NWMEDIA 138AC
Speculative Infrastructures: Creative Practices for Imagining Networks
This hybrid studio-seminar explores how infrastructures–from nineteenth century railways to contemporary surveillance networks–have shaped everyday life in America. Alongside an investigation of infrastructure’s technical, social and ecological dimensions, the course focuses on artists' responses to and reimaginings of these entanglements. The class examines case studies from a variety of networks, including transportation and communication systems, sites of resource extraction, and water and food distribution, as well as artistic projects that invent parallel or speculative infrastructures.
Topics
- By the end of this course, students will be able to: Synthesize theoretical concepts from readings and discussions to develop an informed vocabulary for discussing art, technology, and systems. Analyze the historical, political, and ecological dimensions of infrastructures and explain how these systems shape social relations and race in the context of the American experience. 3. Design and produce art projects that creatively respond to course materials, using methods such as research, digital tools, and generative AI. 4. Demonstrate the ability to participate in the critique process by articulating ideas and rigorously engaging the artwork of others through providing written feedback to peers.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027