Syllabus
AD 508 - Advanced Electronic Visualization and Critique
Professor: Daniel Sauter (dsauter7@uic.edu) Wednesdays 2-5 pm, 2068 ERF, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, 2nd floor, AG room Class website: http://uic.edu/~dsauter7/AD508_F08/
Description
The thematic focus of this graduate seminar revolves around motion tracking and computer-vision in the context of new media art. The course introduces real-time video analysis/processing, gesture-based interaction, and marker tracking as methods to create responsive and interactive artworks that rely on non-physical human-computer interfaces. A series of readings, screenings, and discussions will expose students to works and writings that explore and reflect on gestural interfaces, ‘multi-touch’, and aesthetics of surveillance. In-class tutorials will introduce motion-tracking and computer vision libraries for applications such as Processing, MaxMSP/Jitter/SoftVNS/CV.Jit, OpenCV/ARToolkit, occasionally utilizing a multi-touch display located in CVRA, Art + Architecture building, room 3304 (check class website for location updates).
The seminar is committed to facilitate discourse around participant’s individual artwork and research. Weekly presentations and discussions are intended as a forum to test ideas, share work-in-progress and receive feedback from peer students and the instructor. Each participant is asked to lead a (45 min to 1 hour) discussion of their own work-in-progress. In addition each participant will choose a particular reading/research topic in the beginning of the semester, and present a (20-min) research report on the subject (see schedule). For the final assignment, class participants choose their own focus within the thematic framework of the class, either as writing assignment (paper), or art project/experiment including project description. Remember to upload your project after completion onto the School of Art + Design website (uploaded via http://ad.aa.uic.edu/login)
Evaluation
Research reports and reading responses will mainly be evaluated based on the quality of praxes (practical application or exercise of a branch of learning), inform of references outside a given reading assignment. Practical exercises and final projects will be evaluated based on originality, conceptual depth, and integration of artistic goals within the scope of the assignment. Active contribution during class and attendance is required. All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course. Late assignments will reduce the grade proportionally. More than two unexcused absences will result in a reduction of the final grade by 1 letter grade; with every additional unexcused absence, the final grade will drop by an additional grade. It is recommended to drop the course with more than four absences.
The numeric breakdown for the final grade follows:
20% Reading Responses
20% Exercises
20% Work-in-Progress Presentation/Individual Research
10 % Participation/Contribution
30% Final Project