Call for Participation:

“Press Send: A search for aura and embodied experience when art is borne from machine”
Nika Nesgoda, Teachers College Columbia University
New Grounds in Education Theory – Online seminar series
November 12, 2025 at 12:30-1:30pm (UK Time)
https://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa?A2=index&L=PHILOS-L&O=D&P=112439216

We are pleased to provide the details for the next online seminar series, as put on by New Grounds in Education Theory, an initiative that supports and champions both marginalised researchers and underrepresented theoretical research in Education.

Wednesday November 12th, 12:30-1:30 pm London UK time.
Nika Nesgoda, Teachers College Columbia University
“Press Send: A Search for Aura and Embodied Experience when Art is Borne from Machine”
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/bbj-szur-fqx

ABSTRACT: Traditional methods of artmaking such as painting, sculpting, and textile arts are distinguished by a rich, physical interplay between the artist and their materials.  This sensory and embodied engagement with tactile materials cultivates a profound connection with the artwork.  The tangible textures, the scent of paint, and the tactile experience of manipulating materials embed deeply affected and sensory memories associated with the act of making something by hand.  Conversely, digital art forms like digital embroidery, 3D printing, and laser cutting involve more indirect interactions, primarily mediated through digital files and mechanical outputs.  This shift can diminish the artist’s sense of ownership and emotional investment as direct, hands-on involvement is significantly reduced.  Digital tools, while facilitating new creative possibilities, also present challenges such as ease of replication, potentially undermining the uniqueness of the artwork and the artist’s attachment to it.  The reduced physical engagement in digital processes may also affect the learning and creative development of young artists, who may miss out on the sensory-rich experiences of traditional artmaking.  This study explores the impact of these evolving practices on artists’ connections to their work and their self-identity, examining whether artists feel less connected when using digital tools and how this influences their sense of ownership and fulfillment.  It also considers the broader implications of digital art tools on artistic expression and suggests ways to integrate more embodied, sensory-rich processes into digital art practices, and seeks to understand how digital and traditional art forms can coexist in a manner that preserves the deeply personal and immersive nature of artmaking, ensuring artists maintain a significant connection with their work in an increasingly digital landscape.

Keywords: Analog; Digital; Art-Making; AI; Sense Memory

Please note these seminars will be fully online.

For queries or to join the mailing list, please contact us at newgroundsed@gmail.com

Please check us out at: https://newgroundsed.org/