Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - HUM 360 B100

Special Topics: Great Themes in the Humanistic Tradition (4)

The Past and Future of Images: Cave Art to AI

Class Number: 2022

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Jun 19, 2026: Tue, Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Interdisciplinary study of a selected theme that has made a lasting contribution to the humanistic tradition in more than one field of endeavour (e.g., philosophy, politics, literature, economics, religion). May be repeated once for credit when a different topic is taught. Students who have credit for a course with this content under another Humanities course may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

The Past and  Future of Images:

From Cave Art to GenAI


Images surround us on all sides, and in a world increasingly defined by digital media, they are created, reproduced, multiplied, and transformed all the more rapidly. But what are images? And how have people related to them in different times and places? What functions have they served, and how are those functions changing in the world of digital media?

This course will begin by examining the history of ways humans have related to images, from prehistoric art forms to religious, imperial, or nationalist uses of images, to contemporary visual, musical, cinematic, and performative artworks. (We will not restrict ourselves to visual images, but consider all kinds of images, i.e., things that represent other things to us by virtue of their resemblance to those things.) It will then delve into digital media to assess how these forms of image making and use are being altered by technologies of digital reproduction, manipulation, algorithmically shaped engagement, and artificial generation of images.

The second half of the course will delve into a suite of artworks and projects that help us make sense of three sets of relationship: between humans and the Earth, between humans and other animals, and between humans and our divinities (gods, spirits, ancestors, ideals, et al.). The goal will be to get a sense of both the constraints and the possibilities for creative image-making today, so as to reimagine ourselves and the world toward a more viable future. Throughout, we will ask: how do digital media and generative AI change our relationship to images and, by doing that, change our relationship to ourselves?

The course will be seminar-based, with a focus on discussion and application of ideas. Readings will be complemented with visual art, music, videos, and other media. Students will be required to apply course ideas and methods either to an artist or set of art works of their choice, in an analytical paper, or to their own creative production through an applied project.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:


In taking this course, students will be able to gain the following:
  1. An introductory to intermediate-level understanding of key theories of images and imagination, as found in fields including art history and visual studies, cultural and media studies, and philosophy;
  2. A working understanding of diverse perspectives on contemporary controversies over the ethical and political implications of digital information technologies, including artificial intelligence;
  3. An extended experience in applying relevant theoretical perspectives to the critical analysis of an artist or artwork and/or to one’s own creative product for this class;
  4. Practice in critical thinking, reading, writing, analysis, and presentation (verbal and/or audio-visual) appropriate to an upper-level university Humanities course.

Grading

  • Participation 30%
  • In-classes quizzes & tests 30%
  • Analytical Paper or Creative Project 40%

NOTES:

This course fulfills the Global Humanities requirements for the  

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Adrian Ivakhiv, The New Lives of Images: Digital Ecologies and Anthropocene Imaginaries in More-than-Human Worlds (Stanford U. Press, 2025).
This will constitute the primary text for the course. All supplementary texts will be provided in Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.