Light Squared: As Soon as I Open My Eyes, I See a Film

The course “Light Squared: As Soon as I Open My Eyes, I See a Film” took place as a classroom collaboration between the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Institute of Experimental Physics. Architecture and physics students explored light-related concepts found in physics, photography, and film. By investigating the role of light in art, they aimed to bridge artistic practice with experimental physics, examining the points where these two fields intersect. The premise of the seminar was to study the cinematographic apparatus as a system of relationships inspired by film and photography mechanics, but evoked through materials and technologies not initially intended for film production or cinematic use. How can unconventional media be adapted or reinterpreted to create new cinematic experiences? Building on these explorations, students have deepened their understanding of light, film, and cinema through experiments in both art and physics. In January 2025, their works were presented at Camera Austria in Graz.

With contributions by: Helen Autrique, Antonela Bandić, Zeynep Bilici, Lisa-Marie Brandauer, Alexander Eber, Fabio Egger, Elias Andreas Ehl, Benedikt Fischer, Bettina Viktoria Flegel, Lukas Fürst, Gaja Gibelli, David Johannes Grafinger, Maximilian Großpietsch, Malte Lars Henningsen, Marija Jančić, Thomas Jauk, Adrian Joachim Kirchner, Nico Knefz, Klaudia Koren, David Josef Loibner, Stella Majstorovic, Gabriele Maschera, Jan Priedigkeit, Carina Schmid, Robert Schwarzl, Maria-Alexandra Şerbănescu, Ceyda Soyran, Felix Stockinger, Lissa Tie Tokutake Hirokawa, and Aldo Ulbing.

Guest artists: Siri Black and Axel Straschnoy; guest critics: Christine Frisinghelli, Rose-Anne Gush, and Philipp Sattler.

Ahmad Darkhabani, Marcus Ossiander, Martin Schultze, Milica Tomić