Instructor: Marisa Olson
What is the nature of change and how does our understanding of it shift as we examine social change alongside media ‘evolution’ and changes in form (i.e. hacktivism)? Is there a relationship between creating disorder within a technological system and social disorder? And can this disorder be positive, in the case of ‘electronic civil disobedience’? Presupposing a relationship between computer code and social codes calls into question the larger nature and value of systems, and the means by which one might effectively change them. The political, phenomenological, and practical problems raised by this set of issues form the backdrop for this class, in which we survey tactical media works developed since the 1960s, with an emphasis on work since 1995. We look at artists’ use of a variety of media—including the news media, the internet, locative media, surveillance techniques, genetic modification, software viruses, memes, live performance, the audience, and more—to carry out protests. We also visit precursors to tactical media, including that which is typically referred to as ‘protest art’ and important media intervention projects. The relationship between the evolution of communication media and the shift in tactics is among our core concerns. We hear from guest lecturers and read a combination of theoretical texts, seminal curatorial statements, manifestos, and mainstream press response to these interventions. An emphasis on media specificity leads to discussions focused on design questions and other practical considerations, with regard to participants’ own work. Students complete a series of writing exercises throughout the semester before completing a final essay or project.