In painting, photography and film, landscapes are transformed into dream images and stylized into archetypes. Landscapes are contemporary witnesses of collective longings and dystopias. With immersive technologies such as video mapping, virtual reality and spatial audio, these become multimodal experiences. In interdisciplinary groups the module aims to work on scenes for spatial or object projections in the Immersive Arts Space and test possible interactions with the motion capture system. Getting to know the workflows and experimenting with immersive media are the main focus. In this short week, experimental installations, sketches and small projects will be created, exploring diverse approaches and perspectives on digitally designed landscapes through immersive media.
Team: Eric Larrieux, Valentin Huber, Stella Speziali, Thomas Isler, Miriam Loertscher
The module is aimed at students from all departments at ZHdK who want to artistically explore the available technology in Immersive Arts Space and in particular the potential of three-dimensional media installations.
Autonomous flying helium drones will be realized within two weeks. Students will work in groups composed of as many different disciplines as possible to cover as broad a range of expertise as possible. The groups will have time for experiments, for the development and construction of a helium drone (airship or balloon with drone control) and for the development of a spatial installation concept. The team of lecturers from different disciplines (Scenography, Industrial Design, Spacial Projection) is available to advise on the concept development and support the planning of possible further developments.
Lead: Martin Fröhlich, Roman Jurt Further lecturers: Stella Speziali, Mariana Grünig, Melody Chua
This lecture series investigates questions of immersion from perspectives outside of the immersive arts. Guest lecturers come from curating, computer music and DIYelectronics, embodied human-computer interaction, animation and theater and scenography. Topics will include composing interactive systems, new concepts of extended animation, curating immersive experiences, disability and human computer interaction and new concepts of XR-based performative scenography in urban contexts.
DRAMATURGIES OF THE ANTHROPOCENE: RHETORICS OF IMMERSION, PARTICIPATION AND AGENCY IN CONTEMPORARY ARTS
José Luis de Vicente is curator and cultural researcher. Most famously, he is the director of Disseny Hub / Design Museum in Barcelona.
BRAINS IMMERSED IN A VAT. UNMASKING THE POLITICS OF IMMERSION
Livia Nolasco-Rózsás is curator and researcher at the Zentrum für Kunst und Medien (Karlsruhe/DE) and University College London (UK).
LEISURE IMPOSSIBLE – PLAYING WHILE DISABLED
Dr. Katta Spiel is an assistant Professor in Critical Access in Embodied Computing, Human Computer Interaction Group, Technische Universität Wien (Vienna, AT).
AUGMENTED SCENOGRAPHIES AND PERFORMATIVE URBANISM: LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
Dr. Shauna Janssen is an associate Professor and research chair in Performative Urbanism at Concordia University (Montreal/CAN).
This lecture series investigates the concept of immersion in art and design from aesthetic, historical and political perspectives. Guest lecturers come from digital arts, curating, media studies, and the histories of science and technology from the ZHdK, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York), Haus der Elektronischen Künste (HEK, Basel) and the Technical University in Dresden. Topics will include contemporary artistic practices in multi-sensory immersion, extended reality and history of VR and the arts, and art and artificial intelligence.
The Immersive Arts Space hosts every semester a public lecture series with national and international guest lecturers. The lecture series aims to address artistic as well as theoretical aspects of immersion.
The current lectures are available via live stream.
Immersive Arts: Performative Perspectives on Immersion
This lecture series investigates questions of immersion from the perspectives of the performing arts including dance, theater and even real time animation. Our exciting list of five guest lecturers includes a world renowned choreographer and collaborating dance artist working with real time motion capture, the head of the theater program at the ZHdK and an expert in contemporary performance and digitality, a journalist and long-time editor of tanz, the most important dance magazine in the German speaking world, the head of the Ars Electronica animation jury and an Egyptian born, Greek computer scientist and dancer working on digital performance in Virtual Reality.
The Autumn Semester 2023 lecture series investigates questions of immersion from perspectives outside of the immersive arts. Guest lecturers come from curating, computer music and DIYelectronics, embodied human-computer interaction, animation and theater and scenography. Topics will include composing interactive systems, new concepts of extended animation, curating immersive experiences, disability and human computer interaction and new concepts of XR-based performative scenography in urban contexts.
