Syllabus: Performance, Art and New Technologies in Society (THTR 3895)

THTR 3895:0001 Cross References: DANC 3895 | INTM 3895
Spring, 2020 || M & W: 3:30p – 5:20p

Instructor: Daniel Fine, Assistant Professor of Digital Media in Performance

Course Description: Survey of major technological innovations that have deeply impacted society and live performance in the late 20th and early 21st century, and the future of the rapidly evolving technological world; students examine theoretical texts and performances that address the impact of technology on the human condition, as well as create original applied live performances and installations; a variety of technologies are explored and adapted for live performance as they relate to the following categories of original human experience—telepresence, liveness, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, big data, and transhumanism.

Course Objectives and Goals:

  • Understand the basic concepts, theories, history and the practical artistic applications of telepresence, liveness, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, transhumanism, and big data.
  • Develop applied knowledge by creating, designing and realizing projects with various analog, digital and new media technologies for a variety of student generated artistic/technological experiences.
  • Be able to rapidly prototype ideas using Isadora, Max and/or other softwares and use and manipulate various hardware technologies.
  • Work collaboratively across disciplines to investigate multimedia approaches to contemporary live experiences and new modes of storytelling.
  • Cite and discuss prior and related work.
  • Expand upon organizational, artistic, and technical skills necessary to successfully design and implement projects.
  • Improve teamwork and communication skills.
  • Critique and evaluate work.

Course Topics:

  • Liveness, telepresence
  • Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality (AR, VR, XR)
  • Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Post-Humanism
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