From the Industrial to the Digital Revolution, art schools have been at the forefront of engaging exploratively and critically with new technologies and adapting them into meaningful practices. This trajectory reflects both the innate curiosity of creative individuals and the evolving mandates of higher education and research. Currently, the surge of technologies such as XR and generative AI is significantly impacting the fields of art, design, and film, reshaping human-machine relationships and the dynamics between technology and society. These transformations bring with them new orders of knowledge and redefinitions of disciplinary boundaries. In this situation, we ask for a visionary approach to the future role of art schools in society.
Participation
Participation is free of charge upon registration. Number of participants is limited.
Friday, 24 May 2024
09:30 – 09:45 Welcome & Introduction
09:45 – 11:00 Media/Culture
The digital transformation has brought about significant changes in media production and distribution practices. New producers and new forms of production are transforming the professional sector, but also how (and what kind of) visual, audio, etc. content finds its way into society. These changes have far-reaching implications for how different actors in the field, from individual creators to cultural institutions, perceive themselves and work together to support societal change. Digitality also affects the role of art schools, raising questions about new subjects and forms of collaboration and partnership. How should art schools redefine their role and how can they empower their students to engage as responsible creators in a digital society?
11:00 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:45 Space
We’ve come a long way from the idea that physical spaces would disappear or only exist in their virtual twins as a result of digital transformation. Instead, physical and digital spaces may now be deeply entangled, opening up new possibilities for how they are conceived in society and in art schools. How can we make such hybrid spaces more accessible and expressive in a post-digital society, especially as learning environments, research settings, but also as social and political spaces? What strategies can we use to design platforms for social discourse that promote inclusivity and diversity?
12:45 – 13:45 Lunch Break
13:45 – 15:00 Knowledge
Art schools generate and disseminate a wide range of competencies, skills, and information in an environment where knowledge is in constant flux. The benefits of this knowledge are not always recognizable at first glance but are deeply rooted in the need to respond to societal upheavals. At the same time, higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to justify themselves on the basis of measurable criteria such as economic impact. This situation calls for new alliances with non-academic communities and raises the question of how to create a sustainable knowledge society. How can art schools participate in this process and demonstrate how their education can be a catalyst for social, environmental and economic sustainability?
15:00 – 15:30 Break
15:30 – 16:45 Technology
Digital technologies are increasingly shaping professional life and civil society. However, the development of these technologies requires large amounts of capital and data, resulting in a concentration of power and a lack of participation. Rather than simply reacting to what Tech is building, how can art schools take an active (or even leading) role if it comes to technical innovation? How can they invent and shape their fields of profession – instead of just educate to aim the needs of the creative economies? And how can designers and artists contribute to a social discourse on technical developments?
17:00 – 17:20 Preview & Talk Nummer 12: Algorithms and Imagination
Orlando Budelacci in conversation with Jürgen Haas and Adelina Lahr.
17:20 – 18:00 Apéro
