ETHO Online: Immerse in the New Technology

Studio, workshop and classroom spaces across higher arts education institutions are changing. Digitalisation and new technologies are being embraced in teaching and learning, opening up new opportunities and challenges.

How are digital developments affecting the role of technical staff? How is hands-on learning changing? How can technology serve all artistic disciplines? What is special about teaching in the field of new technologies?

ETHO invites you on an exploration of interactions between arts and digital technology together with the Immersive Arts Space (IAS) from Zurich University of the Arts.

Immersive Arts Space is a university-wide art/tech lab that serves as a research, teaching and production platform. With innovative and multidisciplinary projects, the team of the IASpace conducts a technologically-supported artistic examination of digital immersion, mixed realities and the convergence of media-based and performative practices. The key areas of the Immersive Arts Space are motion capture, projection mapping, volumetric capture and spatial audio. The equipment is characterized by a juxtaposition of highly professional technology on the one hand and consumer products on the other.

During the ETHO online session, participants are invited to contribute to the discussions around the implementation of new technologies in practice-based teaching and learning. After a presentation from IAS, participants will be able to choose one of the four following breakout sessions:

Room 1: To manage a spearhead New Technology cluster

Christian Iseli holds the professorship Immersive Arts and is head of the Immersive Arts Space. As the founder of IAS, he understands the challenges of building and operating an experimental cluster within a large, traditional educational institution. He can give a first-hand account of what it means to provide a space in the field of immersive new technologies for the very diverse projects from research and teaching and the numerous stakeholders within the university.

Room 2: To technically support a spearhead New Technology cluster

A trained musician, experienced stage manager of major festivals, inquisitive scientist in the field of sound engineering, Sébastien Schiesser, works as the Studio Technician of the Immersive Arts Space. What are his experiences? How is the collaboration with the students, the scientists and the artists? How is the cooperation with the technical services of the University?

Room 3: To study and work in a spearhead New Technology cluster

Eric Larrieux has a background in electrical engineering and is currently scientific research associate at the Immersive Arts Space. He is pursuing a Masters degree in Composition and Theory in the field of Electroacoustic Composition at Zurich University of the Arts. He will give an insight into his work and his specialty of spatial and interactive audio, directly from the IAS. 

Room 4: To teach and work in a spearhead New Technology cluster

With a background in Mechanical engineering and Media Art Martin Fröhlich leads many projects in the IAS where he works as senior research associate and team leader. He teaches in inter- and transdisciplinary modules, conducts research in the field of projection mapping und motion tracking and is active as an augmented projection artist.