The Immersive Arts Lecture Series for spring semester 2023 investigates artistic and design experiences in which humans, media and architectural spaces shape one another within the context of the built environment. Guest lecturers who come from the fields of digital arts, architecture, theater studies and the visual arts, will focus on specific artistic works from their practice, as way to open up critical discussion around emerging paradigms of bodily experience in spatial computing environments, human-machine interactions in architectural spaces, and immersive experiences between human, technical and natural systems.
This lecture series investigates the concept of immersion in art and design from aesthetic, historical and political perspectives. Guest lecturers come from digital arts, curating, media studies, and the histories of science and technology from the ZHdK, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York), Haus der Elektronischen Künste (HEK, Basel) and the Technical University in Dresden. Topics will include contemporary artistic practices in multi-sensory immersion, extended reality and history of VR and the arts, and art and artificial intelligence.
In this series, guest lecturers from the Swiss Institute of Technology ETHZ, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences HSLU, the University of Zurich UZH shared their specific views along with lecturers from the ZHdK. The topics covered Architecture, Virtual Reality, Virtual Forensics, Game Aspects in Theatre and Extended Reality.
In this series, concepts of immersion as well as embodiment were explored from the different perspectives of fine arts, design, film, performing arts and music, with concrete examples of artistic practices and research projects.
Open Lecture by Rasa Smite | 25. November 2025 | Kino Toni (3.G02), Toni-Areal
How can data become experience? And how might artistic interpretation turn scientific data into embodied ecological knowledge?
In her lecture, artist and researcher Rasa Smite explores how environmental data can be transformed into multisensory, emotion-evoking experiences. She traces her experimental practice from data sonification and visualization to sensorialization in virtual-reality environments such as Atmospheric Forest (2020) and Solarceptors (2025). Extending this approach, she draws on Don Ihde’s concept of multisensory science and Yusoff and Gabrys’s notion of climate imaginaries, arguing that the artistic sensorialization of data in immersive environments can expand scientific knowing — opening new modes of sensing, perceiving, and connecting with the changing planet.
This lecture is part of the series Interfacing Ecologies, that explores how interactions take place in more-than-human worlds and how we can access these interactions in the field. With guests from various disciplines and fields, the questions is asked how we can formulate and put into practice new understandings of interactions in environments and ecologies, and how we might deal with these challenges that are so close to life. https://interactiondesign.zhdk.ch/events/interfacing-ecologies/
Lecture by Chris Salter (IAS) and Nils Röller (Philosophie) | 26.11.25, Hörsaal 1, Toni Areal
The lecture “Machinen versprechen Zukünfte” is part of the lecture series “Gemeinsinn. Zur Zukunft der Kunsthochschule” and is an event from the Critical Thinking minor led by Judith Siegmund, professor of philosophical aesthetics, with contributions from members of all departments at ZHdK.
In global politics, many people seem to be increasingly preoccupied with differences. What brings us together, what drives us apart – in relation to the art academy: practice from theory, music from conceptual art, film from dance, and research from performance, the political from the aesthetic, etc.? Two professors/teachers from different departments each give a joint lecture: What is special about the arts, design, their theories, and their teaching? And what answers do they have to the pressing questions of our time?
All information about the lecture series can be [here]
Immersive Arts Basic Minor – Discover the World of Immersive Arts
Impression of the Immersive Arts Basic Minor. Credits: Stella Speziali
Step into the exciting intersection of art, technology and design with the Immersive Arts Basic Minor. This programme gives you the tools to explore immersive media and develop group projects in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.
Under the lead and mentorship of the research members of the Immersive Arts Space BA & MA students will create multi-sensory experiences that dissolve the boundaries between art making and technology.
In the first round on Friday afternoons, you will get to know the other participants, their artistic backgrounds and sketch out initial ideas for your projects. There will be input on brainstorming, observation methods and project management. You will also receive initial technical input and small practice assignments.
The first round of block-weeks will immerse you in the technical possibilities of the Immersive Arts Space and provide you with basic technical skills in tracking technology, volumetric capture, digital avatars, projection mapping, spatial augmented reality, lighting control and spatial (with ambisonic) and binaural audio. Short workshops are followed by periods of individual development, alternating with group tutorials and mentored learning.
