s work explores questions of creativity, agency and responsibility in sociotechnical practices.

Emma recently completed a PhD in cultural and urban geography at the University of Melbourne, researching how particular stories about urban space are articulated through the digital visions that represent future cities. This research explored critical questions of representation, access and inclusion in urban digital twin visualisations and revealed the impact of such digital visualisations on who is able to participate in urban decision-making processes. It highlighted how automated decision-making and standardisation contribute to producing culturally-specific visions of the city. In particular, by exploring questions of responsibility and accountability in the generation, use and visualisation of urban data alongside theories of the ‘glitch’, this research draws attention to how gaps within visualisation practices open a space that can generate alternative urban imaginaries.

With a background as a curator at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and Experimenta Media Arts, Emma has worked at the intersection of art, technology and society for over 15 years. Publications include edited books and exhibition catalogues, and articles and essays for journals including Assemble Papers, ACE Broadsheet and Openhouse Magazine. Emma holds a Master of Arts (Media and Communication) from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Arts (Media Arts) from RMIT and a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy and Cultural Studies) from the University of Melbourne.