COURSE SYLLABUS
Sousveillance: The Art of Networked Surveillance
Spring 2014, ART B2012 section 3EF – WORKSHOP: THEME (Reg code: 3439)
Professor: Joy Garnett, email: joy.garnett@gmail.com
Location: Shepard Hall, Rm 408 (DIAP Central)
Course blog:: http://newsgrist.typepad.com/diap_sousveiller
Description
The term "sousveillance", coined by Steve Mann, stems from the contrasting French words sur, meaning "above", and sous, meaning "below", i.e. "surveillance" denotes the "eye-in-the-sky" watching from above, whereas "sousveillance" denotes bringing the camera or other means of observation down to human level, either physically (mounting cameras on people rather than on buildings), or hierarchically (ordinary people doing the watching, rather than higher authorities or architectures doing the watching).
[via Sousveillance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance]
SOUSVEILLANCE The Art of Networked Surveillance
Decoding the Social and the Private
This will be a Themed Workshop class. Students can explore and work on their artwork (if it relates), or develop new work around assigned/proposed class projects. Work will take place alongside readings, screenings, and discussions in order to better frame the work. This a studio class so it will have time built in for working on making art. Broad topics examined will include spying & surveillance, networks, and experimental art that relates to these concepts, real-life events and developments. Projects can be individual and/or collaborative, and will not be limited to or determined by a particular medium. We will look at a lot of other art by artists who have long been working with these concepts. The various readings will draw on different philosophical and cultural perspectives, with an eye towards historical context, technological developments, and institutional changes leading to current controversies about privacy and surveillance. And 'sousveillance.'
Process
- Research: We will look at the many artists who have worked with surveillance, sousveillance, and related concepts. We will read selected short texts in preparation for discussion in class.
- Screenings: Films, video and documentaries germane to our subject will be screened from time to time.
- Studio production: The object of this workshop is to produce artworks. We will draw on the readings, individual and collaborative research, to be productive in the studio.
- Crits: We will engage in group and individual crits.
Final projects will be uplaoded to a dedicated tumblr or blog.
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