MDD-1 full-time / MKL-SE-EM (SE)
Introduction to the Masterclass
Develop your own artistic position. Substantiate experiments. Communicate insights precisely.
Artistic position
This seminar develops an individual artistic research practice. You investigate references, compare methods and substantiate design decisions. Technology is treated as material, a condition of practice and an object of critique. The masterclass’s open laboratory approach provides the institutional context. [1]
Formulate a precise question and a recognisable stance; critically relate references to your own work.
Define parameters, a counter-test and observations so that an experiment can generate insight.
Present findings and limitations clearly, document sources transparently and develop your own judgement.
Work packages 01–02
SE 01
Formulate your artistic question in no more than 40 words. Investigate six references: three artworks, two theoretical or scholarly texts and one exhibition context.
For each, record the source, method, your critique and implications for your project. Map relationships visually: affinities, contradictions and open questions.
SUBMIT 23 OCT 2026 / 4–6 pages + sources / Individual work
SE 02
Develop two competing responses to your question. Define one variable, an observable effect and a counter-test.
Document your hypothesis, setup, observations and conclusion on two pages. A disproved hypothesis is productive if it leads to a justified change.
DRAFT 11 NOV / REVISION 27 NOV / 2-page report
Quality benchmark: a reference becomes meaningful when it changes a decision of your own.
Work packages 03–04
SE 03
At ECHOES, or using accessible festival documentation, investigate how space, duration and communication affect perception. Distinguish concrete observations from interpretation.
Produce two pages with a spatial sketch, three observations and two implications for your project. An on-site visit requires organisational agreement; analysing documentation is an equivalent alternative.
SUBMIT 9 DEC / 2 pages / Context analysis
SE 04
Consolidate your position, references and experimental findings into an individual research dossier of eight to ten pages, plus sources and appendices. Include a 150-word English abstract and a substantiated outlook for 2027.
Revise the existing components. In the final discussion, explain one central decision, one rejected alternative and the limits of your findings.
DRAFT 13 JAN / FINAL 22 JAN, 18:00 / DISCUSSION 25 JAN / 2027
Reflection reveals how artistic action changes your thinking.
Timetable / October–November
| Date | Time / Room / Lecturer | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 02.10Fri / 2026 | 10:30–12:55 / 3 teaching unitsA.3.06 / Munk / Wagensommerer / Wintersberger | Kick-off and positioning. Present three works or interests of your own; formulate a question and a personal learning goal. Outcome: learning agreement and the start of SE 1. |
| 07.10Wed / 2026 | 10:30–12:05 / 2 teaching unitsA.3.09 / Munk | Reading media practices. Analyse perception, systems and interaction in two examples. Outcome: an annotated diagram for the reference atlas. |
| 23.10Fri / 2026 | 09:40–11:15 / 2 teaching unitsD.0.23a / Wagensommerer | Time, sound and dramaturgy. Notate a reference as a temporal sequence; propose an alternative design. Submit SE 1 before the session. |
| 23.10Fri / 2026 | 11:20–12:55 / 2 teaching unitsD.0.23a / Munk | Experiment as method. Review SE 1 in pairs; define a variable, observation method and counter-test for SE 2. |
| 30.10Fri / 2026 | 09:40–12:05 / 3 teaching unitsA.3.09 / Wagensommerer | Audiovisual composition and artistic choices. Compare two short scores. Outcome: a justified decision about rhythm, duration and attention. |
| 11.11Wed / 2026 | 10:30–12:05 / 2 teaching unitsA.1.14 / Wintersberger | Artistic research and EUTOPAI. Refine your individual research question; discuss SE 2. Outcome: a more precise experimental plan linked to an appropriate project strand. |
| 27.11Fri / 2026 | 10:30–12:55 / 3 teaching unitsA.3.08 / Wagensommerer | Work critique and ECHOES preparation. Submit revised SE 2; distinguish effects from context. Formulate an observation sheet for SE 3. |
Teaching team: Christian Munk · Thomas Wagensommerer · Markus Wintersberger. The allocation of topics within the scheduled sessions is a proposal.
