Simon Fraser University is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain and satellite campuses in Downtown Vancouver and Surrey.
Exploring geographic information systems (GIS) is a self-paced course where participants will learn about GIS and how the technology is being used in the real world to support problem-solving and decision-making. Participants will create and manage spatial databases, produce well-designed maps, and undertake spatial data analysis using free online software tools. These activities require proficiency in fundamental computer and Internet skills.
This first course in the two-part program, Generative Art and Computational Creativity, proposes an introduction and overview of the history and practice of generative arts and computational creativity with an emphasis on the formal paradigms and algorithms used for generation. The full program will be taught by Associate Professor from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University and multi-disciplinary researcher, Philippe Pasquier.On the technical side, we will study core techniques from mathematics, artificial intelligence, and artificial life that are used by artists, designers and musicians across the creative industry. We will start with processes involving chance operations, chaos theory and fractals and move on to see how stochastic processes, and rule-based approaches can be used to explore creative spaces. We will study agents and multi-agent systems and delve into cellular automata, and virtual ecosystems to explore their potential to create novel and valuable artifacts and aesthetic experiences.The presentation is illustrated by numerous examples from past and current productions across creative practices such as visual art, new media, music, poetry, literature, performing arts, design, architecture, games, robot-art, bio-art and net-art. Students get to practice these algorithms first hand and develop new generative pieces through assignments and projects in MAX. Finally, the course addresses relevant philosophical, and societal debates associated with the automation of creative tasks.Music for this course was composed with the StyleMachineLite Max for Live engine of Metacreative Inc.Artistic direction: Philippe Pasquier, Programmation: Arne Eigenfeldt, Sound Production: Philippe Bertrand What Students Are Saying: " I found the course to be very enriching and complete in what it covers and I enjoyed doing the course work. We discovered a wide range of artists in all fields of art and the course is up to date. The coursework is well thought out and the homework not only allow us to apply what we learned but to go further in our personal artistic practice if we wish. "
This course proposes a deepened survey of current practices in generative arts and computational creativity with an emphasis on the formal paradigms and algorithms used for generation. In this advanced class, we study how evolutionary computing, neural networks, and procedural generation can produce novel and valuable artifacts. We survey advances in search-based methods and procedural generation. We look at how to formalize aesthetic measures and learn how creative systems can be evaluated.We illustrate how these algorithms have been used in numerous examples of past and current productions in visual art, new media, music, poetry, literature, design, architecture, games, moving images, and robot-art. Students get to practice these algorithms first hand and develop new generative pieces through assignments and projects in MAX.Finally, we discuss the societal and ethical implications of the automation of creative tasks, from the fear of artificial intelligence to the algorithmic bias, and from the most technophobic visions to the most technophilic ideals.
Ability to identify, describe, evaluate, critique, and contrast generative artworks and computationally creative systemsAbility to implement and test generative art systems by using Max at an intermediate to advanced levelUnderstanding of and ability to articulate and discuss the societal, ethical, and philosophical issues surrounding computational creativity and generative art practices