BUILD.DISRUPT.EXPLORE.

AN IDEA MUST BECOME AN EXPERIENCE.

What happens when bodies, images, sound, code and space change one another?

The winter semester leads to a demonstrable prototype with an artistic statement, a tested core function and realistic development prospects. The festival version is developed in the summer semester. Technical complexity is productive when it supports a design decision.

Experiment as practice

Build alternatives, change parameters and observe perception. Document at least two revisions so that others can follow the process.

A work with its own stance

Translate an artistic question into a concrete experience. Media and technical means serve the statement.

One core project per person or team of two to three. Individual contributions remain traceable in team projects. The approach follows the masterclass’s open laboratory model with individual mentoring. [1]

FIND MATERIAL. RISK A DIRECTION.

PR 01

THREE STUDIES / ONE CHOICE

Create three small studies around the same interest. Vary, for example, temporality, spatial arrangement or interaction. Document each study with an image or short clip and five sentences of observation.

Choose a direction based on effect, potential insight and available resources. Outcome: three studies, a rationale for your choice and a one-page project profile.

BY 14 OCT 2026 / Three studies / Project profile / Team + individual contribution

PR 02

PROTOTYPE A / CORE FUNCTION

Build the smallest experiential version of your central idea. Test it with at least three people from the course. Distinguish expectations, observed behaviour and the next change.

Outcome: a working core function, system sketch, test report and five prioritised steps. By 11 November, assign the work to an EUTOPAI project strand and explain the connection.

BY 11 NOV 2026 / Core function / First peer test / Development plan

A small experiment can carry a large question.

THE WORK CHANGES THROUGH TESTING.

PR 03

PROTOTYPE B / ITERATION

Develop prototype A through testing and contextual observation. In the open December laboratory, decide for yourself which questions, materials and configurations to explore.

For the review on 16 December, preserve the current state: two documented revisions, a comparison of A and B, and a tested core sequence. Identify open questions and technical limits. The laboratory days do not require a finished work.

REVIEW 16 DEC 2026 / Experimental traces / A/B comparison / Next step

PR 04

SEMESTER VERSION / TRANSFER

Consolidate the work for demonstration on 20 January 2027. Submit by 18 January, 18:00: project files with startup instructions, a 60–90-second documentation film, three stills and a one-page technical requirements list.

Add a two-page outlook for Warsaw and St. Pölten and a one-page contribution statement per person. Others should be able to start the core function using your documentation.

SUBMIT 18 JAN 2027 / 18:00 / PRESENTATION 20 JAN / Demonstrable prototype

The semester version provides a reliable foundation for international development.

SEPTEMBER → DECEMBER

Teaching team: Markus Wintersberger · Thomas Wagensommerer · Markus Passecker · Christian Munk. Independent development takes place between 14 October and 6 November; additional mentoring is agreed only within the available time allocation.

LABORATORY → SEMESTER VERSION

14–15 December: 16 teaching units in total for students, despite three lecturers being present simultaneously. The supplied university timetable remains the precise scheduling basis.

MENTORING FOLLOWS THE ARTISTIC QUESTION.

Orientation / 14 Oct

Agree your question, scope, format and responsibility in the project profile. Identify a primary mentor within the scheduled sessions.

Development / 11 Nov

Distinguish artistic effect from technical feasibility in prototype A. Prioritise a change that can be tested by the open laboratory.

In the open laboratory / 14–15 Dec

At least 15 minutes of individual discussion per student, flexibly arranged. For twelve students, this totals 180 lecturer-minutes shared among three lecturers. For a larger group, adapt the discussion slots within the 16 teaching units.

Consolidation / 16 Dec and 20 Jan

Record a realistic completion scope and individual tasks. At semester end, demonstrate your contribution through the work, journal and discussion.

Four perspectives, one shared process

Markus Wintersberger: artistic choices and dramaturgy. Christian Munk: system and interaction. Markus Passecker: implementation and reproducibility. Thomas Wagensommerer: temporal and audiovisual form, before and after the block. These focus areas are proposals, not exclusive responsibilities.

A concise mentoring record connects two personal learning goals, feedback and revisions. Less experienced students receive a reduced technical starting point; advanced students address an additional artistic or methodological uncertainty.

SIX APPROACHES. YOUR OWN ARTISTIC CHOICE.

The strands come from EUTOPAI 2027. The following experiments are teaching proposals. Choose one or formulate an equivalent question of your own. [3]

01

Eutopai Maps

Map the same route as measurement and memory. Translate the difference into image, sound or space. Test: what enables orientation?

02

Embodied Eutopias

A body triggers a media response and can withdraw from it. Compare precise and imprecise mappings. Test: when does agency emerge?