Timetable / December–January
| Date | Time / Room / Lecturer | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 02.12Wed / 2026 | 11:20–12:55 / 2 teaching unitsA.1.02 / Munk | Audience, access and observation. Review a sequence from a first-time participant’s perspective. Outcome: three observable criteria for SE 3. |
| 02.12Wed / 2026 | 13:50–15:25 / 2 teaching unitsA.3.09 / Wintersberger | Curating and interpretation. Write a 100-word artwork statement and a question for an audience discussion. Discuss ECHOES as a contextual case study. |
| 09.12Wed / 2026 | 10:30–12:05 / 2 teaching unitsA.2.13 / Wintersberger | Evaluate ECHOES. Submit SE 3; derive two testable changes for the December prototype from your observations. |
| 13.01Wed / 2027 | 10:30–12:05 / 2 teaching unitsA.3.08 / Wintersberger | Dossier workshop. Review argument, sources and independent judgement. Present a draft of SE 4; test your English abstract. |
| 13.01Wed / 2027 | 12:10–13:45 / 2 teaching unitsA.1.02 / Munk | Method review. Can others follow your procedures and results? Individual feedback on findings, limitations and documentation. |
| 25.01Mon / 2027 | 13:00–15:25 / 3 teaching unitsA.3.07 / Munk / Wagensommerer / Wintersberger | Final colloquium. Defend your position through one decision and one rejected alternative. Record a personal development goal for summer semester 2027. |
Submit work to the course folder with name, date and version. Feedback is provided at the next relevant teaching session. Final dossier: 22 January 2027, 18:00.
Individual mentoring
Individual development becomes visible when starting points, feedback and revisions are documented together.
Record your own question and two personal learning goals: one artistic and one methodological.
Critique the atlas in peer pairs; each response identifies one productive connection and one open question.
The lecturer reviews the question and counter-test. Agree on one concrete revision by 27 November.
Individual dossier feedback: a strength, an open question and the next revision step.
Defend your position and formulate an individual development goal for the summer semester.
Discussion capacity: for up to twelve students, allow 5 minutes for the position, 4 for questions and 1 for changeover = 120 minutes. For larger cohorts, use three parallel groups within the teaching team, a shared rubric and subsequent moderation. Confirm cohort size before the semester starts.
Assessment
20%
Critical connections and a substantiated direction of your own.
25%
A coherent question, method, counter-test and evaluation.
15%
Concrete observations with implications for design.
40%
Independent argumentation; dossier 30%, discussion 10%.
Excellent work connects an individual position, critical references and verifiable findings. Describing tools alone does not constitute a research contribution.
Proposed rubric for each criterion: 3 = independent and supported by differentiated evidence; 2 = coherent; 1 = partially evidenced; 0 = not demonstrated. Agree alignment with the institutional grading scale and pass requirements before the course begins. Formative revision is possible until final submission.
Each student receives an individual assessment. The seminar assesses research, reasoning and reflection. A shared topic with the project course does not result in double assessment of the same achievement.
Context and transfer
16:30–21:00, Haus der Digitalisierung, Tulln. The provisional programme presents works from the 2026 festival. The seminar focuses on space, interpretation and audience response; producing your own public contribution is not required. [2]
19–23 April: BIP workshop at PJATK. 24 April: preview, ideally in the PJATK AULA. The seminar prepares this exchange through a research question, English abstract and precise work discussion. BIP arrangements, the venue and support from the Austrian Cultural Forum require coordination.
Lucid Dreams EUTOPAI: Bühne im Hof; Löwinnenhof has been approached. The work enters a public context. A short work profile and reflection on audience response extend the research; summer-semester dates and requirements will be agreed separately. [3]
Mickey Mouse centenary on 18 November 2028: a possible investigation of movement, voice, recognisability and digital characters. You may choose a related seminar reference. Karikaturmuseum Krems is a possible partner; this is neither a confirmed exhibition commission nor an additional winter-semester submission. [6, 7]
Working culture and framework
Keep a concise journal: date, question, experiment, observation, next step. Document AI systems used, selection decisions, your interventions and third-party materials. Reflection on your process is an individual contribution.
A two-unit session combines approximately 15 minutes of input, 25 of investigation, 35 of exchange and 15 of transfer; remaining time is for transitions. Feedback first describes perception, then asks about intention and finally proposes a possible revision.
