170999 UE Media Aesthetics in Everyday Use (2022S)

In this course, phenomena of the performing arts in the digital space will be collected, described and examined with the help of illustrative examples together with the students. The concepts of theater will first be examined from the point of view of digital theater creation, and in a second step, possible extensions will be added. What all can be digital theater? Where does theater end and gaming begin? Where does theater begin and gaming end? What terms can be used to describe the new and emerging formats of theater on the Internet? What potentials does an expansion of terms hold for the future consideration of digital theater formats? And where do these expansions fall short? The course is intended to stimulate thinking, to initiate a search movement and to bring new concepts to light in joint discussions.
It is not only since the Corona pandemic that artists have been dealing with theatrical forms of presentation and the creation of performative interaction with the audience in digital space. Nevertheless, the last twelve months have seen an increase in formats, aesthetic approaches, and technical solutions in order to not completely lose communication with the audience through art. This has also increased the discussions about the necessity, the advantages and disadvantages, and the meaningfulness of all these undertakings, which are as diverse as the art productions that have emerged in the process.
In this lecture, the historical anchoring of digital theater will be made visible and tangible by means of concrete examples. The historical outline will be followed by a survey of the present in order to enable a more precise definition of digital theater. The phenomenon of "digital theater" will thus be examined from its historical roots to its future viability.
In the current theater discourse, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the definitions of theater would have to be subjected to a revision or that the concept of theater must be expanded to include digital phenomena. The conceptualization should take place in the interaction between theory and practice. In addition, international experts will be invited to participate in the discussions who have currently realized projects in the digital space and whose expertise, which is not only result-oriented, but also process-oriented, can flow into the discussions.
The course will take place in an analog and digital format.