Machine Learning
Paul Feigelfeld
Institute of Fine Arts and Media Art, Media Theory
2025S, scientific seminar (SEW), 4.0 ECTS, 2.0 semester hours, course number S05080
Description
The seminar explores the paradigms, politics, prophecies, prognoses, permutations, predictions, productions, paranoias, patterns, performances, and punks of Machine Learning and its emo child, Artificial Intelligence.
The aim of the seminar is to develop a thorough understanding of the technological constellations of the field of Machine Learning, its historical developments, and political, social, ecological, and cultural implications.
During the opening session, we will disassemble and anatomize a computer and reassemble it into an open machine.
Each block consists of an introductory lecture and the reading and discussion of a scientific/technical text on AI/ML and a critical/discursive text.
Examination Modalities
Examination Modalities
Active Participation (30%): At the core of this course lies the joint discussion of the texts, and therefore your presence and involvement are required. The class activity will center on close readings of texts and debates around the arguments forwarded in them. In order to facilitate productive in-class discussions between, you are asked to read and work through the assigned texts beforehand.
Research/Reflection Paper (70%): Students will be responsible for a final research paper due at the end of the term (for deadlines see the outline). The research paper should be similar in scope and format to a scholarly conference paper (ca. 20.000 characters, including spaces and footnotes, but excluding appendices, references, or figures) based on at least three references from the seminar literature as well as at least three external references (you can, of course, also use more references). In case students are also attending the course Hands on Machine Learning, they can alternatively write a shorter reflection paper (10.000 characters) on their final projects (for details see the course description).
Key Words
Medientheorie, Media Theory, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Python, Mediengeschichte, Media History, media art
Dates
10 March 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 34 , "The Apes and the Monolith: Anatomy of John von Neumann."
31 March 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 31 , "Intelligence is always artificial: Histories of an Idea of Thinking."
07 April 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 34 , "Deep Shit: Paradigms, Politics and Paranoia of Infrastructural Intelligence. "
28 April 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 34 , "Atlas Drugged: Alien(ated) Labour and Logistics"
05 May 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 34 , "Space and Race: Decolonizing Technologies."
19 May 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 34 , "Deus ex China: Transcultural Genealogies of a Transmedial Technology."
16 June 2025, 14:00–18:00 Seminar Room 30 , "Always crashing in the same car: Psychoanalysis of Machine Learning."
Course Enrolment
From 03 February 2025, 14:00
Via online registration
Curriculum Allocation
Art Education: subject kkp (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80
Art Education: subject kkp (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 067/003.80
Art Education: subject kkp (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80
Art Education: subject tex (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 071/003.80
Art Education: subject dae (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 072/003.80
Art Education: subject dex (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80
Art Education: subject dex (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 074/003.80
Art Education: subject dex (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80
Transformation Studies. Art x Science (Bachelor): Focus! Transformation Areas: Digital Transformation 162/040.10
Transformation Studies. Art x Science (Bachelor): Focus! Transformation Areas: Media Transformation 162/040.50
TransArts - Transdisciplinary Arts (Bachelor): Theoretical foundations: Theoretical foundations 180/003.01
Expanded Museum Studies (Master): Electives: Media Theory 537/080.20
Media Arts: Specialisation in Transmedia Arts (2. Section): Wissenschaft, Theorie und Geschichte : Medientheorie, Mediengeschichte 566/208.02
Media Arts: Specialisation in Digital Arts (2. Section): Wissenschaft, Theorie, Geschichte: Medientheorie, Mediengeschichte 567/208.02
Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften (Master): Electives Area 1: Media Theory 568/005.06
Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften (Master): Electives Area 2: Media Theory 568/006.11
Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Master): Study Areas 1-3: Study Area 2: Science and Technology 569/020.02
Design: Specialisation in Design and Narrative Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Fundamentals: Media Theory and Semiotics 576/203.05
Design: Specialisation in Communication Design (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Media Theory and Semiotics 577/203.05
Conservation and Restoration (2. Section): Geisteswissenschaften: Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte 588/204.10
Fine Arts (2. Section): Scientific and Research Practice: Media Theory,Art&Knowledge Transfer,Th. of Architecture,Th. and Hist. of Design 605/202.02
Fine Arts (2. Section): Scientific and Research Practice: Free Electives out of Scientific and Research Practice 605/202.80
Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Humanities 626/203.02
Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Bachelor): Science and Technology: Deepening / Application 700/002.20
Co-registration: possible
Attending individual courses: possible