Art in the Age of Computation: From Cybernetics to AI

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course explores how artists have engaged with computation-not only as a technology, but as a way of thinking about systems, information, thought, and perception-from the mid-twentieth century to the present. We consider how cybernetics and systems thinking helped reconfigure the work of art and visual perception; collectives that sought to institutionalize collaborations between artists and engineers; art in the age of nuclear energy, space exploration, and global telecommunications; as well as contemporary creative and critical responses to AI. Students will engage in close study of key artworks through lectures, discussions, and visits to local art collections. Discussions and short assignments will help students to situate artworks within broader historical, technological, and aesthetic contexts.