13 scheduled entries / 30 teaching units. Adjustable independent-study proposal: 35–45 hours, including the journal and dossier. ECTS and the binding workload are not specified in the screenshots; check against the module handbook before publication.
The teaching team and programme agree on ECTS, grading, attendance and late submissions. Confirm cohort size and mentoring capacity. Provide an equivalent alternative to visiting ECHOES. External events are not additional seminar hours that have already been scheduled.
Naming: the current festival website uses EUTOPAI 2027; EUTOPIA is the historical reference from 2004 and the thematic name used in the brief. The seminar explicitly distinguishes these references.
Partner institutions
The following project options make the partner relationships concrete for this course. Choosing an appropriate context is integrated into the existing work packages; public contributions require agreement with the respective institution.
Compare stage space, duration and audience address. For SE 03, develop a spatial sketch and two implications for your position; transfer to Lucid Dreams 2027.
Investigate sound, interaction and interpretation for young audiences. SE 02/03: develop a hypothesis about audience engagement and a participation concept for BIG BANG.
Haus der Digitalisierung, Tulln: ECHOES as a case study of immersive space and digital interpretation. In SE 03, distinguish observation, interpretation and design implications.
Develop a concept for a site-specific installation or intervention. SE 04: use a contextual sketch to substantiate the relationship between work, cultural venue and audience.
Refine your position through engagement with contemporary art. SE 01/04: formulate three precise questions for a possible curatorial work discussion and write an artwork statement.
https://www.kuenstlerbundstpoelten.at
Partner names identify working contexts. The formats are teaching proposals, not confirmation of a booked contribution. Space, technology, budget, mentoring and curatorial decisions must be agreed jointly.
BIG BANG / participation option
OPTION / 17 APRIL 2027 / FESTSPIELHAUS
A possible contribution combines experimental media, sound art and direct access for young audiences. The reference link documents 2026; the current festival page lists 17 April 2027. Masterclass participation is an option.
For SE 02, develop a clear interaction idea: what does the audience do, what becomes audible and how will you recognise successful engagement? SE 03 examines the context; SE 04 incorporates a two-page project brief.
The project brief includes audience, experience, sketch, duration, staffing needs and a test question. Technical realisation can be linked to the project course. The seminar assesses the substantiated concept.
Draft by 13 January, selection by the teaching team by 25 January. February: possible curatorial dialogue; March: test the engagement approach. Agree summer-semester requirements and mentoring separately.
Proposed decision in February: select a contribution or agree a local test. Absence of an invitation does not affect the course grade; external approval, production scope and resources are confirmed separately.
https://www.festspielhaus.at/de/programm/big-bang-festival/43350
https://www.festspielhaus.at/de/programm/big-bang-festival/60838
2028 / anniversary outlook
The officially celebrated birthday refers to 18 November 1928, the premiere of Steamboat Willie. Its centenary falls on 18 November 2028. The anniversary opens a research perspective linking animation, popular culture and experimental media.
Optionally choose an atlas reference on character, synchronisation or cultural recognisability. Investigate how a small number of movement and sound features make a character recognisable.
Within the existing dossier, formulate your own question and exhibition sketch: how can a historical media character be critically translated into an interactive spatial experience?
Selected research may provide a basis for a later concept discussion with the museum. The 2028 horizon remains voluntary; no discussion, commission or exhibition contribution is confirmed.
For public development, agree the specific materials, sources and usage conditions. The artistic proposals can use an independently designed Maryam Maus and original sound and visual worlds.
https://www.kunstmeile.at/de/institutionen/karikaturmuseum
Date source: The Walt Disney Company / official birthday (linked)
Adaptation / Gusenbauer
Source: Gottfried Gusenbauer, Unstoppable MMouse! – Nichts stoppt MMaus!, supplied PDF MMaus_Master.pdf, 190 pages, version dated 1 September 2026. Described as a treatment in the brief, the PDF itself is labelled a novel. Gusenbauer is its author and director of Karikaturmuseum Krems.
