Digital Art
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters Autumn, Spring
- Course code
- DIKULT217
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
Digital art is an umbrella term for a range of digital cultural artefacts and creative processes that have deeply impacted contemporary society. While digital art can bleed into surrounding disciplines, and can pull from other disciplines through processes of bricolage, it is also its own distinct set of artistic media and processes.
This class focuses on the analysis of 1) digital art forms and 2) digital art processes. This is done through lenses that may include, but are not limited to, 1) technological use and experimentation 2) technological innovations made in the field of digital art 3) the interplay of science, art, and technology 4) digital art’s social implications 5) intersections between digital art and digital cultural heritage 6) digital art’s intersections with a surrounding ‘Internet of Things’ within the realms of robotics and physical computing 7) digital art as other ways of knowing: data visualization, nonhuman perspectives, non-Western perspectives. We focus strongly on the intersection of science, art, and technology for the ways in which these fields influence each other and our contemporary social spheres.
The aim of the course is to create a multidimensional picture of the research conducted in this area and provide an in-depth discussion on the key concepts and methods of digital art studies. The class also has a practical component, where students will not only focus on the analysis of digital artworks but have chances to create practical work and learn some associated skills.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
The student has knowledge of…
• The multiple dimensions of digital art as a distinct subject that combines knowledges from the arts, sciences, and technology studies
• Different theoretical and conceptual traditions in the digital arts
• The key genres and works of digital art
• Key contemporary software and methods in digital art practice
Skills
The student can…
• Identify how different research traditions in the digital arts aim to produce various forms of
knowledge
• Follow and assess the argumentation of existing research, and define and employ selected key concepts
• Define and analyse different aspects of digital art in their various forms
• Create small-scale digital artworks that are thematically-focused
• Use and experiment with a range of digital technologies for the purpose of creative production
General competence
The student can…
• Conduct critical literature reviews relating to specific questions in digital art studies
• Reflect upon their own writing and/or creative practice and use feedback to improve their work
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
There are twenty weeks in a semester, where ten weeks usually have classes. The class schedule will be available by the beginning of the semester. Classes usually involve weekly seminars of 3 or 4 hours where theory and practical work are combined.
It is important for students to attend the orientation session early in the semester, before the teaching begins.
Students are expected to work 18 hours per week on the course from the beginning until the end of the teaching period, including weeks with no scheduled classes. These hours should be used for attending class, and working on course-related tasks. During the teaching-week weeks, students are expected to use this time for reading course materials, completing assignments, and preparing for the final submission.
If fewer than five students register for the course, the department may offer reduced tuition. Please refer to the department’s guidelines on Mitt UiB for more information. In this case, students will be notified before the semester registration deadline.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Attendance is compulsory for everything the course covers. Course participation is approved by the course coordinator. If a student exceeds 25% in absences, they will not be eligible to submit the final assessment. Students are encouraged to keep track off their own attendance.
To be eligible to submit the final assessment, the student must complete between three and six assignments. Deadlines for these will be provided at the start of the semester. Each assignment is assessed as either "approved" or "not approved". If an assignment is marked as "not approved" the student will be allowed one additional attempt.
All assignments must be completed and approved within the semester of teaching before the student becomes eligible to submit the portfolio.
Forms of Assessment
The concludes with a portfolio submission resulting in an entirely self-made digital artwork, with a written accompanying essay of 1,500 words that sets the work in a critical context.
Students can submit in either in English or Norwegian.
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
The course material typically includes books or articles that are available in bookstores or digital compendiums or will be freely accessible online. Video recordings and other media may also be included in the syllabus; these will either be available online or shown during the course.
The required course materials are typically in English. However, students may use and reference sources in other languages for assignments and exams.
The list of compulsory and recommended readings, as far as available in advance, will be posted on Mitt UiB before the start of the semester and updated as necessary. The readings will be available at Akademika or as downloadable e-books or articles.
Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with additional relevant academic materials through the library, online academic sources, and independent research on the topic.