Anne E. Stoner

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Anne E. Stoner

'Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems,' by Anne E. Stoner.

'Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems,' by Anne E. Stoner.

With a UW Police Department Flock Safety camera surveilling outside the Memorial Union, it feels fitting that inside, the installation “Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems” asks what it means to be seen — and recorded. Anne E. Stoner, the 2026 Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize winner, pairs surveillance footage from recent Midwest protests with a sonic illustration of the movement of people in the video, along with audio of people injured during demonstrations. The work is a response to the current federal administration’s approach to law enforcement in American cities, and promises to be a sobering experience. An artist talk at 5 p.m. is followed by a reception from 6-7:30 p.m. on April 10. Read more about the exhibition at chazen.wisc.edu.

media release: The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has announced artist Anne E. Stoner as the 2026 Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize winner. The UW-Madison MFA candidate uses video and sound to illustrate the American governmental climate in “Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems: An Exhibition by Anne E. Stoner,” opening April 10 at the Main Gallery located on the second floor of the Memorial Union. A reception takes place on April 10, with an artists' talk at 5 pm and reception from 6-7:30 pm; the exhibition is on display through May 22.

In the multi-channel installation, Stoner pairs surveillance video of political events that have occurred in Midwest cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis during the past year with data sonification from that footage. She uses the pixel movements of people in the video to create audio that illustrates the volume and intensity of motion. The exhibition also incorporates the voices of people who have been injured during protests in the United States. Stoner will use directional speakers to spatially isolate the sound in the exhibition, offering visitors various experiences as they explore each area of the gallery.

“I would describe the current governmental climate as calculated and frightening. It is no doubt we are living in unprecedented times. This project and my work in general aim to shed light on political practices that may seem acceptable or effective on the surface but in fact have dark and dangerous histories,” said Stoner.

“Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems” engages “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” an executive order signed in July 2025 that directs federal agencies to maintain urban safety through law enforcement, involuntary treatment for people living with mental illness and drug addiction and the removal of street encampments. Stoner says the executive order is reminiscent of the ugly laws enforced between 1867 and the early 20th century that criminalized the public presence of people with visible diseases and disabilities. The ordinances also targeted poor people and called upon law enforcement to fine, arrest or institutionalize people who were deemed unsightly. While enforcement waned by the mid-20th century, the ordinances remained in place until the mid-1970s.

Stoner hopes the exhibition will become a space where visitors can reflect on the American governmental climate of the past year and become familiar with the ugly laws and contemporary AI surveillance practices. “By peeling back the layers of the recent executive order, the exhibition reveals the unkind, systemic marginalization that is the foundation of these policies,” said Stoner.

The Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize is offered annually by the Chazen Museum of Art in collaboration with the UW–Madison art department and provides a unique professional development opportunity for award winners. The selected artist is featured in a solo exhibition and gains experience throughout the entire process, from collaborating on layout and design to marketing and program development. The 2026 exhibition will be presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee. The winning artist is selected by an outside juror and receives an honorarium. This year’s juror was Tyler Blackwell, curator of contemporary art at the Speed Art Museum in Kentucky.

“Anne E. Stoner’s project connects past systems of exclusion to contemporary infrastructures of monitoring and control. Today’s AI-driven surveillance extends these histories, embedding old ideas about order and acceptability into new technologies that claim objectivity while producing harm,” said Blackwell. “Stoner’s work is ultimately generous and affirming. By transforming surveillance footage into sound and amplifying the voices of those injured or disabled through protest, she reclaims tools often used to erase accountability. Her work reminds us that even in a hyper-monitored world, connection is still possible, and that listening carefully to one another can open space for dignity, care and collective imagination.”

Stoner’s interest in disability studies and sociopolitical issues, as well as her previous work exploring the streetscape and accessibility, inspired “Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems.” She often considers the dangers posed in the street by cars, curbs, crosswalks and other elements that could cause critical injury, effectively deeming victims unfit for public spaces. Her work at UW–Madison focuses on social participatory art and data-centered artwork.

“The Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize provides a valuable opportunity for the Chazen Museum of Art to partner with UW–Madison’s art department to offer students hands-on exhibition experience. We look forward to sharing Anne E. Stoner’s work with the broader campus community,” said Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at UW–Madison.

Stoner appreciates the wealth of opportunity available to winners of the Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize, including the experience of working with the team at the Chazen as well as the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee, a student-led organization committed to presenting innovative exhibitions and related programming, and Memorial Union Main Gallery where her exhibition will be presented. She has also enjoyed the challenge of creating an exhibition for large, diverse audiences.

“Receiving the Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize and working with an institution of this scale has been a transformative milestone. Beyond the recognition, opportunities like this are vital because they protect the non-commercial heart of the arts. Not every creative pursuit is inherently financially viable. This platform allowed me the freedom to spend months on a complex sound installation and allowed me to experiment, focusing on the pursuit of the work itself,” said Stoner. “The arts remain one of the few spaces where free speech and expression aren’t entirely bound by historical precedent. This freedom allows us to respond to the socio-political climate in real-time.”

The Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize is supported by funds from the Russell and Paula Panczenko Fund for Excellence in the Visual Arts.