Interrelated Media Practice / Fall 2020
Download Syllabus HERE
This class is planned as a horizontal conversation between peers, in which each artist –including the instructor– is set to question and understand what an interrelated process means in artistic terms. This process will be carried out in a virtual space for the entirety of its duration. This will be a space to learn and not be taught. In this space we celebrate spectacular failure, risk taking, critical perseverance, active communication, constant experimentation and engagement. Through this communal experience and shared personal ventures, we will develop and nurture individual artistic processes while trying to respond to the many questions that arise when Art is faced with the complex issues of our contemporary world: connectivity, virtuality, representation, virality, fluidity, visibility, digital alienation, and the politics and economies of contemporary art making. A complex landscape, indeed. How can an Art practice respond to such an unstable and volatile context? How does an artist remain focused while experimenting with a diversity of issues, materials, subjects and ideas?
This class was planned as a horizontal conversation between peers, in which each artist –including the teacher– began to understand what a hybrid process means in artistic terms. The first part is structured as a series of scales that range from the personal to the universal. Once this first stage is completed, each individual will embark, autonomously and freely, in the development of a project that collects and connects the findings of that initial process. The results will vary in forms and themes, but they coincide on several premises: The understanding that art is connected with other disciplines and forms of thought; that it connects what we think and produce to our social, cultural and political context; and that we assume the possibilities of expansion of artistic practice, even towards utopian and immaterial territories and, finally, always (always) do from what really fascinates us, seduces us and makes us feel alive, which is the best way to cultivate a voice of our own.
Our greatest achievement will be to look back in time and understand this space as one with the freedom to redefine artistic processes by embracing danger, collaboration and visionary experimentation. A place where we experience artistic practice as a continuous analytical process that is amplified through interdisciplinarity, context awareness, and self-reflection.
OUR CORE VALUES:
RESPECT / CURIOSITY / ACTIVE LEARNING / CRITICAL THINKING
Course Components
Projects: Students present work, writing or critical analysis weekly. Students will get ample feedback on projects from both individual meetings with the instructor and in formal group critiques with the class
Presentations: Students will deliver presentations on specific contemporary artists’ work
Seminar/Work-sessions: Students participate in group discussions responding to readings. Offline Work-sessions will afford time for Q&A regarding individual issues
Lecture: Presentations on major themes and artists working in the field
Visiting Artists: We will have a roster of international artists presenting their work during critical moments of the semester Technical Demos: Though not a medium specific class, demos on technology and other art making methods may be offered depending on demand
Resources: The main text for this class is “The Age Of Earthquakes” (shipping in September) and the main streaming platform is dis.art
Blog will be used for:
Readings: as PDF’s (sometimes URL’s will be emailed instead)
Posts: Members will post responses, samples and experiments
List of artists from class lectures.
Links or other resources relative to the topics arising in discussions and critiques.
Class Expectations and Requirements
You are expected to develop a professional attitude in all aspects of this course. This includes not only showing up for class and fulfilling course requirements, but also demonstrating respect for yourself, instructor, classmates, and the workspace at all times. Anyone disrupting the class decorum or disregarding MassArt’s community standards will be dismissed and marked as absent, or recommended for a disciplinary action. MassArt Community Standards: http://inside.massart.edu/campus_life/student_handbook/college_policies/community_standards. html
Format
This is an online seminar/critique/studio course. I encourage you to find an ideal space where you can take the class and focus while maintainig your energy. Please bring water and snacks for breaks. We will takevarious breaks and offline working times during class sessions. This course will be conducted as a collaborative, constructive, and critical learning environment. Each week students will come to class prepared to discuss and/or share ideas regarding a current articles from a periodical of record. Please follow these publications on social media in order to participate on current conversations about contemporary art:
DIS.ART, Hyperallergic, Rhizome, Nowness, Creators Project, Artsy, artnet, Booooooom, ARTnews, Artspace, Frieze, E-Flux
Attendance and Deadlines
You are expected to attend and be present for the full period of all classes. The college-wide policy permits no more than two excused/ unexcused absences per semester.