Maryam Maus lives in Great West in 2057. A biotechnologist and genetically created mouse–human, she begins to question the prescribed world of happiness. Her search for Sejla leads her to Benny, Zac and collective resistance to surveillance and oppression. [Source pp. 4, 7–24, 97–104]
Dance, voice, friendship and humour confront a technologically controlled society. The AR adaptation preserves this conflict and recurring motifs: the EMO ring, BIG AI EYE, friendship ring and shared rhythm. [pp. 13–15, 102, 162–180, 185–188]
Preferred version: six scenes of approximately 4 minutes = approximately 24 minutes of playing time. Each scene has its own conflict and narrative connection. Travel and interaction time are additional; the sites need not be visited in one day.
The following scene titles, site assignments and AR actions are new adaptation proposals. They condense the source and require dramaturgical coordination with Gottfried Gusenbauer. The anniversary horizon is 18 November 2028.
Scenes 01–03
01
APPROX. 4 MIN / USTP ST. PÖLTEN / CH. 1, pp. 7–24
Maryam awakens in a seemingly perfect world. The EMO ring promises help while controlling her. Her first independent question opens a crack in her prescribed identity.
Space + sound: A life-size character appears at an agreed campus location. Data imagery surrounds her body; changing position reveals her inner voice. Research, education and self-determination connect the scene to the site.
02
APPROX. 4 MIN / ZWENTENDORF / CH. 3 + 8, pp. 31–40, 83–96
Maryam and Benny work on nanotechnology. Behind the promise of progress, they discover how their research is being instrumentalised and other mouse–humans threatened. Their knowledge acquires political significance.
Space + sound: A virtual laboratory combines human scale with a greatly enlarged nanobot. Machine sounds give way to questioning dialogue. Zwentendorf connects technological promises with societal decisions.
03
APPROX. 4 MIN / KUNSTMEILE KREMS / CH. 6 + 7, pp. 53–82
Maryam and her friends experience community through music. The MMediators’ raid shatters this space. Zac helps Maryam escape; Sejla remains missing. The search begins.
Space + sound: An agreed outdoor area becomes a virtual stage. Animated 3D characters and swing music open the space; interrupted voices and an empty position convey disappearance. Visual wit and artistic freedom connect the scene to the site.
Scenes 04–06
04
APPROX. 4 MIN / TULLN / CH. 9 + 13, pp. 97–104, 137–142
Zac shows Maryam Sejla’s friendship ring. They join forces to find Sejla and David. In parallel, the two prisoners emerge as people with relationships and memories.
Space + sound: At Haus der Digitalisierung, the EMO ring and friendship ring form spatial counter-images. Visitors choose between two audible perspectives. Rushing water from the source protects the dialogue; data knowledge meets trust.
05
APPROX. 4 MIN / ZWENTENDORF / CH. 14–16, pp. 143–171
The demonstration of HUMOR becomes a turning point. Maryam and Benny activate the fictional nanobots; after the setback, Amira disconnects the president from AI. Zac’s injury reveals the personal stakes.
Space + sound: A virtual connection runs through the agreed spatial area. Sound and movement alter the grid of control; Amira’s animated action breaks it apart. The technological site raises questions of power, responsibility and democratic decision-making.
06
APPROX. 4 MIN / KUNSTMEILE KREMS / CH. 17–18, pp. 173–181
At Jelly Star 2, the friends celebrate their new freedom. Behind the dancing mouse mask, the recovered Zac appears. A brief closing moment from the epilogue reminds us that freedom is never secured once and for all.
Space + sound: The 3D ensemble’s movement opens towards the audience; listening and voluntarily joining in are equally valid. An electro-swing motif links the stations. Kunstmeile is the potential setting for the finale, satire and public reflection.
Site-specific dramaturgy
For each site, produce a one-page dossier with two verifiable sources, one concrete spatial feature and one dramaturgical implication. Zwentendorf: the 1978 referendum and a nuclear power station that never entered operation. Tulln: digitalisation; USTP: education and research; Kunstmeile: art and the public sphere. Research additional historical connections.
Guide: 30 seconds for orientation, 45 for character and situation, 90 for conflict and movement, 60 for the turning point and 15 for the ending. Each episode briefly locates itself within the overall story. A map and scene numbers connect the sites; a central overview allows the story to be resumed.
3D provides character, space and animation; AR anchors them at the site. AI supports controlled design exploration and variants in movement, imagery or sound. Video is deliberately integrated as memory or a second image layer. Speech and spatial sound guide attention. Narrative and character continuity are determined editorially.