03

Data Rituals

Translate a transparently obtained data sequence into sound or light twice. Test: what becomes experiential and what is lost?

04

Public Ghosts

Connect a documented historical trace with clearly labelled fiction at a specific site. Test: can document and imagination be distinguished?

05

Eutopai Archive

Transform an accessible fragment of EUTOPIA 2004 or your own substitute material through editing, sound or algorithms. Clearly document interventions.

06

Precarious Futures

Make a situation dependent on proximity, energy or cooperation. Test disruption and repair. Test question: does the fragile condition become perceptible?

THE CONTEXT CHANGES THE WORK.

ECHOES / 3 DEC 2026 / TULLN

16:30–21:00 at Haus der Digitalisierung. The provisional programme presents works from the 2026 festival. For the new cohort, it offers learning about space, audiences and interpretation. Analysis of accessible documentation is an equivalent alternative to an agreed visit. [2]

Core assignment: record three observations and two implications for your project by 9 December. No additional parallel production. Optionally, prototype A may generate a 30–60-second fragment or an interpretation sequence if a curatorial invitation and technical feasibility are confirmed.

Optional production steps

11 Nov: selection · 20 Nov: technical requirements and materials · 27 Nov: test version · 30 Nov: final handover. The venue confirms resolution, sound and 360° mapping. Without an appropriate technical test, choose an interpretation role.

Spaces and responses

Bühne im Hof is the confirmed main festival venue; Löwinnenhof has been approached. Künstlerbund St. Pölten is a possible curatorial counterpart. Contributions, space allocation and technology require agreement with the venues. [3]

Interpretation and public engagement

fhSPACEtv and lucid_dreams_ustp are possible channels for work profiles. Clarify credits, subtitles, materials and publication. Festspielhaus / BIG BANG on 17 April 2027 falls immediately before Warsaw; participate only without competing commitments of equipment and staff. [5]

WARSAW TESTS. ST. PÖLTEN CONSOLIDATES.

JAN–MAR

International preparation

English project brief, mixed teams and three proposed virtual meetings. Clarify the BIP framework, recognition and funding by March.

09.04.

Review the preview version

Test transport, startup instructions, equipment needs, backups and a fallback version. Confirm the AULA and technical conditions.

19.–23.04.

BIP workshop / PJATK Warsaw

Joint experiments, integration, audience testing and revision. Daily sequence: show → experiment → build → test → rehearse.

24.04.

Lucid Dreams preview / Warsaw

Ideally in the PJATK AULA. Support from the Austrian Cultural Forum has been requested. Outcomes: a showing, feedback and concrete changes.

MAY

Develop the festival version

Confirm space and requirements by 7 May; fix the scope and run a full test by 21 May. Then rehearse, prepare interpretation and install according to venue planning.

04.–05.06.

Lucid Dreams EUTOPAI / St. Pölten

Bühne im Hof; Löwinnenhof approached. Operation, audience response and documentation. Proposed portfolio completion by 18 June.

Warsaw dates follow the brief; BIP and collaborations are in preparation. Additional summer-semester dates, workload and mentoring require separate agreement. If travel is not possible, enable local and digital participation with comparable learning goals. [3]

CHOOSE THE SCOPE. KEEP THE FUTURE OPEN.

Work allocation

16 scheduled entries / 44 teaching units. Adjustable independent-study proposal: 65–85 hours including documentation. ECTS are absent from the screenshots and must be checked against the module handbook. No duplicate project obligations for ECHOES or 2028.

A traceable production process

Preserve versions, test findings and individual contributions in the shared project archive. Disclose AI use and third-party materials transparently. Clarify necessary approvals and publication conditions before public use.

2028 / Character and transformation

Mickey Mouse centenary on 18 November 2028: a possible investigation of movement, voice and recognisability using original characters or suitable archive materials. Winter semester: an optional reference; summer semester: preserve findings; autumn 2027: if interested, a concept dialogue with Karikaturmuseum Krems. No confirmed collaboration. [6, 7]

Organisational decisions

Agree mentoring, cohort size, equipment access and assessment in advance. PR entry 125788 shows 16 total, 48 scheduled and −32 open: check administratively; do not infer additional student hours. The supplementary calendar names MKL-V-EM; do not assume cross-cohort participation.

If mobility or the second venue is unavailable, adapt the presentation scope. Artistic learning remains achievable through local testing, digital exchange and documentation. Naming: EUTOPIA as reference; EUTOPAI 2027 according to the festival website.

FIVE PARTNERS. FIVE WORKING CONTEXTS.

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.

