Course Schedule

Course Schedule

Start > Leuphana Bachelor (B.A./B.Eng./B.Sc./LL.B.) -> Major Digital Media -> Research Colloquium

Lehrveranstaltungen

Interface Critique: On the conditions and contingencies of apparatuses and applications (Kolloquium)

Termin:
14-täglich | Dienstag | 14:00 - 17:30 | 21.10.2024 - 31.01.2025 | HMS D19

Inhalt: “Interface Critique” coordinated by Florian Hadler (Berlin University of the Arts), Alice Soiné (University of Potsdam) and Daniel Irrgang (lecturer at this seminar), is both a research project and a publication platform (Open Access: https://interfacecritique.net). The aim of the initiative is to bring together researchers and practitioners (i.e., designers, developers, artists) who deal with interfaces mediating technologies and the “users” (human or non-human) that interact with them. The project is not so much interested in improving usability or optimizing user experience, nor is it limited to digital devices or graphical user interfaces. To get a grip on the diverse aspects of interfaces, we need to broaden our focus and include politics, history, philosophy, aesthetics, economics, sociology, technology, architecture, art, design and various cultural techniques. From this broader perspective, it will then be possible to carry out critical analyses of interaction processes with apparatuses that can range from analogue drum machines to the human-processing infrastructures of post office counters to conversational user interfaces. Issue no. 6 (summer 2025) of the “Interface Critique” journal will focus on questions of aesthetics to investigate how form and practices of interaction between technology and user are mutually dependent. This course as part of the Major Digital Media is an open invitation to not only develop possible Bachelor thesis topics but to also contribute to our journal, be it in form of short research papers or rather visual or design-focused contributions. Such a publication is of course not obligatory, but as editors we are happy to offer editorial support to provide you with the opportunity of an early career academic/professional publication. In addition to foundations in interface and interaction theories, the course will discuss positions from media, art, and cultural studies as well as the philosophy of mind/cognitive science and the philosophy of technology. Besides explicit interface issues, we will also include wider discourses such as Californian Ideology, techno-solutionism, or digital sovereignty to provide a broader bandwidth for possible BA thesis and/or paper topics.

Leuphana Bachelor - Major Digital Media - Research Colloquium

Media Archaeology (Kolloquium)

Dozent/in: Jan Müggenburg

Inhalt: Uncovering the Hidden Histories of Media In the words of media scientist Jussi Parikka, media archaeology is a journey not only through time, but also into the inner workings of machines. As a method of media studies, it builds on the traditions of Michel Foucault and Friedrich Kittler, expanding the scope of discourse analysis to include the non-discursive factors that shape knowledge production. This includes the physical artifacts of media history, such as typewriters, computers, cameras, and screens, as well as the networks and systems that connect them. Excavating the Past, Understanding the Present As a media archaeologist, you will delve into historical archives, collections, museums, and even flea markets to uncover the stories behind the machines and media that have shaped our present. By examining the successes and failures of past media technologies, you will gain insights into the complex relationships between media, technology, and society. Why have some media technologies had a lasting impact on our culture, while others have faded into obscurity? What can we learn from the artifacts of media history about the power dynamics, social norms, and cultural values of the past? Uncovering the Archives of the Future Through this seminar, you will explore the ways in which media artifacts can serve as archives of the past, revealing the historical contexts and cultural values that shaped their development. You will also examine how these artifacts contribute to the stabilization or destabilization of dominant discourses and power structures, and how they can be used to imagine and shape the future of media and technology.

Leuphana Bachelor - Major Digital Media - Research Colloquium