April 2024 – June 2026
Humans invented computers to use them as tools. These tools, however, have developed to such an extent that what was considered unimaginable not so long ago — such as computer-generated texts or machines that create new machines — is now commonplace. These developments exist in tension with “non-machines”: processes, living beings and environments that have not yet been integrated into the network of machines, or that resist technological modification.
The aim of the project was to develop sustainable methods for teaching and for artistic engagement with this field. We asked: To what extent do digital technologies create new relationships between artists and their environments? How can and should machines and non-machines relate to one another?
To address these questions, we pursued an artistic-scientific approach with participatory elements: 1. collaborative teaching and learning among students and lecturers, 2. exhibitions by students, and 3. a publication project presenting new strategies, tools and techniques in contemporary media art. Within this framework, we contributed to three consecutive editions of the Ars Electronica Festival: Sense & Sense-abilities in 2024, Cybernetic Subjects in 2025, and Relational Interactions in 2026. In addition, we published the book Non-Machines: Experiencing Life Beyond Machines and Humans, which further develops the project’s research into the relationships between machines, living systems and their environments.
The programme was intended to enable students to better understand the relationships and dependencies between machines and non-machines and, based on this understanding, to further develop their individual artistic practices. For the university, it establishes a new foundation for sustainable teaching and learning scenarios.
The project is funded by the STIL – Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, FR-125/2023.