4.s37 UG | 4.s33 G

This is an incredible opportunity to dive into the basics of biomimicry and natural algorithms in computational design and artificial life. Prior programming or modeling software experience is not needed. Advanced folks will be accommodated on an individual project-based track. Students learn about the cultural and visual implications of automation and biotechnological advancements driven by computational technology, exploring their aesthetic significance through the analysis of data and algorithms.  

This course is designed as a beginner's guide to ethical solutions to design problems in computational design and data concerning nature through visualization and art. It is structured to be accessible and considerate of the broader impact of design decisions on communities, society, and culture. Students will receive a low-level, beginner-friendly introduction to the basics of data visualization in processing and Python, biomimicry, agent-based systems in Grasshopper visual coding, and C# and animation in Maya.

• Learning Objectives/Pedagogy:
• Understand the historical context and evolution of data visualization, biomimicry, and Artificial life as an art form.
• Explore the ethical considerations and social implications of data visualization, biomimicry, and Artificial life.
• Acquire practical skills and techniques for creating bio-inspired artworks.
• Engage in critical discussions on the intersection of art and biology.
• Collaborate with peers to develop innovative data-based projects.
• Analyze and interpret databases from various perspectives.
• Develop a strong foundation for future research in data visualization, biomimicry, and Artificial life.

MIT Certificate Protected Syllabus

UG: 4.354; G: 4.355

This course introduces global traditions of counter-cinema and experimental video through a combined studio and seminar format. We trace how artists and collectives develop form under pressure, studying methods that arise from protest, censorship, displacement, and environmental crisis. Topics include montage and materiality, index and memory, sound as testimony, and architectures of spectatorship. Screenings, lectures, and readings provide a theoretical and historical framework for rigorous discussion. Short weekly exercises translate these frameworks into practice through image and sound manipulation, camera and editing experiments, and iterative prototyping toward a final piece. Peer-to-peer critique emphasizes clarity of intention, ethical stakes, and technical execution.

Additional work required of students taking the graduate version. 

4.341 U / 4.342 G

Introduces history and contemporary practices in artistic photography through projects, lectures, artist visits, group discussions, readings, and field trips. Fosters visual literacy and aesthetic appreciation of photography/digital imaging, as well as critical awareness of how images in our culture are produced and constructed. Provides instruction in the fundamentals of different camera formats, film exposure and development, lighting, black and white darkroom printing, and digital imaging. Assignments allow for incorporation of a range of traditional and experimental techniques, development of technical skills, and personal exploration. Throughout the term, present and discuss projects in a critical forum. 

Additional work required of students taking the graduate version. 

MIT Certificate Protected Syllabus

This interdisciplinary course fosters collaboration across art, science, and engineering, exploring the intersections of creative practice and research in science and technology. In partnership with MIT.nano and associated laboratories, students are introduced to advanced research environments and work alongside graduate mentors to develop projects that merge artistic vision with scientific methods and tools.

Emphasizing artistic practice as a form of critical inquiry, the course supports experimental research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of both individual and collective projects. Students engage with the social, cultural, and ecological dimensions of technology, challenging traditional disciplinary boundaries to create new frameworks for transdisciplinary exploration and innovation.

Additional work required of students taking the graduate version. 

UG: 4.378 | G: 4.379

In an era shaped by AI, digital fabrication, and mass production, this course explores the embodied knowledge of the traditional crafts as a radical frontier of design. We will examine how endangered textile techniques can be reimagined to create new cultural and economic value. From Bengali jamdaani weaving to American quilting and Egyptian khayamiya appliqué, students investigate how textile crafts connect art with innovative models of sustainability, material experimentation, and ethical production beyond fast fashion and industrial systems.

Through research-creation and collaboration with master craftspeople and contemporary designers, students will translate historical textile traditions into experimental fabric applications, from fashion prototypes to installations. The course emphasizes hands-on workshops, process documentation, and iterative prototyping, culminating in two final projects that integrate weaving, screen printing, and reverse appliqué techniques to envision future applications of crafts in design. Readings and guest lectures complement hands-on practice.

Additional work required of students taking the graduate version.

Explores the theory and criticism of intersections between art, culture, and technology in relation to contemporary artistic practice, critical design, and media. Students consider methods of investigation, documentation, and display and explore modes of communication across disciplines. Students develop projects in which they organize research methods and goals, engage in production, cultivate a context for their practice, and explore how to compellingly communicate, display, and document their work. Regular presentation and peer-critique sessions, as well as reviews involving ACT faculty and fellows, and external guest reviewers provide students with ample feedback as their projects develop.

Aids students in the selection of a thesis topic, development of an approach method, preparation of a proposal that includes an outline for their thesis. Explores artistic practice as a method of critical inquiry and knowledge production/dissemination. Students examine artist writings and consider academic formats and standards. Regular group meetings, including peer reviews, are supplemented by independent study and individual conferences with faculty.