Digital Art Inside/Outside the Museum: Presenting, Collecting, Preserving

The course gives an overview of how digital art is exhibited, collected, and preserved by art institutions and organizations and outside of institutional contexts. The discussions of these practices will be grounded in a survey of digital art’s evolution from the 1960s until today. Digital art has always negotiated boundaries between the material and immaterial, the physical and digital, and the art’s presentation has been shaped by its different forms and developments in display technologies. The course examines presentation scenarios for a range of digital art forms — from large-scale installations and net art to VR, AR, and AI art, as well as NFTs. The materialities of digital art also are considered in the context of the art market and collection approaches, as well as main preservation strategies. Through case studies, readings, and short assignments, students engage with the challenges and possibilities of presenting digital art in different contexts and ensuring its longevity.

June 11, 10:00 - 14:00

• Introduction to Course Topics
• Exhibiting Digital Art Part I: Materialities and approaches throughout the decades

June 13, 10:00 - 14:00

• Exhibiting Digital Art Part II: Materialities and approaches throughout the decades
• Collecting digital art: The art market, museums, and private collectors
• Preserving Digital Art Part I
• Discussion of short assignment

June 14, 10:00 - 13:00

• Preserving Digital Art Part II
• Assignment Presentations

Attendance is required and students will be graded on the basis of in-class participation and a short final assignment.