In the early 2000s, the Duderstadt Center held an annual event in February called Immedia in which students, with the support of faculty, directed a three day event for audiences to see their work. From 7-10pm, visitors could walk around the Duderstadt Center looking at student-lead work across a diverse range of disciplines and media.
A visitor might start in the Video Studio, and see a 10 x 20 foot blocked off area with a couple of SMTD students acting out a scene. After they turn the corner, there might be a small dance going on. Or, a video display with a looped narrator dialogue, a creative way of telling the visitor what they’re about to see in the next room. After exiting the Video Studio, they might land in the dressing rooms, which could display individual art pieces. And from there, the visitor might walk into one of the Design Labs where there would be interactive art pieces hanging from the lighting grid. When the visitor walked under a sensor, audio would begin.
What happened to Immedia? Around the mid-2000s, the name “Immedia” was bought by the students who created it, and they used it while on-the-road for a couple of years after their graduation. While the Duderstadt Center tried a few different names for the event afterwards, nothing stuck and eventually it died out. Though the event no longer happens, the Duderstadt Center continues to foster creativity, the ability to make a good idea happen.
Article by Emma Powell