Future Form with Lauren Franco

Marina Otero Verzier

In this episode of Future Form with Lauren Franco, I speak with architect, researcher, and curator Marina Otero Verzier about the hidden infrastructures shaping our digital world. Marina’s work reveals the material, environmental, and political costs behind technologies we often think of as immaterial, from data centers and cables to mineral extraction, and how these systems reshape landscapes, labor, and ecology. We discuss the myth of “the cloud,” and how its smooth, frictionless experience conceals systems that are, in reality, “noisy, heavy, and polluting,” as well as how labor is redistributed and often made invisible. The conversation expands into questions of extraction and so-called green energy, and reflects on memory, data, and why we store so much, asking what it might mean to rethink these systems more collectively. Theme song by Yuzeren.

Jordan Weber

In the first episode of Future Form with Lauren Franco, I speak with regenerative ecology sculptor and activist Jordan Weber about art as a tool for environmental justice and collective repair. Weber shares how his work transforms polluted land in historically redlined neighborhoods into spaces for healing and resilience. Focusing his energy in East Detroit currently, he explains how ecological restoration, community design, and scientific research come together to address both environmental harm and toxic stress. The conversation also traces the personal and political roots of his practice, from Ferguson in 2014 to his ongoing commitment to building landscapes that counter violence in the built environment. Together, we reflected on sustainability, power in the art world, and the role imagination plays in creating more just futures. Theme song by Yuzeren.

Future Form with Lauren Franco Trailer

Curious what Future Form with Lauren Franco is about? Start with the trailer! Theme song by Yuzeren.