Living Room Lectures presents Objects of Desire: From The Muppets to Machine Learning

An exploration of how we project our desires onto the things we create and bring to life. From the relationships we could project onto the Muppets to increasingly personalized forms of pornography and artificial intimacy, we have long used characters and objects to explore desire, fantasy, and connection. This lecture looks at puppetry through that lens, and asks what changes when technology allows those characters to become more responsive, more personalized, and more convincing. A limited number of free or discounted tickets are available for those who need them or would like to volunteer. Please contact us at [email protected] to inquire. Program 7:30pm - Doors Open 7:30-8:00pm - Arrival and mingling 8:00-8:30pm - Introduction and Lecture 8:30-9:00pm - Discussion 9:00-10:00pm - Mingling Popcorn, candy, wine, and seltzer will be available. A portion of bar donations will support Bread and Puppet Theater. Speaker Manu Ermecheo is a multimedia artist who makes custom hats and hoods that are "uniquely imperfect and perfectly unique." He is the Assistant Director of Technical Operations at The New School, and has a passion for film, art, and the Muppets. Host Adam Nye is an event producer with a background in informal learning and community engagement across museums, schools, and cultural spaces. Living Room Lectures builds community through learning and conversation. Each gathering features one guest giving a short lecture on a queer topic. Community SupportBar donations will support Bread and Puppet Theater, one of the country’s oldest nonprofit political theater companies, founded on New York City’s Lower East Side in 1963 and known for its large-scale puppetry, street performances, and community participation. Attendance PolicyOur events are designed around participation, with limited capacity and a tight budget. If you can no longer attend, please let us know so we can offer your spot to someone else. Refunds are unavailable within three weeks of the event except in special circumstances. Thank you for your understanding and support. Media Release ClauseBy attending this event, you consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded and grant permission for your likeness to be used in promotional materials and on public platforms. Please note: Our venue, Box of Moonlight, is accessible by stairs only.