Assignments

Anarchaeology Assignments 2008

The assignments for the Anarchaeology course will provide students with opportunities to conduct their own research and to work collaboratively, each assignment building on the previous ones to create a body of work for exhibition at the end of the course.

Assignment #1 – StoryCubes (individual)
Weeks 2 and 3
The focus of the first Anarchaeology assignment will be the University of Waterloo’s main campus. Working individually, students will consider the built environment of the campus, documenting and reflecting on issues of design, planning and architecture as well as the communication tools (such as signage and information technology) employed on campus. The ultimate focus is a consideration of the social and cultural dynamic created in this specific environment and a reflection on what does and doesn’t work. This individual project will be the basis for a collective undertaking in the 3rd class on January 22nd.

For this assignment, each student will create one StoryCube over the course of the week that will incorporate his or her documentation of the campus. Choice of media is open and can also be mixed (one can choose to work with photographs, drawing, writing sampling, etc.) On January 22nd, each student will present their finished cube and be prepared to provide a brief verbal description of their project. Working in groups of 5-6 students, we will use the StoryCubes to build structures and develop dialogue and narratives about the campus.

Update: Please write a brief (max 250 words) description of your StoryCube and post it to this blog along with a photo of the cube before class on Jan 22nd.

Assignment #2 – PostCards (group)
Weeks 4 and 5
The second Anarchaeology assignment will expand on the StoryCube project of the previous weeks and will continue to focus on the University of Waterloo’s campus. Working in small groups, students will consider not only the built environment of the campus but also social, cultural and historical issues. This project will build on the final collective elements of Assignment #1 where themes were identified and will respond to the ideas of guest presenter Lisa Hunter (Curator of the Dundas Museum). Students will have read Georges Perec’s Species of Spaces by week 4 (January 29th).

For this assignment, students will work in small groups to create a set of 6 images that will be the basis of a distributable postcard project. For week 5 (February 5th), each group will present their project proposal incorporating their six images, accompanying text or narrative elements along with a distribution strategy. Following the presentations, we will discuss production plans for the final outcome. This project will serve as research towards Assignment #3. Students should write up a description of the postcard project process and post it to this blog.

Assignment #3 – Diffusion eBooks (individual)
Weeks 6 and 7
The third Anarchaeology assignment will build on previous projects and will continue to focus on the Waterloo Region. Working individually, students will produce a Diffusion eBook (using Proboscis’ Diffusion Generator) based on their research into social, cultural and historical issues of the region. Assignments 1 and 2 will have given each student a focus for their publication.

Assignment #4 – Podcasting (group)
Weeks 8, 9 and 10
Assignment 4 will build on previous projects and will continue to focus on the Waterloo Region. Working in small groups, students will produce podcast audio work based on aspects of their eBooks. These sessions will be lead by independent artist and curator Amos Latteier. Students will have read WG Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn by week 8 (February 26).

Assignment #5 – Exhibition (Entire Class)
Weeks 11 and 12
The final assignment will be the creation of an exhibition/installation in the RENDER space showcasing the projects produced during the term.