NEW MEDIA ART: CS1240

TOPICAL INTRODUCTION:

In the past few decades there have been rapid changes in our perceptions on creativity and the work of art. Simultaneously we observe how latest developments in Information and Communication Technologies have radically affected our lives. One of the main notions that bring contemporary art and information technologies together is that of interactivity. The course seeks to explore this crucial element of new media art in its historic precedents and contemporary manifestations, heavily relying on critical engagements with it and its new exhibition strategies. The following aspects of new media art will be accentuated: interactivity; human-machine interfaces; technological embodiments; Internet technologies & programming; links with bio-informatics; exhibition strategies.

OUTLINE:

Week 1. New Media Art - Introduction and Overview

Readings:

• Historical Introduction - Michael Rush "Digital Art", from New Media in late 20th Century Art. Thames and Hudson. 2000.

Week 2. 20^th Century Art - A Movement to Interactivity

Readings:

• New Media Art II: Theoretical Introduction - Lev Manovich "What is New Media?", from The Language of New Media. MIT Press. 2001-12-05.

Week 3. Art and Technology - Experiments of the 70s: Animation.

Readings:

• Computer Animation: Animating Reality - Lev Manovich, "'Reality' effects in computer animation", in A Reader in Animation Studies, ed. Jayne Pilling. John Libbey & Co. 1997.

Week 4. From Analogue to Digital Aesthetics: Photography

Readings:

• Digital Photography: Simulations and Manipulations - Martha Rosler "Image Simulations, Computer Manipulations", in TEN.8, TEN.8 Inc. 1991 (p.52-63)

Week 5. From Analogue to Digital Aesthetics: Video Art

Readings:

• Video Art: Beyond the Screen - Heinrich Klotz, "Video Art" in Mediascape. MOMA, 1996.

Week 6. Aesthetics of Interactive Art (external lecture)

Readings:

• S. Dinkla "From Participation to Interaction: Toward the Origins of Interactive Art", from "Clicking On: Hot Links to a Digital Culture", ed. by Lynn Hershman et al, 1997.

Week 7. Information & Communication Technology: Net-Art I

Readings:

• Tilman Baumgartel "On the History of Artistic Work with Telecommunications Media", in "Net Condition: Art and Global Media", ed. Peter Weibel and Timothy Druckrey. Steiricher herbst, ZKM and MIT Press, 2001.

Week 8. Recess

Week 9. Interactive Technology & User's Participation: Net-Art II

Readings:

• Eduardo Kac "The Internet and the Future of Art: Immateriality, telematics, videoconferencing, hypermedia, networking, vrml, interactivity, visual telephony, artists' software, telerobotics, mbone and beyond", in Mythos Internet, ed. Stefan Muenker and Alexander Roesler. Suhrkamp Verlag. 1997, pp. 291-318.

Week 10. The Art of Human-Machine Interfaces

Readings:

• Stelarc "From Psycho-Body to Cybersystems: Images as Post-Human Entities", in The Cybercultures Reader, ed. David Bell and Barbara Kennedy. Routledge. 2000. pp. 560-576.

Week 11. Robotic Art

Readings:

• Machiko Kusahara, "Presence, Absence and Knowledge in Telerobotic Art" in The Robot in the Garden: Telerobotics and Telepistemology in the Age of the Internet, ed. Ken Goldberg. MIT Press. Pp.199-212.

Week 12. Art in the Age of Bio-informatics I

Readings:

• Art in the Age of Biotechnologies I: Bioartists - Stephen Wilson, "Artists working with Microbiology", in Information Arts, MIT Press, pp.94-110.

Week 13. Art in the Age of Bio-informatics II

Readings:

• Art in the Age of Biotechnologies II: Ethical Implications - Eduardo Kac., "GFP Bunny", in Telepresence, Biotelematics, Transgenic Art, KIBLA, 2000, pp. 101-111.

Week 14. Virtual Aesthetics: Art in/of the Future

Readings:

• Virtualities: The Art of Virtual Reality - Stephen Wilson, "Virtual Reality", in Information Arts, MIT Press. 2001. pp. 692-727.

GENERAL AND EXTRA READINGS:

• Mythos Internet, edited by S. Muenker and A. Roesler. Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt, 1997.
• Lanier, Jaron "Virtual Reality : A Status Report" from Cyberarts: Exploring Art and Technology.
• Laurel, Brenda and Steve Tice. The Art of Building Virtual Realities. In Cyberarts: Exploring Art and Technology.
• Jacobson, Linda (ed) Cyberarts: Exploring Art and Technology. Miller Freeman, Inc. 1992.
• Lovejoy, Margaret Postmodern Currents: Art and Artists in The Age of Electronic Media. Prentice Hall, 1997.
• Ars Electronica: Facing the Future Ed. by Timothy Druckrey. The MIT Press, 1999.
• Morse, Margaret Virtualities: Television, Media Art and Cyberculture. Indiana University Press, 1998.
• Stelarc "Prosthetics, Robotics and Remote Existence: Postrevolutionary Strategies" in Leonardo, 1991. Vol.24, No.5 (p.591-595).
• Tagg, John. The Burden Of Representation : Essays on Photographies and Histories. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1988.
• Hall, Doug & Sally Jo Fifer Wooster, Ann-Sargent (eds). Iluminating Video: An Essential Guide to Video Art. Aperture/Bay Area Video Coalition, 1990.
• Pilling, Jayne (ed). A Reader in Animation Studies. John Libbey & Co., 1997.
• Andersen, Peter Bogh, Berit Holmqvist & Jens F. Jensen (eds). The Computer as Medium. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
• The Robot in the Garden: Telerobotics and Telepistemology in the Age of the Internet. Ed. by Ken Goldberg. The MIT Press, 2000.
• Weibel, Peter & Timothy Druckrey (eds) Net Condition. The MIT Press, 2001.

ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES:

For an ESSAY:

An essay of 4000 words must be submitted by the end of Semester. Questions for the essay will be provided in the 4th week. An overall mark will be calculated on the basis of essay and class participation, with the ratio 60% to 40%. Readings for each week have to be prepared in advance before respective class discussion.

Assessment Criteria for the Essay:

• F - Plagiarism. Question has not been answered. No references provided.
• D - The question has been answered in the most basic way without detailed description of pros and contras. No references to compulsory readings have been provided. Student does not show engagement with the topic or the course overall.
• C - The question has been answered in the most basic and descriptive way. There is no evaluation or critical engagement with the topic. Only listed readings have been referred to. Student shows a limited engagement with the topic or the course overall.
• B - The question has been answered in a detailed way, with some amount of evaluation. Apart from the compulsory readings, more various materials have been used. There has been some amount of web research done. Student shows full engagement with the topic and serious engagement with the course.
• A - The question has been answered in a most detailed way. All pros and contras have been listed with critical evaluation of each one. Personal critical thinking has been displayed. There has been extensive amount of web research done. Student shows full and deep engagement with the topic and serious engagement with the course.

PROJECTS:

It is possible to substitute essay with a project on new media (using web, robotics, or other technologies). Each separate project proposal must be discussed with the tutor and confirmed by the lecturer.