Cyberart

Introduction

Description

Please go to IVLE, Integrated Virtual Learning Environment, site for the latest schedule and module information.

How have new technologies been used in creative ways, by artists and by society?

Is there anything to be learnt from the arts, even if we do not want to become artists?

What actually is considered art? How do we make aesthetic judgments? Can we define the beautiful, and what is “sublime”?

Are business, political and military leaders creative? Are there any similarities between strategic creativity and artistic creativity?
What connections exist between art, avant-garde, leadership, risk and innovation?

Which conditions of a society foster creativity?

The term “Cyberart” refers to a field of contemporary art that makes use of media with cybernetic features. We hereby mean computer-based artworks which have been emerging since 1950s and rely on the developments in the information and communication technologies. In this module, we explore how artists have been inspired by the possibilities of these new media, and in many cases, contributed to various conceptual and technological innovations.

With Cyberart as a starting point, we touch on related aesthetic issues. We learn about main movements of contemporary art and some of the philosophical views on art and its reception. And in an excursion to an exhibition in town, we train our interpretational skills.

The rest of the semester is practice-based: three assignments requiring the use of video and internet or other interactive media follow. Focus lies in the conceptualization of the artworks, the methodology of brainstorming and aesthetic decision-making. Students will also experience interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of theory as a source of inspiration for creative works, i.e., innovations.

We also train the awareness of the relations between artworks and, for example, how to conceptualise meaningful combinations in an exhibition. All stages of the production are discussed together in class.

Finally, we reflect upon our experiences in the broader context of society. For example, we discuss how the creativity of leaders may differ from that of artists and if the lessons learnt may be valuable in other contexts.

Please note: this module encourages creative and independent thinking. Some assignments leave a lot of freedom for self-determined individual work.

Lesson

Lesson

Please notice: we reserve the right to amend and change the syllabus, reading schedules, and grading events during the semester.

Jan 11, 2006

  • Part I:
    Introduction of students and lecturer
  • Part II:
    “Cyberarts” – Introduction to the Terminology
    Changes of art in the 20th century and the positioning Cyberarts
  • Part II:
    In claas assignment
    Gunalan Nadarajan, Cyberarts, Intersections of Art and Technology (will be distributed in class).
    Net-search: examples of cyberart and discussion by application of the new terminology.
  • http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/mediaartnet

Jan 18, 2006

Jan 25, 2006

  • Part I:
    Introduction to Video Art
    Reading: Klotz, Heinrich “Video Art” in Media Scape. Guggenheim Museum Publications,1996. P. 8-11. (Refer to the Module Folder).
  • Selected video art projects.
  • Part II:
    Introduction to Digital Video. Digital Filming and Editing. Distribution of Hardware & Software.
    Reading: “Final Cut Pro” Tutorials.

Feb 1, 2006

  • Part 1:
    Dramaturgy of Linear Media:
    Classical narrative dramaturgy: excerpts of Stephen Vogler, A Writer’s Journey, 1996
    http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ellibst/NarrativeTheory/
  • Part I:
    Creative Techniques: How to do a Brainstorming?
    In class assignment: reflecting on brainstroming and concept development.
  • Part II:
    Video Assignment: A video about the idea of “success”.
    Brainstroming about “success”. in relation to linear and non-linear dramaturgy.

Feb 8, 2006

  • Part I:
    Introduction to Cyberarts
  • Central notions like interactivity, non-linaerity and hypertext.
    Selected works of cyberart.
  • Part II:
    In class assignment: central notions like control, surveillance and power and others in cyberarts.
    Reading: S Dinkla "From Participation to Interaction: Toward the Origins of Interactive Art", in L. Hershman et al, Clicking In: Hot Links to a Digital Culture, 1996 (Reading Pack), and Lev Manovich "On Totalitarian Interactivity" at http://www.manovich.net/TEXT/totalitarian.html, 1996.
  • Discussion and in class assignments of analysis.
  • Reading assignment for next week: Descartes, First Meditations.(see reader in Library).

Feb 15, 2006

  • Part I:
    Visions of Virtual Reality
    Introduction to VR – examples from cyberarts.
    Oliver Grau on Immersion. (http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/mediaartnet/)
  • Part II:
    Screening of Existenz – David Crononeberg
    and Rene Descartes’s notion of cogito.
  • Discussion
  • Part II:
    Preparation of Visit of Fringe Festival.
    Art as Agenda setting

Feb 22, 2006

  • Mid term break

Mar 1, 2006

  • Field Trip
    Visiting Fringe- Festival (www.singaporefringe.com)
    Class will be divided into different groups, visiting the festival.
  • Prepare short presentation of your visit until next week.

