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Design Art Technology
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Do you want to discover your authentic creative voice in a constantly evolving field? Do you thrive in collaborative spaces where multiple disciplines and perspectives come together? In our programme, you’ll explore how working with technology can lead to creativity and form critical thought. If this excites you, then Design Art Technology could be the perfect place for you!

Technology is at the core of our modern world. It can be a useful tool, and the source of global concern and criticism. At the same time it can be beyond fascinating and even downright magical—it’s a language that we are in constant dialogue with.

Our programme builds on this idea, preparing you to become a critical thinker and visual creator with a distinctive digital media practice in a rapidly evolving field. We offer a unique curriculum where technology becomes both the material and the subject for thinking and creating. With a strong foundation in experimental design, media art and creative technology the programme will guide you in establishing a professional practice that is not only sustainable, but also future-proof.

Studying at Design Art Technology is organized around a collective learning experience, covering a diversity of subjects relevant to the field such as Media Theory, Creative Technology, Coding Studio, Sound Design, Projections and Designing Programmes as well as Solidarity, Transition and Field Research. Below you can find a detailed description of each of the four years.

Structure of the course

  • The first year is an introduction into new perspectives, concepts and techniques that will allow you to discover your interests and build a foundational toolset—a new way of looking at the world. Assignments will equip you with a learning by doing attitude and form an initial discovery of your creative process.

    Methodology, Fundamentals, Artistic Research and Poetic Systems are among the classes in the first year where you will develop a lot of new work in the various workshops of the academy and learn to collaborate with your peers.

  • Building on the foundations established in the first year, you will continue to deepen your understanding of the field through a variety of classes such as, Sound Design, Media Theory, Inventing Instruments, Creative Technology and Coding Studio. You will be encouraged to take more risk, pursue your own interests and create more complex installations, all while maintaining a reflective, socially aware mindset.

  • In the third year of the studies there is an emphasis on your own positioning within the field. The assignments will allow you to explore from a more open and autonomous perspective, allowing for work that is already geared towards a specific professional practice in the near future. New classes are introduced such as – Digital Art, Engineering Studio, Solidarity and a collective Field Research project with an external party. All these classes will continue to reiterate the value of multidisciplinary collaboration at the core of the study.

  • Your graduation year begins with an internship at a renowned international artist or studio, providing a crucial experience in working within the field and preparing you for your future career. After this three-month period, you’ll write an essay that establishes a theoretical framework for your research project. Multiple iterations and presentations in these remaining five months lead to the work with which you will introduce yourself to the world.

Projects, internships and study trips

During the studies, our students develop the ability to teach themselves new techniques and concepts — an essential skill that prepares you for the professional field. This independence enables you to anticipate and respond to new developments in art and technology, making you well-prepared for both autonomous practices and collaborative work in creative teams. This attitude is reinforced through special projects, internship and study trips.

Hackaton

Every year, we host a hackathon—an intense, collaborative event where students dissect familiar and forgotten technologies. The theme changes annually, from reimagining historic instruments from Teylers Museum to developing live audiovisual performances with real-time software. This high-stakes, time-sensitive project brings all years together, and long days inevitably lead to pizza.

Project Month

During Project Month, students from all years collaborate on a specific theme. In previous years, concepts such as wavelength, energy, and data were investigated. The programme includes inviting experts, organising field trips to relevant locations, and presenting the results to the public. While hackathon is a high-paced, condensed period with emphasis on technology, the project month allows for a longer period of experiment, deeper research and more complex outcomes.

Field Research

In the second semester, DAT3 students collaborate with an external partner institute to research and develop new work within their context. Most recently, students worked around the technique of radar in collaboration with NXP, creating autonomous installation works based on their research. The projects culminated in a two-day exhibition in an immense abandoned factory, attended by both the general public as the radar inventors and engineers that helped to guide the project.

Field Trip

Each year, the department takes a collective Field Trip to visit places where technology and culture meet—from Transmediale in Berlin to the entry point of the European internet on the beach. Other visits have included data centers, coal mines, remote radio telescopes, and even the village of Nokia in Finland. The goal is active participation: collaborating, collecting, and broadening perspectives on our technology-driven world.

Internship

The graduation year begins with a three-month internship. Usually at an internationally renowned international artist, studio, or agency, offering invaluable hands-on experience in your chosen discipline. This opportunity allows students to familiarise themselves with the professional world, build a network, and gain insights into industry practices and standards. The internship not only develops your skills but also helps shape your understanding of the international field of experimental design, media art, and creative technology.