Digital Art and New Media

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 5. Gender equality
• 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Objectives

First objective is to train the student in the knowledge of digital art and new means of creation, in relation to the territories of art and audiovisual communication.

Review the main theoretical lines, influences and the work of contemporary creators, with special emphasis on the realization of projects through the use of new technological possibilities as support.

Learning outcomes

• Analyze knowledge specific to their cultural field and its contextualization in national and international environments.
• Learn about the applications of digital art in contemporary communication.
• Carries out the technical arrangement of sound and visual materials for the production of audiovisual and multimedia products.

Competencies

General skills

• Organize and plan tasks related to professional performance through proper time management and timing of these tasks.

Specific skills

• Master audiovisual and multimedia technology and apply it to the different stages in the creative process and thus be able to adapt to different work environments.
• Operate in a variety of computer and digital environments for traditional communication disciplines, in written and audiovisual formats, and also in new online contexts.
• Transfer knowledge of history, languages, communication theories and models, and also of art history and image theories.

Basic skills

• Students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competencies typically demonstrated through drafting and defending arguments and solving problems in their field of study.
• Students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds on general secondary education with the support of advanced textbooks and knowledge of the latest advances in this field of study.

Core skills

• Interact in international and worldwide contexts to identify needs and and new contexts for knowledge transfer to current and emerging fields of professional development, with the ability to adapt to and independently manage professional and research processes.

Content

1. Digital technology as a device (perceptual, representational and discursive)
   1. Introduction to the historical context (from mainframe to microcomputer ). Development of GUIs. Interaction and interfaces. From desktop to tangible user interfaces.
   2. New narrative and conceptual possibilities in art brought by interaction and interfaces
2. Principles. Terminology. Influences
3. Pioneers, precursors. Review of historical forms
   1. Single-channel work
      • Interactive video. Net art , hacktivism, game modifiers , webdoc or transmedia
   2. Expanded work
      • Interactive installation (VR, AR), performance , robotics, life cinema / vjing , public art ( mapping ), experimental theatre and dance
4. Theoretical trends (aesthetic, narrative and political issues in a technology-mediated society)
   1. Internarratives (around interaction/navigation)
   2. Control/surveillance/disinformation
   3. Post-referentiality (post-photography)
   4. Questions of identity. Virtual vs real
   5. Public/private
   6. Post-digital culture
   7. Work/author/archive (internet as infinite archive)
   8. Internet, new remix culture. Appropriationisms / sharing culture, free culture (social networks) and culture jamming

Projects

1. Creating a “virtual conversation” with programs presented in class. An interactive self-portrait. Developing an interface and creating the interaction.
2. Working with archive material. We look for videos on YouTube, Vimeo or reference sites and create a collage (the possibilities for developing the work arise as the content is presented in class and also when the viewings are carried out).

Evaluation

• Attendance: 10%
• Participation observation: 5%
• Monitoring of work done: 5%
• Completion of the first exercise: 40%
• Completion of the second exercise: 40%

Project development

1. Creating a “virtual conversation” with programs presented in class. An interactive self-portrait. Developing an interface and creating the interaction.
2. Working with archive material. We look for videos on YouTube, Vimeo or reference sites and create a collage (the possibilities for developing the work arise as the content is presented in class and also when the viewings are carried out).

Methodology

Theoretical presentations are made of the content presented in the course program. Specific technical knowledge is imparted. Artistic works are viewed. All of this is combined in different ways in each session in order to encourage the student to generate his or her own theoretical discourse and creative work.

The student must complete both exercises outside of class hours.

Two sessions are for the collective presentation of two exercises to be performed.

Bibliography

Key references

• Guardiola, I. (2019). El ojo y la Navaja. Un ensayo del mundo como interfaz. Arcadia.
• Landow, G. P. (2005). Hipertexto 3.0: teoría crítica y nuevos medios en la era de la globalización. Paidós.
• Laurel, B. (1990). Computer as Theatre. Addison-Wesley.
• Manovich, L. (2005). El Lenguaje de los nuevos medios de comunicación. La imagen en la era digital. Paidós.
• Riesser, M., Zapp, A. (2004). New Screen Media. Cinema Art / Narrative. BFI Publishing.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.