This knowledge forms the basis for the second block week in the spring semester. The focus here is on project realisation: In the first week – outside the Immersive Arts Space – the project ideas are refined in terms of theme, scope and approach, and a concrete production plan and distribution of tasks are drawn up. This is followed by the actual implementation phase, where the skills learned are put into practice. In the last week, the projects are finalised and completed. The teams determine the appropriate medium for expressing their ideas, so that an audience can experience and interact with the project in a meaningful way.
In the final module, participants learn the essential skills for presenting their creative work outside the ZHdK. Students will learn how to document projects with high quality images and videos, develop detailed technical riders for exhibitions and/or performances, write research papers, prepare applications for open calls for festivals and residencies, and apply for grants. Through theoretical input and practical workshops, students will learn how to navigate professional opportunities in the creative industries.
Why Choose this Minor?
The Immersive Arts minor provides a solid foundation in immersive media, preparing you to push creative boundaries at the intersection of art and technology. Whether you’re an artist, designer or technologist, this is your chance to expand your skills and shape the future of immersive storytelling. Feel free to contact Stella Speziali with your questions. For administrative inquiries, please contact Joëlle Kost.
Your Mentors:
Martin Fröhlich: Senior researcher / projection mapping Eric Larrieux: 3D audio / interactive audio Christopher Salter: Direction / Concepts / Methods Stella Speziali: Projection mapping / visual concepts Corinne Soland: Motion capture coach Sébastien Schiesser: Space technician
Immersive Arts Advanced Minor – Where Creativity meets Cutting-Edge Technology
Volumetric data in virtual space. Credits: Oliver Sahli
Are you ready to push the boundaries of art, technology and design? The Immersive Arts Advanced Minor is a hands-on course for students who want to explore immersive technologies in a dynamic, project-based studio environment. Collaborate with like-minded students and peers to create interactive experiences.
Over the course of six intensive block weeks, you will take part in applied workshops, research-driven experiments and mentoring sessions, all designed to develop your technical skills and conceptual thinking.
Work on an interdisciplinary group project, starting with individual ideas and developing into collaborative work under expert mentorship.
Experience a real-world environment, working outside the IAS but using its resources for experiments and specific project phases.
Participate in applied workshops during the six block-weeks based on current research topics at the Immersive Arts Space (IAS), giving you exclusive insights into the future of immersive technologies. The HS25/FS26 edition will focus on Mixed Reality, AI and Machine Learning, inspired by the SNSF research projects XR Futures and Performing Artificial Intelligence.
Enjoy more flexible Friday afternoons for self-study, mentoring sessions, guest lectures and excursions.
Learn from Experts
Led by Oliver Sahli (game designer specialising in mixed reality and performative aspects of games) and Florian Bruggisser (researcher in machine learning, computer vision and spatial installations), the program is also supported by guest lecturers who provide deeper perspectives on emerging technologies and creative methodologies.
Who should Apply?
This minor is perfect for students with experience in game engines, computer audio, interactive software or programming – but even if you’re new to these fields, a strong willingness to learn is all you need. If you have already taken courses such as Immersive Arts Basics, Virtual Production, Digital Play or Experience Design, you will be fully equipped.
To apply, please submit a short half-page project outline outlining your interests. This will help us match you with the right group and refine your project direction. Not sure if this is the right minor for you? Feel free to contact Oliver or Florian with your questions. For administrative questions, please contact Joëlle Kost.
REFRESH is a yearly, international conference on Design, Arts and Technology. It is initiated by the Department of Design (Maike Thies) and the Immersive Arts Space (Christopher Salter) and taking place in different locations within Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).
REFRESH#6
«Futures of Uncertainties: Design – Arts – Technology» is the theme of the sixth edition of the festival – featuring keynotes, exhibitions, masterclasses, and performances. REFRESH will bring together international designers, artists, and researchers from Switzerland and abroad to explore possible futures for the arts and design.
The interdisciplinary festival REFRESH is primarily devoted to the topics «Algorithmic Entanglements», «Liminal Bodies», «New Ecologies», «Immersive Journalism», and «Worldbuilding». These themes reflect the spirit of the times, investigating the role and responsibilities of creative practitioners in a hyper-connected, data-flooded world.
