Since the 1960s, the meaning of art objects has been considered to be contingent upon the experience of the viewer. With the advent of digital technology, it is not only possible to create artworks that seem to vary with the viewers' perceptions, but also artworks that can change themselves formally and physically based on viewers' actions or the environment. Contemporary artists now have the opportunity to make works that are in constant dialog with viewers and their surroundings. In this course students will create a series of interactive projects, starting by connecting simple sensors and actuators to multimedia programs and proceeding to fully realized interactive sculptures and installations. Students will work with various types of sensors (tracking motion with video cameras, sensing movement and touch, sensing environmental conditions, etc.). They will also work with a range of actuator technologies (standard DC motors, servo motors, solenoids, etc.). Our engagement with these technologies will be supported and contextualized by looking at the work of prominent interactive artists and by a series of theoretical readings drawn from fine art, new media, philosophy, and other disciplines. |