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AH30700

Academic Year 2025/2026

Art in the Digital Age (AH30700)

Subject:
Art History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Art History & Cultural Policy
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Conor Lucey
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The emergence of digital art in the 1960s had, and continues to have, a significant impact on late 20th and early 21st century art. Digital art refers to art produced, distributed and exhibited using digital technologies. Examples of digital art might include art that utilises computers, robotics, artificial intelligence, digital video, digital animation, video game engines, virtual reality, the internet and the blockchain in its production, distribution and exhibition.

The module Art in the Digital Age will introduce students to digital art by following its evolution from the 1960s to the present day. The module will also explore the influence of digital technologies on the art world, specifically the curating, collecting and marketing of digital art. Weekly lectures will introduce students to histories, theories and practices of digital art. Students will be introduced to concepts such as medium specificity, the post-medium condition, post-media, post-digital, post-internet and the new aesthetic, and to themes such as identity, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism, neoliberalism, right-wing politics and climate change. Weekly seminars will give students opportunities to participate in class discussions of assigned readings expanding on concepts and themes introduced in lectures. The module will also include class screenings of selected moving image artworks.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

The weekly topics will include: an archaeology of screen-based media; early computer art; video art; from animation to simulation; virtual and augmented reality; video game art and critical play; AI, machine vision and the status of the image; post-internet, post-digital and the new aesthetic; internet art from net.art to Web 2.0; maker culture, critical making, physical computing; curating, collecting and marketing new media art; robotics and memes.

Indicative Module Content:

• art produced, distributed and exhibited using digital technologies, including computers, robotics, artificial intelligence, digital video, digital animation, video game engines, virtual reality, the internet and the blockchain.
• the influence of digital technologies on the art world, specifically the curating, collecting and marketing of digital art.
• histories, theories and practices of digital art, including concepts such as medium specificity, the post-medium condition, post-media, post-digital, post-internet and the new aesthetic.
• themes such as identity, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism, neoliberalism, right-wing politics and climate change.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Seminar (or Webinar)

12
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Total

226

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group module, with weekly lectures and seminars. The lectures provide an introduction to the week's topic, and the seminar focuses on presentation and in-class debate.. Support materials, including the weekly readings, will be available on Brightspace. Students will be assessed through oral presentations and an essay.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): 3,000 word essay Week 14 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No
Individual Project: Critical analysis of assigned text Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on weekly oral presentations will be issued directly to individual students during the trimester. Feedback on the final essay will be issued at the end of the trimester.

Name Role
Ms Rhona Henderson Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 14:00 - 15:50
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