Bühne im Hof

Develop a performable audiovisual module for Lucid Dreams 2027. PR 03/04: test dramaturgy, setup, sound, lighting and restart; coordinate stage requirements.

https://www.buehneimhof.at

Festspielhaus St. Pölten / BIG BANG

BIG BANG option: develop a playable sound object or short interactive sound-art work. PR 02/03 provides the prototype; the project pathway follows in the next section.

https://www.festspielhaus.at

Virtuelles Haus / Haus der Digitalisierung

Haus der Digitalisierung, Tulln: investigate a spatial media fragment in the ECHOES context. PR 02: test spatial effects; agree public use curatorially.

https://virtuelleshaus.at

Löwinnenhof

Sketch a site-specific installation for Lucid Dreams 2027. PR 03/04: plan the audience route, placement and operation; obtain confirmation of space use and participation.

https://loewinnenhof.at

Künstlerbund St. Pölten

Develop a small presentation or discussion format as an option. PR 04: prepare an artwork statement, three documentation images and precise questions for a curatorial counterpart.

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.

100 YEARS OF MICKEY MOUSE CHARACTER. MOVEMENT. VOICE.

18 NOVEMBER 2028

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.

PR 02/03 / Maryam as a character study

Optionally develop a short animation, responsive soundscape or movement-controlled character experiment. Test question: what minimal change shifts character and recognisability?

PR 04 / a version that can be developed further

Document existing experiments with sources, parameters and images of the work. An exhibitable miniature can be expanded later; the anniversary context does not create a second semester production.

Outlook / Karikaturmuseum Krems

If there is interest, a concept dialogue about a media installation or interpretation station can be prepared from 2027. No specific commission or 2028 exhibition is promised.

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)

MARYAM MAUS. A STORY IN SPACE.

4–6 SCENES / 3–5 MINUTES EACH / AR + AI + 3D

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.

The human–mouse character is Maryam

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]

Music drives the story

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]

One shared work / six episodes

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.

FROM THE PROMISE OF HAPPINESS TO DISAPPEARANCE.

01

I am more than my data

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

Who owns the future?

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

Jelly Star / The missing voice

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.

TRUST BECOMES COLLECTIVE ACTION.

04

The ring / Trust instead of control

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

HUMOR / Breaking the connection

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

Unstoppable / Freedom remains in motion

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.

THE SITES TELL THE STORY TOO. TECHNOLOGY SERVES THE SCENE.

Distinguish contemporary history from fiction

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.

One scene / approximately four minutes

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.

Think AR, 3D, AI and audiovisual media together

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.

Four or five scenes as a compact version

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.

ONE SHARED NARRATIVE. A CLEAR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION.

PR 02/03 / test a scene excerpt

Choose a scene as a team. Develop an animatic for the planned 3–5 minutes and a 30–60-second AR excerpt. Test character, scale, movement, visual guidance and sound in the December laboratory.

PR 04 / a reusable package

Deliver the animatic, AR prototype, character and spatial assets, separate audio tracks, test findings and a short handover sheet within the existing project package. Each person documents their role. The final scene will run 3–5 minutes; the winter-semester prototype may deliberately be shorter.

2027–2028 / joint production

2027: selection, dialogue with author and sites, comparative technical tests and a pilot of a complete scene. 2028: expansion to 4–6 scenes, site rehearsals and a possible presentation on 18 November. Agree scope, mentoring and resources separately.

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.

CONTEXT IS MATERIAL. SOURCES REMAIN VISIBLE.

As of 21 September 2026. Content, assignments, assessment and additional deadlines are proposals. Teaching dates, rooms and lecturers come from the supplied course screenshots.

01 / Teaching approach

USTP: Experimental Media. An open, project-based laboratory with individual support for each focus area.

https://www.ustp.at/de/onepager/masterklasse-experimentelle-medien

02 / ECHOES

3 December 2026, Tulln. Provisional programme; page dated 10 September 2026.

https://www.lucid-dreams.eu/echoes/

03 / EUTOPAI 2027

Project strands and status register. Festival on 4–5 June; Löwinnenhof approached. Warsaw dates and preferred AULA venue are specified in the brief.

https://www.lucid-dreams.eu/

04 / Festival archive

Lucid Dreams happy Palace 2026 as reference and documentation material.

https://www.lucid-dreams.at/

05 / BIG BANG

2027 announced for 17 April. The originally supplied /43350 link documents 2026.

https://www.festspielhaus.at/de/programm/big-bang-festival/60838

06 / Museum

Karikaturmuseum Krems as a possible research perspective; no confirmed collaboration for 2028.

https://www.kunstmeile.at/de/institutionen/karikaturmuseum

07 / Anniversary

Disney dates the celebrated birthday to 18 November 1928; this establishes the 18 November 2028 horizon.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/press-releases/disney-celebrates-90-years-mickey-mouse-worldwide-festivities/

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.