ART 1080 - Installation Art and New Media

Credits: 3
Hours/Week: Lecture 1 Lab 2 studio
Course Description: This course explores the medium of installation art, guiding students in transforming spaces into immersive, sensory experiences. Through hands-on projects, students can explore personal, conceptual, or socially driven themes, experimenting with materials like found objects, sound, video, and digital media. The class emphasizes creative problem-solving and spatial storytelling, encouraging students to think about how their work interacts with viewers and the environment. Course activities focus on key artists and works that challenge the boundaries between art, space, and audience throughout the course. The course culminates in a site-specific installation that brings together students’ ideas, skills, and inspirations.
MnTC Goals
Goal 6

Prerequisite(s): Course placement into college-level English and Reading OR completion of ENGL 0950 with a grade of C or higher OR completion of RDNG 0940 with a grade of C or higher and qualifying English Placement Exam OR completion of RDNG 0950 with a grade of C or higher and ENGL 0090 with a grade of C or higher OR completion of ESOL 0051 with a grade of C or higher and ESOL 0052 with a grade of C or higher.
Recommendation: None

Major Content

1. Introduction to Installation Art
   a. Definitions and key characteristics
   b. Historical context and evolution
   c. Compare/Contrast installation art and other art forms
2. Space, Site, and Environment
   a. Site-specificity and spatial storytelling
   b. Analyzing and responding to physical spaces
   c. Landmark works
3. Materials and Media in Installation Art
   a. Exploring traditional and unconventional materials
   b. Incorporating sound, light, and video
   c. Sustainability and ethical material sourcing
4. Conceptual Development
   a. Developing themes and narratives
   b. Aligning material choices with concepts
   c. Balancing form, message, and viewer experience
5. Interaction and Audience Engagement
   a. Designing for viewer interaction and participation
   b. Exploring emotional and sensory engagement
   c. Case studies of interactive and immersive installations
6. Construction and Technical Challenges
   a. Planning and constructing stable installations
   b. Addressing safety, scale, and environmental considerations
   c. Integrating technology and troubleshooting technical issues
7. Historical and Contemporary Context
   a. Influential artists and movements in installation art
   b. Connections between installation art and contemporary practices
   c. Exploration of public and community art contexts
8. Final Installation Project
   a. Site-specific installation planning and execution
   b. Peer feedback and critique sessions
   c. Exhibition preparation and professional documentation

1. articulate conceptual ideas for installation art that explore personal, social, or environmental themes.
2. analyze physical spaces to create site-specific installations that consider audience interaction, movement, and perception.
3. integrate various materials and media, including found objects, sound, light, video, and digital elements, into immersive works.
4. discuss key works, artists, and movements in the history and evolution of installation art, connecting them to contemporary practices.
5. construct and install art pieces safely and effectively, addressing challenges such as stability, scale, and technical integration.
6. present a final installation project that demonstrates conceptual development, technical skill, and audience engagement.

06.02 Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within a historical and social context.

06.03 Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.

06.04. Engage in the creative process or interpretive performance.

06.05. Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities.
Theme Goals (MnTC Goals 7-10)
na

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