30 minutes late or early departure = 1 absence
More than 2 absences = No Credit
Criteria for Evaluation
To receive a passing grade you must successfully meet all course requirements and expectations. Students must arrive to class prepared to participate in discussions of text and critique of work. Student work must not only reflect an understanding of assignments but also show innovation in addressing conceptual, formal, and technical concerns. A student’s final grade is determined by the quality and progress of his or her overall work. You may receive a No Credit even if you have completed all the work and attended every class. If your work and or participation are of poor quality you will receive a No Credit for the class.
70% of Grade – Coursework
Evaluated based on the ability to demonstrate: Understanding of the objectives of projects/ assignments, Clarity of ideation and intention of work, Attention to craft and material presentation, Articulation of the intention of work, Fulfillment of inclass assignments including research and sketchbook work.
30% of Grade – Participation, Overall Effort, Overall Progress, Involvement in Critiques, Class Discussions and Activities.
Grading
Grades are defined as follows:
P Pass Work meeting all expectations for successful completion of the course.
NC No credit. Work that does not meet the expectations of the course.
INC. Incomplete. A temporary designation indicating that at least 80% of the course requirements have been met and that the remaining course requirements are expected to be completed. The student is responsible for having an Individual Grade Sheet completed by the appropriate faculty member and filed with the Registrar. If the student does not complete the course work, a non- passing grade will be issued.
Mid-semester Warnings
Students in danger of not passing a course at mid-semester may receive a warning from the appropriate faculty member. Students are advised to seek assistance from their faculty advisor and/or the director of advising.
Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is committed to fostering the academic, personal, and professional growth of all our students with a variety of resources for their success. We are committed to ensuring that students with documented disabilities, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), are provided equal access to all campus resources and opportunities. If you believe you have a disability that may warrant accommodations, I urge you to contact the Academic Resource Center (ARC) Tower 8th floor, at 617-879-7280 or by email at arc@massart.edu. The Academic Resource Center provides support to all students as well as access to a disability coordinator, academic coaches and writing specialists. Please check with the Bookstore about the availability of digital-audio versions of the assigned texts or readings in this course. If they are not available, or if you need additional materials in the digital-audio format, please contact the Academic Resource Center to assist you. It can take three (3) to four (4) weeks to secure digital-audio materials that are not available through our library network.
Plagiarism
Whenever your work incorporates someone else’s research, images, words, or ideas, you must properly identify the source unless you can reasonably expect knowledgeable people to recognize it. Proper citation gives credit where it is due and enables your readers to locate sources and pursue lines of inquiry raised by your paper. Students who do not comply will be penalized. For further information, see the MassArt Student Handbook or consult with the Academic Resource Center.
Guidelines for Virtual Gatherings
Many of us would not choose to engage in ‘remote learning’ if we could. We are all being called to be thoughtful about and open to the challenges of this format by participating in university instruction in new ways:
•Let us all remember to prepare our virtual space so that we can hear what is going on, talk freely, sit or stand comfortably for an extended period, limit other distractions, and excuse ourselves if we need a break.
•We will default to muting ourselves in big groups and unmuting when we need to speak to limit audio distractions.
•If you need to move around, eat, or take a stretch break, please turn off your camera so that the rest of us don’t get distracted or dizzy!
•If your camera is off, please participate in other ways – via voice, or the chat window.
•We will use break out rooms for smaller discussions and pair sharing – please respect your break-out room colleagues and let them know you are there by participating in a way that is comfortable for all.
•We need to learn to be OK with the silences that often come during a video conference. Let it happen.
•If you’d like to use a filter or a virtual background while your camera is on, please do, but please be sure to assign your preferred name to your virtual presence so that we know who we are talking with!
•There are many social cues that do not translate through the screen (ex. reading body language). This can make communicating through this platform tiring. Please take personal responsibility and ask for clarification if you need it, take breaks when you need them, etc. Let us be patient with one another and ourselves.
•As we virtually gather, please recognize that we are projected into one another’s personal spaces. This can make us feel vulnerable. Please be mindful of this and be kind towards yourself and one another.
•Online classes do not have a locational identity (i.e. a classroom). This can make it challenging to distinguish between class content. It may be helpful to create some kind of physical change for each course (i.e. maybe change clothing between classes or work in a different spot for different classes, etc.)
•While there are limitations to virtual spaces, the screen is a site just like a classroom, gallery space, etc. This is art school! Let’s have fun with this and exercise our creativity to push the boundaries of this medium!