[artinfo] Media Arts low-residency, Master of Arts

[Science, Image (Melanie Planyavsky)]

MEDIA ARTS: Histories and Futures
International - low-residency - Master of Arts - Starts September 2019

Deepening praxis and critical comprehension of 
the digital developments in contemporary art
An interdisciplinary field at the intersection of 
art, science, technology and the humanities, 
MediaArtHistories examines scientific discovery 
and technological innovation emerging in art 
praxis, as well as the genealogies of their 
historical development and context. At a time 
when digital technologies are fundamentally 
revolutionizing the very ways in which we 
communicate, interact, and perceive images, the 
MediaArtHistories program trains students from 
diverse backgrounds to critically analyze the 
plethora of visual media cultures of today.

CONTENT
Courses cover Media Art genres such as Net, 
Telematic and Genetic Art as well as the most 
recent reflections on Nano, Bio and Transgenic 
Art, Video Games, Computer Graphics and 
Animation, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, 
and Intelligent Environments, Hacktivism and 
Tactical Media, Performance, Glitch Art, Hybrid 
Art and Robotics. MediaArtHistories offers a 
basis for understanding the evolutionary history 
of media, from historic examples such as the 
Laterna Magica and Mechanical Automaton of the 
17th century, to computer art at the earliest 
stages of the Internet in the mid-Twentieth 
Century and the algorithmic art of today. Special 
attention is given to the challenges of 
documentation and preservation of these 
born-digital, ephemeral and multifarious works. 
Explored in depth are key methods and theory from 
Digital Humanities, Image Science, Media 
Archaeology, Sound Studies, the Intellectual 
History of Science & Technology, and Digital 
Gender Theory. Excursions, and on site faculty 
seminars, introduce students to the main cultural 
heritage institutions in the field, such as Ars 
Electronica and ZKM, archives such as the Archive 
of Digital Art (ADA 
<http://www.digitalartarchive.at>www.digitalartarchive.at), 
festivals such as Transmediale, and the Media Art 
market.
The program is a two-year low-residency, either 
90 or 120 ECTS Master degree offered in English. 
In addition to individual study and project work 
at your home location, students gather 2-3 times 
a year for intense seminar modules with 
internationally renowned media artists and 
scholars. These enriching sessions take place at 
Danube University or another European location 
relevant to the community of media art, such as 
Linz, Austria as well as Karlsruhe and Berlin, 
Germany.

BRAIN TRUST
MediaArtHistories program faculty include: Irina 
ARISTARKHOVA, Andreas BROECKMANN, Andres BURBANO, 
Sean CUBITT, Oliver GRAU, Monika FLEISCHMANN, 
Francesca FRANCO, Darko FRITZ, Jens HAUSER, Kathy 
Rae HUFFMAN, Erkki HUHTAMO, Ryszard KLUSZCZYNSKI, 
Andreas LANGE, Martina LEEKER, Christopher 
LINDINGER, Wolf LIESER, Roger MALINA, Lev 
MANOVICH, Nat MULLER, Gunalan NADARAJAN, Frieder 
NAKE, Jussi PARIKKA, Christiane PAUL, Ana 
PERAICA, Margit ROSEN, Christopher SALTER, Paul 
SERMON, Edward SHANKEN, Jeffrey SHAW, Christa 
SOMMERER, Morten SONDERGAARD, UBERMORGEN, and 
others.

Since its beginnings in 2006, Danube University's 
prestigious MediaArtHistories MA has offered its 
students both a deeper critical comprehension and 
a practical orientation regarding the most 
important developments of this most contemporary 
art, by building on its faculty network of 
renowned international theorists, artists, and 
curators. These faculty come from across the 
globe to give seminars during the modules held at 
Danube University, and from their home 
universities maintain through online network and 
project collaboration individualized instruction 
with students throughout the program. 
<http://www.mediacultures.net/mah>www.mediacultures.net/mah

STUDY in EUROPE
The low-residency modularized teaching system 
allows working professionals to maintain their 
usual employment, and gives students entering 
directly after a Bachelor degree the opportunity 
to gain valuable career experience while they 
study. Modules take place on the main campus and 
at the Center for Image Science housed at the 
Göttweig Abbey. The Danube University is located 
in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage "WACHAU" 
and offers a spectacular backdrop for learning 
and living.
The Department for Image Science holds important 
resources of the field like the largest 
international Archive of Digital Art: 
<http://www.digitalartarchive.at>www.digitalartarchive.at 
and the MediaArtHistories Conference Archive 
<http://www.mediaarthistory.org/maharchive>www.mediaarthistory.org/maharchive 
and integrates its cutting-edge research projects 
into teaching.

STUDENTS
International students to our program have come 
from locations including Austria, Australia, 
Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, Iceland, 
Japan, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, 
Ukraine, and USA. Alumni of the program are 
employed not only as freelance curators, creative 
designers or working artists, but also at 
renowned cultural sector institutions like: 
Austrian National Library, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 
Chicago Art Institute, Deutsche Kinemathek, ETH 
Zürich, Ars Electronica, ITAU Cultural, Nicolaus 
Copernicus University, Pinchuk Art Centre, Hive 
Advertising, imai, Polytechnic Museum - Moscow, 
Smithsonian, Techne, and more. 
<http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/mahstudents>www.donau-uni.ac.at/mahstudents

MODULES: Sept 6-18, 2019/ Dec 2-11, 2019 / May 4-13, 2020 / Sept 21-30, 2020


INTERNSHIP: (MAH-Advanced only) some time between May 2020 - May 2021


MASTER THESIS: Jan 2021 - April 2022

APPLICATION (digital) and FUNDING POSSIBILITIES
Acceptance into the program requires either a 
Bachelor degree (or higher), or equivalent 
relevant work experience. Requirements: 
application form, letter of motivation, copies of 
previous degree(s) or employment validation, copy 
of passport and Europass CV. An application 
interview is required, which may be conducted in 
person or through internet videoconferencing. 
Resources for funding possibilities and estimated 
costs: 
<http://www.mediacultures.net/mah/application/>Application 
Form, 
<http://www.mediacultures.net/mah/fees_fundung/>Resources 
for funding possibilities and estimated costs

<https://www.facebook.com/groups/377264145713664/>MediaArtHistoriesResearch 
on Facebook


Primary contact:
Wendy Jo Coones, M.Ed.
Head of Teaching & Coordination : 
MediaArtHistories / Media Arts Cultures / 
Exhibition Development
Department for Image Science ~ Danube University Krems
Telefon +43 (0)2732 893-2543 ~ skype: wcoones
Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems, Austria
wendy.coones(at)donau-uni.ac.at 
<http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/dis>http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/dis