Five scenes: combine 01 and 02 into one episode of no more than 5 minutes; the others run approximately 4 minutes each, totalling approximately 21 minutes. Four scenes: also combine 03 and 04, totalling approximately 18 minutes. Four-site version: USTP / Tulln / Zwentendorf / Krems. Short versions are rewritten, not merely concatenated.
The literary nanobots and medical procedures are fictional. The authoritarian world of Great West makes no statement about the participating institutions. Source for Zwentendorf’s history: zwentendorf.com/AKW-Zwentendorf/Geschichte; further site sources appear in the partner section.
Teaching and production
Choose one of the six scenes. Create a source map with page references, a site dossier and a storyboard for 3–5 minutes. Explain what is preserved, condensed or newly invented. Integrate the material into the existing work packages.
Investigate the scene through a spatial storyboard or simple animatic: are Maryam’s aims, the conflict and the turning point understandable? The dossier includes the evaluation and a substantiated scene proposal. A finished AR production is not an additional seminar requirement.
In January, prepare a joint scene overview as a basis for discussion with Gottfried Gusenbauer. Each person identifies their research, dramaturgy and reflection; the overall production is planned across classes and semesters.
Shared production foundation: a character sheet for Maryam, a consistent rig and movement repertoire, visual rules for rings and AI, a recurring sound motif and an overview of all scenes. A named editorial lead maintains the narrative arc.
Review before further production: story understandable within 3–5 minutes; stable AR anchoring and restart; usable sound and subtitles; recognisable site relationship. Resolve the Amira/Amari name variation in the source through discussion with the author. BIG BANG remains a separate participation option tailored to its audience.
Literary source: Gottfried Gusenbauer, MMaus_Master.pdf, version dated 1 September 2026, especially pp. 4–5, 7–24, 31–40, 53–104, 137–188. Scene selection and spatial adaptation: a masterclass concept draft, not an agreed screenplay.
References
As of 21 September 2026. Content, assignments, assessment and additional deadlines are proposals. Teaching dates, rooms and lecturers come from the supplied course screenshots.
USTP: Experimental Media. An open, project-based laboratory with individual support for each focus area.
https://www.ustp.at/de/onepager/masterklasse-experimentelle-medien
3 December 2026, Tulln. Provisional programme; page dated 10 September 2026.
https://www.lucid-dreams.eu/echoes/
Project strands and status register. Festival on 4–5 June; Löwinnenhof approached. Warsaw dates and preferred AULA venue are specified in the brief.
Lucid Dreams happy Palace 2026 as reference and documentation material.
2027 announced for 17 April. The originally supplied /43350 link documents 2026.
https://www.festspielhaus.at/de/programm/big-bang-festival/60838
Karikaturmuseum Krems as a possible research perspective; no confirmed collaboration for 2028.
https://www.kunstmeile.at/de/institutionen/karikaturmuseum
Disney dates the celebrated birthday to 18 November 1928; this establishes the 18 November 2028 horizon.
Design reference: masterdigitaldesign.at, visually reviewed. Original typefaces Anton, Archivo and Space Mono; colour and form system adapted for the two course papers. ECHOES remains a content reference. fhSPACEtv and the named Instagram channels were not comprehensively analysed. Draft, not approved examination regulations.
Watch / Observe / Think further
Selected contributions from the channel with questions for this course. Selection is based on titles and project descriptions. Original video titles and media languages are retained. A connection to YouTube is established only when you select “Load video”.
From historical material to your own position
Which decision changes the relationship to historical material? Record a timestamp, your observation and one implication for SE 01.
Watch on YouTube ↗Art as a counter-model
Which assumption about AI becomes an artistic question? Develop a testable experimental setup for SE 02.
Watch on YouTube ↗Titles, channel attribution and embeddability checked on 21 September 2026. If a video is unavailable in the player, use the direct YouTube link.
Research / Collaboration / Public engagement
Literary basis of the 2028 project: Gottfried Gusenbauer, “Unstoppable MMouse! – Nichts stoppt MMaus!”, version dated 1 September 2026. The scene adaptation is a proposal. The manuscript is not published for download here. Linked external resources may be in German.
Full concept paper · German PDF ↓