Art & Technology

Discover burgeoning technologies – such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) – which are dramatically changing the way art is created, enjoyed, traded, and collected.

 

This course charts the changing reality of contemporary digital culture by studying new aesthetics considering more familiar histories of art through exclusive site visits to immersive exhibitions and case studies of groundbreaking projects in the digital sphere. The rules of engagement are being radically redefined through machine learning, holograms, VR, and other emerging technologies. Students will gain an understanding of how artists are incorporating technology into their practice, how museums and galleries are rewriting the rules of display and authorship, the potential of the blockchain as a new commercial art ecosystem, and how NFTs can unite fine art with crypto culture.

 

The course will also feature prominent guest speakers who are working beyond the conventional boundaries of the art world and who will share their thoughts on the transformation of the industry within the next decades. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify cutting-edge innovations in the art world and their implications for stakeholders and analyze how the art market is shifting its strategies and resources in support of such digital tools.

 

Site Visits:
Visits will include a combination of trips to major New York City art museums, artist studios, digital labs, and other sites related to art and technology.

 

Site visits may include:

  • ARTECHOUSE
  • The motion capture lab of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering
  • A mobile augmented reality lab
  • The New Museum’s NEW INC cultural incubator
  • Immersive exhibitions

 

Guest speakers may include:

  • Digital artists
  • Art and tech entrepreneurs
  • Sotheby’s auction house metaverse specialists
  • Software engineers

 

Please note: This information is subject to change at any time at the discretion of Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Term Dates

Term dates and course availability depend heavily on instructors’ schedules.

  • Term 3 July 16 to July 28 Term Closed

All courses are open to rising 10th – 12th graders and graduating seniors. Explore the full summer schedule.

View Summer Schedule

What is an Intensive?

Intensives immerse students in a single subject area for the entire two-week Institute term, with the goal of cultivating comprehensive knowledge of that discipline. This thorough approach to learning enables students to develop deeper insights about the field by closely investigating its inner workings.

Course Highlights

Summer Institute enables students to dive deep into a course of study, sharpening skills for their academic and professional careers. Each course is carefully designed to suit student interests and encourage intellectual curiosity.

  • 1

    Students will get a taste of art history in the making by visiting New York City’s top art venues exhibiting the major artists who are shaping ultra-contemporary art with a focus on innovative technologies and processes.

  • 2

    Students will be introduced to the intersection of art, technology, and computer science by visiting artist studios and digital production labs. While hearing from art and tech entrepreneurs, artists, and curators, students will gain new perspective on the complex and cutting-edge processes required to create art in the digital age.

  • 3

    In this module, considering the many technological opportunities addressed in class, students will develop their own augmented reality artwork, or curate their own cohesive collection of NFT’s.

Summer Institute Faculty

Our instructors are award-winning Sotheby's Institute faculty, recognized thought leaders and professional experts in the art world. Each faculty member structures their course around real-time conversations defining their professions and helps students master the unique forces at play in the art world.

Summer Institute Faculty

More Information

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