Packetsphere: An Internet Travelogue

What does it take to send a single message halfway around the globe? What issues exist in the technological world just below the surface of your keyboard? Come join Zak, Becky, and a colorful cast of digital characters for a look into the grand tour you initiate every time you send a phrase as simple as “hello.”


Zak Argabrite is an interdisciplinary artist working in music, art and technology based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington New Zealand). Zak creates pieces for performance and installation and designs performance scores, handmade instruments, sculptures and circuitry. Zak’s artistic practice is varied and ever-evolving, exploring art making as a fluid and personal process that often involves learning new skills and stretching between
established disciplines.


In 2020 Zak received the Victoria Doctoral Scholarship to begin work on a PhD at Victoria
University of Wellington. The focus of Zak’s PhD thesis is on establishing a deeper understanding of the complex pasts and futures of technology through research grounded in creative practice. Zak researches the international network of land extraction, manufacturing, distribution, consumption and waste processing that make up technology’s
lives. Zak’s creative work surrounding this research (re)uses old, obsolete, discarded technology or e-waste to create audiovisual performances and installations.


Zak was born on ᏣᎳᎩ (Tsalagi) land (Louisville, Kentucky). Zak’s personal connection with that land and ᏣᎳᎩ heritage remains an important part of Zak’s life and artistic practice.


Zak grew up playing jazz, funk, blues, experimental and classical music, while maintaining a passion for visual arts. Zak moved to Lenapehoking (New York City) in 2012, where they studied Jazz, Composition and Sound Arts, and worked for several years in audio engineering and venue management. In 2019, Zak relocated to Aotearoa (New Zealand) and
is currently pursuing a PhD in Sonic Arts at Victoria University of Wellington.


As a composer, Zak has had the privilege of having international performances and has written for large ensembles, orchestras, big bands, chamber ensembles, and solo artists. Zak has also had the opportunity to exhibit works of installation and video art, and has performed internationally in a variety of settings on wind instruments (saxophones,
clarinets and handmade designs), handmade electronic instruments, and as a visual projection artist.


Becky Brown is a composer, harpist, artist, and web designer, interested in producing intensely personal works across the multimedia spectrum. She focuses on narrative, emotional exposure, and catharsis, with a vested interest in using technology and the voice to deeply connect with an audience, wherever they are. She is currently pursuing graduate
studies in Composition and Computer Technologies at the University of Virginia.