GMU:Sustainable Aesthetics

From Medien Wiki

Werkmodul Fachmodul
Lecturer(s): Mindaugas Gapševičius
Credits: 4 SWS
Date: Tuesdays 13.30-16.45
Venue: DIY Biolab @ Marienstraße 7b, Room 202
First meeting: 18.10.2022
BBB: https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/min-dvy-bzm-day


When humans talk about sustainability, they usually talk about sustainability in environmental, economic and social dimensions, leaving aesthetics as a means of expressing concerns in times of crisis. Documenta 15 also phrased it this way, specifically, "How can a globally oriented art exhibition ... minimize harm to the environment and, at the same time, be economically and socially fair?" While not forgetting to list the environmentally, ecologically, and socially fair solutions, the achieved aesthetic position convinces in its sustainability - the focus of the Documenta 15 is on the creation of social networks and not on production. What would be the goals of sustainable art?

This course is an invitation to rethink sustainability in art production. Students will be invited to consider their strategies, forms, and formats for expressing themselves. We will discuss media art (including the use of computers and living matter) and try to find answers for sustainable ways in artistic methods and forms. Practically, we will experiment with energy harvesting from living matter (e.g. microbes, humans). We will also look into art projects that use ultra-low voltage solutions.

The developed projects will be expected to be documented in detail in the GMU Wiki.

Students

Syllabus

  • 18.10.2022 /Introduction -- Joule thief
  • 25.10.2022 /MFC -- Microbial Fuel Cell
  • 01.11.2022 /Biofeedback -- Capturing tiny electrical potentials in an organism
  • 08.11.2022 /Slime molds -- How to take care of physarum polycephalum
  • 15.11.2022 -- wrapping up individual ideas
  • 22.11.2022 /Readings -- wrapping up individual ideas
  • 29.11.2022 /Readings -- Reading John Dewey
  • 06.12.2022 /Readings -- Reading Hegel