Immersive Media, Video Installation and Artificial Intelligence

This course builds on the knowledge developed in previous courses offered at Bennington and is structured around both theoretical lectures and laboratory sessions. It is designed as a pathway through which each student is invited to “conceive themselves as a digital artwork,” selecting their defining characteristics in response to concepts introduced in the theoretical lectures, which remain in constant dialogue with the lab sessions.

The laboratory component focuses on the creation of artworks using Artificial Intelligence, guiding students from prompt writing to image generation and animation. AI is examined in the course as a tool within the art system and its influence on how audiences engage with museums, leading to the exploration of artists who use it in the production of their work. This is the case of artists such as Mario Martino, Sofia Crespo, Refik Anadol, and Mario Klingemann. The theoretical lectures and lab sessions are designed to culminate in a final project that embodies the concept of “being a digital artwork” as a form of self-expression in the contemporary world. The course presents Post-digital Contemporary Art as a dynamic and evolving field, emphasizing the increasingly complex relationship between viewers and technological systems. It highlights how new media—such as video installations, immersive environments, the metaverse, and Artificial Intelligence—are expanding the possibilities for artistic production.