ADVANCED TOPICS IN NEW MEDIA
COURSE SYLLABUS
Fall 2007
CNM 201/IEOR 298-3: Advanced Topics in New Media
M 5:30-6:30 pm, plus 7:30-9:00pm for ATC lectures
3102 Etcheverry Hall
Prof. Ken Goldberg
goldberg(at)ieor(dot)berkeley(dot)edu
TAs:
Irene Chien
ichien(at)berkeley(dot)edu
Kris Paulsen
kris(dot)paulsen(at)gmail(dot)com
Course Description:
CNM 201/IEOR 298-3 (cross-listed under Center for New Media & Industrial Engineering and Operations Research) will be held in conjunction with the Art, Technology and Culture Colloquium, a monthly lecture series that brings internationally known speakers to campus to present their work on advanced topics in new media. This semester's speakers include: artist and geographer Trevor Paglen, theorist Geerk Lovink, sound artist Bill Fontana, and media artist Yael Kanarek.
Students will enhance skills in "interrogating" new media: how to think critically about advanced topics in new media, how to use new media resources such as the internet to research pioneering work in new media, how to formulate incisive questions about new media, and how to evaluate and create effective presentations on topics in new media.
During the two weeks prior to each lecture, students will view work, research each speaker and formulate incisive questions. During each lecture, students will attend, take careful notes, and ask incisive questions. During the week after each lecture, students and instructors will review and evaluate strengths (and weaknesses) of speaker presentations and advanced topics in new media.
This course is open to graduate students from any department and upper level undergraduates (upon instructor approval).
This course fulfills the Designated Emphasis in New Media 201 requirement.
Requirements:
Students must attend the class meetings and the ATC lectures. Please see the attached course schedule for the specific dates of classes and lectures. Students must research each speaker and are responsible for generating discussion and contributing to a course blog. Required readings will be handed out or posted on the website.
Grading:
This course is 2 credits. It will be graded on the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory scale. To obtain a Satisfactory grade, students must come prepared to each class and ATC lecture, contribute to class discussions and the class blog, and turn in a list of three incisive and relevant questions for each visiting speaker in the Art, Technology, and Culture lecture series. Attendance is expected: students with more than two unexcused absences will not receive a Satisfactory grade.
Class Schedule: (Dates with ATC lectures in bold)
| August 27 | Introduction to the course |
| September 3 | Labor Day - NO CLASS |
| September 10 | Trevor Paglen prep
Read: Interview with Amy Goodman & Paglen; "Groom Lake and the Imperial Production of Nowhere," from Violent Geographies; browse Trevor Paglen website. |
| September 17 | Present research and questions for Paglen
ATC Lecture: Trevor Paglen, "State Secrecy, Black Sites, and The Limits of the Visible" 7:30-9pm, 160 Kroeber Hall |
| September 24 | Discuss Paglen's lecture; Bill Fontana "listening" and prep
Read: Interview with Jøran Rudi; NY Times review; "Resoundings"; "The Relocation of Ambient Sound"; browse Bill Fontana website. |
| October 1 | Present research and questions for Fontana
ATC Lecture: Bill Fontana, "Acoustic Simultaneity and the Sculpture of Sound" 7:30-9pm, 160 Kroeber Hall |
| October 8 | Discuss Fontana's lecture |
| October 15 | Geert Lovink prep
Read: Lovink, "New Media: Art and Science" & "Dawn of the Organized Networks." |
| October 22 | Yael Kanarek "listening" and prep
Read: NY Times review; Rhizome interview; Explore Kanarek’s project, World of Awe: http://worldofawe.net/index.html |
| October 29 | Present research and questions for Lovink
ATC Lecture: Geert Lovink, "New Media Art: In Search of the Cool Obscure" 7:30-9pm, 160 Kroeber Hall |
| November 5 | Discuss Lovink's lecture; Present research and questions for Kanarek
ATC Lecture: Yael Kanarek, "And I Was Both Tongues" 7:30-9pm, 160 Kroeber Hall |
| November 12 | Veteran's Day - NO CLASS |
| November 19 | Discuss Yael Kanarek's lecture |
| November 26 | Kristin Lucas screening and prep
Interview with Beatrice Ruf; Or Gallery exhibition catalogue; "Name Change Hearing Transcript"; Involuntary Reception website; "Unruly Bodies: The Effect Body As a Place of Resistance." |
| December 3 | Present research and questions for Lucas
ATC Lecture: Kristin Lucas, "If Lost Then Found" 7:30-9pm, 160 Kroeber Hall |
| December 10 | LAST DAY - Wrap-up, Discuss Paglen, Fontana, Lovink, Kanarek, and Lucas |