Mimi Ọnụọha, a Nigerian-American artist based in Brooklyn, explores the intersection of art, technology, and society through installations, videos, websites, and texts. Her work examines the absences in data collection systems and questions the sociopolitical implications of these processes. By investigating the gaps in digital records, the artist exposes the power structures that influence contemporary technology.
Ọnụọha observes how sociotechnical systems categorize, abstract, and marginalize certain experiences and social groups. Data collection and storage are not neutral processes but reflect historical hierarchies and exclusions. Her work sheds light on the everyday logic of technocolonialism, where certain bodies and histories remain invisible within digital systems.
The artist proposes new ways of understanding and representing the voids in data. Her project “Everything That Didn’t Fit” highlights the absences that arise from the conversion of reality into digital forms. Ọnụọha demonstrates that what cannot be documented or proven within contemporary technological infrastructures tends to be devalued or erased. In this context, absence becomes a starting point for reflection and resistance.
Ọnụọha’s investigation of digital archives and collective memory shows us that technology perpetuates power dynamics that decide who and what is recognized. Her works often begin with the search for hidden or erased stories, using code, text, and objects to bring to light what has been forgotten or neglected. By creating alternative datasets, the artist questions traditional structures of classification and representation.
In addition to her artistic practice, Ọnụọha is involved in educational activities and initiatives focused on digital literacy. As a co-founder of A People’s Guide to Tech, she promotes discussions on emerging technologies, demystifying their cultural and political impacts. Her academic engagement reflects a continued commitment to critical reflection on digital media and their social implications.
Mimi Ọnụọha’s work is part of a broader landscape of artists and researchers questioning the supposed neutrality of technology. Her creations encourage reflection on the intersection of data, power, and identity, highlighting the weaknesses and inconsistencies present in current digital systems. Through this approach, Ọnụọha contributes to a deeper understanding of the absences that shape our technologized world.