Assignment 4: Final Project

[glegrady]

Assignment 4: Final Project

"how does a project come about?" The process can evolve organically, or else can be systematically planned ahead of its realization. One tends to assume the first is the approach of the artist and the second, that of the engineer, but in nearly all cases its a mix of both but with different percentages where the artist has the freedom to explore without constraints as one can start somewhere and end up somewhere else. In the science world, this is called "Pure or basic research" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_research) as opposed to "applied research" (https://researchmethod.net/applied-research/)

For your final project, whatever topic you will cover, there should be a part of the presentation that addresses the research component, and/or the methodology - which is how knowledge was acquired to realize the project, followed by what actions / steps were taken to do the project.

For you final project, the best approach is to come up for a research project about the relationship of Art & Technology which will be produced as a PPT or a Keynote presentation. The steps to realize this work is to do some research as we have been doing in the class, come up with an idea, then send me a brief descirption of that idea. I will give feedback, and then you can proceed.

Conditions: A number of you have proposed to present work you already have. This may be OK, but there will be a need to also describe how research in both the artistic and the science has taken place. the overall presentation should not be longer thatn 15-20 minutes.

The week of Nov 19-21 wil be dedicared to working on the final project. Class will be open-ended meaning, we will gather just to work. Let me knof if you will be absent on any of the days.

To complete the project, you will need to post a response to this with a title, a pragraph as to what the final projection is about, and then a PDF that documents your Powerpoint or Keystone presentation.

Presentations will take place on Dec 3 and 5. Please let me know which day you would prefer to present.

[edachiardi]

Artists are increasingly incorporating technology into their work to explore new forms of expression. Cory Arcangel repurposes outdated technologies, like hacked video games to reveal the cultural and temporal contexts embedded in digital tools. Jonah Cohen uses computational processes and algorithms, and Julia Scher employs interactive web platforms, to critique surveillance and control, transforming technology into a means of revealing societal power structures. These works illustrate how technology can expand the possibilities of art and how it may be used as a tool to expand our mediums.

[achildress]

This presentation explores the intersection of art and science as a means to integrate Black culture into the future of innovation. By analyzing how technology and creativity collide, it highlights the ways these collaborations can challenge biases, foster inclusivity, and redefine narratives. Drawing on examples like Afrofuturism, holographic art, AI-driven projects, and digital archives, the presentation illustrates how these efforts place Black culture at the forefront of technological progress. Ultimately, it argues that the integration of art and science not only amplifies Black voices but also reshapes the future of storytelling, technology, and cultural representation.

[zejunhuang]

Art and technology, while seemingly distinct, share methodologies and intersect in meaningful ways. Using the Double Diamond Model, a classic product design framework, my presentation explores the parallels between creating a product and an art installation. By comparing their processes, I reveal how art and science converge as complementary paths to innovation. Artists leverage tools like robotic arms to push creative boundaries, while engineers draw inspiration from art to design aesthetically compelling products. This synergy between art and technology demonstrates their intertwined nature and highlights their shared potential to shape a future of endless creative possibilities.

MAT Final Project.pdf

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[x_zhong]

Video games are a perfect mixture of visual art, audio art and technology.
This presentation discusses how the evolution of technologies has expanded the limits of visual arts, audio and creative ways to play video games, from 2D pixel art progressed to realistic 3D models and photorealistic textures due to advancements in GPUs, to MIDI or chip-generated sounds to full orchestral scores enabled by larger memory and better sound processing capabilities, and allowing spatial audio and interactive sound scapes to create immersive audio experiences. As well as how AI helps create complex game design mechanics allowing higher level of interactivity for player, leading to more challenging and creative user experience.

[yexin]

This presentation showcases the connection between urban planning and media art and technology. Currently, media art and technology have been deeply integrated into the process of creating and beautifying urban spaces. The report describes the development process, ways, challenges, and how to keep urban public spaces alive.

[pingkang]

This presentation traces the evolution of spatial sound, from historical uses in classical and electroacoustic music to modern consumer technologies like Dolby Atmos and 6DoF systems. It highlights key formats—channel-based, object-based, and headphone-based sound—demonstrating their artistic applications and immersive potential through real-world examples and projects.

[joeljaffe]

Software Archeology: Preserving Art with Tech

The advent of digital media has posed a challenge to traditional methods of information preservation. An example is found in the sub-domain of digital art preservation, in particular interactive works. The field was pioneered before the modern practices of source control, web hosting and documentation standards had developed, and consequently these works are subject to the same fragility of physical artifacts. Immortality can be bestowed however with the retroactive addition of the aforementioned modern tools, and this project explores that process with a case study. Particular consideration is payed to source control, dependency management, platform-agnostic preservation, and web hosting.

[amandagregory]

Light as Interface: Antiquous Tools to Contemporary Art Innovation

This project examines historical and contemporary approaches to light study through two Los Angeles exhibitions. The Getty's LUMEN exhibition presents early investigations of light from competing theories of extramission versus intromission, through medieval astronomical devices and Renaissance optical innovations. This technical foundation connects to Olafur Eliasson's work at MOCA, where pieces like "Your sunset shadow" and "Pluriverse assembly" utilize LED projectors, rotating mechanical elements, and precise optical arrangements to create interactive light environments. These installations demonstrate how ancient understanding of light behavior and geometric optics has evolved through modern technology. By analyzing these exhibitions together, we trace the development of light as both a precise measurement tool and an experimental medium, revealing consistent patterns in how humans have approached light's dual role in scientific measurement and perceptual experience across centuries.

[k_morozov]

This project explores the combination of art and mechanism design. A lot of the tech + art pieces that we've seen have mainly been digital. The below presentation serves as an introduction into some contemporary Kinetic Artists, who enhance their physical creations by incorporating mechanical components allowing them to move. A small deep dive was done into the artists background: are they artists who now use engineering concepts, or are they engineers using their technical knowledge to create a new kind of art? As well as, a brief analysis of a few key exhibitions, to discuss their relative importance, the engineering principles and mechanisms employed, and the broader impact on the field. This was a kind of passion project for me, as an engineer, where I got to introduce my classmates to some artists that are doing some really cool things right now. The research component comes in the form of going to through different places to find about their work: Artist website, YouTube, Instagram, etc.

I hope my classmates learned something from this presentation, as I certainly learned a lot while making it.