Mar 8, 2006

  • Part I:
    Screening and discussion of video assingments.
    Discussion of Fringe art works.
    Comparison
  • Part II:
    Technical Training for Platform Project I

Mar 15, 2006

  • Part I:
    Introduction to Net-Art.
    Assignment: Presentations of selected artists.
    Web-research references : Net Condition : Exhibition of Net-Art; Rhizome Artbase; Mark Amerika
  • Part II:
    Preparation for the assignment of the interactive platform project on “strategy”.
  • Part III:
    Technical Training II

Mar 22, 2006

  • Part I:
    Cybergames and Strategy
    Assignment – with guest lecturer on narration and strategy in games.
    Artistic games.
  • Part II:
    Discussion of concepts of platform projects.

March 29, 2006

  • Part I:
    Immersive Virtual Reality
    Artists working with Immersive Virtual Reality.
  • Jeffrey Shaw's VR art and lecture streaming at http://www.cyberartsweb.scholars.nus.edu.sg/ccri/events.html
  • Heim, Michael “The Essence of VR” in The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality. Oxford University Press, 1993.
  • Part II:
    Visit to Immersive Visualisation Lab of NUS.
    Discussion

April 5, 2006

  • Part I:
    The Art of Human-Machine Interfaces. Reading:Stelarc “Extended-Body: An Interview with Stelarc” by Paolo Atzori and Kirk Woolford, in Digital Delirium edited by Arthur and Marilouise Kroker. St. Martin’s Press, 1997.
    Web-references : Stelarc; Wearable Computing; Art & Robotics Group, found at http://usp.nus.edu.sg/arts/uar2201/outline2.html.
  • Part II:
    How We Became Posthuman.
    Reading : K. Hayles. Excerpts from How We Became Posthuman : The Virtual Body in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. University of Chicago Press, 1999.
    Web-references : Human Genome Project ; Visible Human Project found at http://usp.nus.edu.sg/arts/uar2201/outline2.html
  • Part II:
    Preparation of final presentations of platform projects.

April 12, 2006

  • Overview and Sum up of the module.
    Presentation of platform projects (to be confirmed).
    Open session.

Assessment

Assessment

Students will be assesed based on the following:

  • Class Participation (with IVLE) and presentation - 30%.
  • Digital Video Art Project - 40% - To be submitted by the end of Week 9.
  • Net Platform Projects - 30% - To be submitted by the end of week 14.
  • Note: The students' team is required to submit a clear description of each participant's contribution for all group projects, as an Appendix to the main project materials. For all other questions related to assessment, please write to the lecturer.

Project Gallery

Net Gallery

The following sites may require Java and Flash to be installed and enabled in your browser. Download the latest version of Java and Adobe Flash Player.

Net Gallery

Net Gallery

The following sites may require Java and Flash to be installed and enabled in your browser. Download the latest version of Java and Adobe Flash Player.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

Net Resources (to be extended during the semester)

General

http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/mediaartnet/
http://netzspannung.org/index_flash.html
http://www.media.mit.edu/mas
http://www.zkm.de/

Institutions, Festivals and Exhibitions

Ars Electronica: www.aec.at/
Transmediale: www.transmediale.de
Walker Art Center: http://aen.walkerart.org
ZKM- Masterpieces of Media Art: http://on1.zkm.de/zkm/stories/storyReader$4188
ZKM-Making Things Public: http://makingthingspublic.zkm.de/, http://makingthingspublic.zkm.de/fa/dings/exhibition_tour9.htm
ZKM- Screening War, On the Representation of War in Video Art http://on1.zkm.de/zkm/stories/storyReader$4763
Future Cinema, The Cinematic Imagery after Film http://www.zkm.de:81/futurecinema/index_e.html

Digital Aesthetics

Digital Aesthetics Site: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/digita/hotlinks.html

Virtual Art

Oliver Grau - From Illusion to Immersion - Introduction to Virtual Art http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10335&mode=toc

Netart

Jodi interview: http://www.heise.de/tp/english/special/ku/6187/1.html
Net-Art Documentary: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/netart

Selected Artists and Projects

Maurice Benayoun, http://www.benayoun.com/
We-Make-Money-Not-Art http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/cat_ars_electronica.php
Etoy: www.etoy.com
RTMark: www.rtmark.com
Josh On: www.theyrule.net
Stelarc: http://beehive.temporalimage.com/content_apps41/app_a.html
www.stelarc.va.com.au
Warren Sack: http://makingthingspublic.zkm.de/fa/dings/exhibition_tour9.htm
Logicaland: www.logicaland.net
The Institute for Infinitely Small Things: www.corporatecommands.com
Transnational Republic: www.transnationalrepublic.org
Preemptive Media: www.we-swipe.us