With artists such as AATB, Anan Fries, Janne Kummer, Lucy McRae, Martyna Marciniak, Yasaman Sheri, Superflux, Maria Otero Verzier, Wang & Söderström and many more.
The interdisciplinary festival REFRESH (initiative of the Department of Design and the Immersive Arts Space of ZHdK) took place for the 5th time from November 9th to 12th, 2023. It addressed pressing issues at the intersection of the arts, design and technology in keynotes, masterclasses and a multi-layered exhibition. International designers, artists and researchers provided insights into their work and discussed it with the interested public. The critical topics of this year’s edition were «Immersive Journalism», «Design Realities», «Future Technologies», «Worldbuilding», and «New Ecologies».
With guests such as Nikolaj Schultz (sociologist, author of «On the Emergence of an Ecological Class» (2022) with Bruno Latour and author of «Land Sickness» (2023), Sarah Kenderdine (Head Curator EPFL Pavilions and Professor of Digital Museology at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne EPFL), Ian Cheng (Digital Artist), AATB (artist couple focused on experimental robotics) and Sam Wolson (Visual Features Editoris for the New Yorker and an Emmy award-winning director, photographer and journalist).
The Immersive Arts Space had two Spotlight events on November 9th and 10th. Spotlight I featured an exhibition of three currents projects, that are developed in the lab: Possible Worlds… (Oliver Sahli, Chris Salter), Changing Matters (Lorenz Kleiser, Floris Demandt) and Friendly Fire (Manu Hendry, Florian Bruggisser, Paulina Zybinska uvm.)
Spotlight II on November 10th was be a work exhibition of Zangezi, a Russian Cubo-Futurist poem/play written by the poet Velimir Khlebnikov in 1922. Fragments of Zangezi will be performed as a work in progress that takes the form of a theatrically staged reading within the technical machine of the Immersive Arts Space itself. The work exhibition includes a Q&A with the team members, discussing the usage of AI generated meta humans, environments and characters as well as the usage of a Large Language Model in a artistic project like Zangezi.
REFRESH#4
The fourth edition of REFRESH, from 10th to 14th November 2021, focussed on the topics «Immersive Journalism», «Immersive Play», «Digital Identities», «Digital Doubles» and «Techno-Biological Futures». The conference featured keynote speeches including panel discussions with national and international guests as well as a large exhibition have been part of the conference. Photographs of the conference have been published and can me viewed in this gallery.
The Immersive Arts Space hosted the Lab Insights and a VR exhibition. Team members offered insights into the projects Shifting Realities (Chris Elvis Leisi & Olliver Sahli (Multiuser VR), Martin Fröhlich, Max Kriegleder, Joel Gähwiler, Roman Jurt, Mariana Grüning (Helium Drones/ SAR)), Neural Volumetric Capture (Florian Bruggisser), Digital Twins (development of animated digital avatars based on photogrammetry and Meta Humans) and cineDesk (Norbert Kottmann, Valentin Huber).
Further Credits: Sound Design: Luca Magni Lights: Sébastien Schiesser Project Lead: Martin Fröhlich Production: Kristina Jungic Head of Unit: Christian Iseli Photography: Regula Bearth
REFRESH #3 took place from 17th to 20th September 2020 featuring keynotes, workshops, performances and an exhibition. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic it was designed as a hybrid event with online presentations of many speakers. The third edition was devoted to the topics «Digital Evidence», «Digital Humans», «Immersive Worlds», «Extended Realities» and «Imagine New Tomorrows».
REFRESH#2 took place from September 26th to 28th at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK, featuring keynotes, workshops, performances and exhibitions. The second edition focussed on the topic of Experimental Futures and Immersive Experiences. In close cooperation with Digital Festival and Hack Zurich at neighboring venues.
Selected speakers: Thomas Oberender, curator and artistic director @Berliner Festspiele Sarah Ellis, director of Digital Development @Royal Shakespeare Company Kevin Curran, vision director @Space10 Gayatri Parameswaran, immersive journalist @NowHere Media Andreas Refsgaard, artist & creative coder Galit Ariel, future tech expert @Wondarland Yakeshi Yamada, recruiter @teamLab Yasaman Sheri, creative director, designer and researcher Tobias Gremmler, visual artist
Dancing Digital performance on September 26th 2019. (Photo by Davide Arizzoli, ZHdK 2019).
