Sturm & Drang is a project born from the collaboration between Fondazione Prada and ETH Zürich which explores Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) practices, experiences, and environments.
The project title takes inspiration from the German cultural and literary movement of the late 18th century, characterized by a reaction against rationalism. In this case, Sturm & Drang (Storm and Stress) refers to the double nature of CGI that, thanks to its capacity of creating both hyper-realistic and fantastic images, is able to perfectly reproduce atmospheric effects like storms which, by deceiving the viewer’s perception, manage to emotionally involve us.
Sturm & Drang includes a series of training activities, online conversations, and an exhibition project. The first phase of the project, called “Sturm & Drang Studio”, consists of an online university course attended by185 ETH Zürich students, who are immersed in the digital industry dynamics beyond the classic teaching methods.
The project has a duration of three months and alternates lectures aimed solely at students and public conversations with the participation of researchers and professionals from different fields of culture and digital production as Walt Disney Studios, Artefactory Lab, and many others. The next phase of the project will take shape in the “Sturm & Drang” exhibition, scheduled in the spaces of the Osservatorio Fondazione Prada in Milan from September 16th, 2021 to January 17th, 2022, and subsequently at GTA exhibition, ETH Zürich. As the 18th century movement, the final goal of this exhibition does not focus on the final product, it rather focuses on the training: revealing the production methods behind this powerful image economy.
