In/Computable: AI, Art and Creative Methods
International Summer School
School of Arts, Nanjing University, China
Winchester School of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Southampton, UK
6 July to 18 July 2026
Location: Nanjing, China
‘[The machine] has no pretensions whatever to originate anything. […] It can follow analysis; but it has no power of anticipating any analytical relations or truths’ – Ada Lovelace (Note G, 1843)
Algorithms curate our digital lives. We encounter new immersive experiences through extended reality. Invisible materials and smart technologies enable everyday routines. Significant changes are occurring to our environment. We are learning to live with an expanse of artificial intelligences.Vital questions emerge: Is the human experience and those of our fellow beings on Earth in/computable and to what ends? Do our new technologies, sensory experiences and ‘data culture’ allow for – or fail at – computable renderings of the body, the city, ecology and human thought? Whether we stare up at the massive scale of the universe, gaze across our own earthly horizon, look into one another’s eyes, or reach into the quantum realm, we can ask: what are the ‘units of meaning’ we live by? How are we to be the custodians of culture in times of significant technological change?
In/Computable: Art, Technology and Creative Methods, an International Summer School held from the 6th to the 18th of July 2026, is designed to respond to these emerging questions and the challenges and opportunities they afford. Jointly organized by the School of Arts, Nanjing University and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Southampton, the programme invites students to respond critically and collaboratively through creative methods and interdisciplinary exchange.
The summer school features guest lectures, seminars, site visits, and creative workshops, providing participants with an engaging approach to the role of new technologies in artistic creation, cultural preservation, and global challenges. The curriculum is anchored in the pursuit of 'Sustainable Futures', defined not as a single theme, but as an interdisciplinary meeting ground: a space where the arts and humanities, science and technology, cultures and communities, history and innovation enter in conversation. Students will be part of a scholarly nexus, bridging key sites of research and educational excellence; working together to be critically responsive to our shifting digital landscape, and advocating leadership for the next generation of the arts and cultural economy.
Program Overview
Date: 6 July to 18 July 2026
Location: Nanjing University Gulou campus, China
Organizers: School of Arts, Nanjing University, China
Winchester School of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Southampton, UK
Program Activities
Lectures: Academic experts will discuss AI’s applications and challenges in the arts and global humanities.
Workshops: Experts will lead workshops on creative methods at the intersection of art, technology, and the humanities. Topics may include AI-driven artistic practice, digital heritage preservation, immersive media design, and data-informed creative processes, offering students hands-on experience with emerging tools and techniques.
Site Visits: Students will visit cultural heritage sites and art institutions in Nanjing to explore AI’s real-world applications in artistic creation and cultural preservation.
Group Projects: Drawing on insights from lectures, workshops, and site visits, students will form interdisciplinary teams to develop collaborative creative projects that respond to the summer school’s themes with the support from experts. Group projects will be presented at a showcase at the end of the programme.
Outstanding group projects will be recommended for entry into the China International College Students' Innovation Competition, with dedicated mentorship provided. Project teams will have the opportunity to advance through university-level, provincial, and national rounds of the competition; eligible international entries may proceed directly to the national review stage. Award-winning students may receive recognition and policy support in areas such as postgraduate admissions and academic honours.
Fees
￥1000 tuition free, food and accommodation are not included.
Eligibility
Applicants must be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in a higher education institution.
Hold a valid passport at the point of application if visa is required, valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the Summer School, and with at least two blank pages.
Be prepared to apply, pay for and obtain a suitable visa if required. Participation is dependent on receipt of a suitable visa.
Review vaccine requirements and recommendations for entering China and if applicable, book well in advance of travel.
Review the customs, regulations and laws for China if applicable.
Commit to following the management regulations of Nanjing University and to fully immersing yourself in both study and daily life at the location.
Application:
To apply, please provide the following information to the School of Arts, Nanjing University at njuart2026@163.com by 23:59 CST (GMT+8) on 18th May, 2026.
Short CV: This needs to include your full name, educational background, relevant experience, and contact details.
Supporting statement: outlining your motivation for attending this Summer School, how it relates to your current degree programme and future plans. (Max 300 words in English, or 1000 Characters in Chinese)
Submit your application with a filled and signed Letter of Participant Commitment and Disclaimer of Liability (see attached).
We aim to notify successful applicants in the week beginning 1st June.
We offer this opportunity to students based on a short statement of motivation emphasizing the role of this summer school in the development of your current or future study/ career.
About the Co-organiser: School of Arts, Nanjing University
The School of Arts at Nanjing University was established in 2017 as a co-building unit of the University's “Chinese Language, Literature and Art” Double First-Class discipline cluster. Its roots in arts education reach back to 1906, when the Liangjiang Normal School — a predecessor of Nanjing University — founded one of China's first modern art departments. Renowned artists and scholars such as Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, Fu Baoshi, and Zong Baihua once taught here. Today the School comprises the Department of Art Theory and Creativity, the Department of Fine Arts and Design, and the Centre for Cultural Arts Education. It offers a doctoral programme in Art and Cultural Studies as well as multiple master's degree tracks. The School currently has 15 professors, 17 associate professors, 14 doctoral supervisors, and 30 master's supervisors. Among them are a Nanjing University Distinguished Professor of Humanities, two national leading talents, two national young leading talents, a recipient of the national Leading Talents in Culture and the “Four Batches” Project, a leading talent in philosophy and social sciences, a first-tier candidate of the Jiangsu Province “333 Project”, and a recipient of the Jiangsu “Zijin Culture Medal”, as well as a member of the 7th State Council Academic Degrees Committee Discipline Review Group for Art Theory and a Vice Chair of the Ministry of Education's Teaching Guidance Committee for Art Theory. Research spans art theory and aesthetics, art history and criticism, theatre and film studies, arts communication, fine arts, and arts education. The School maintains close partnerships with leading international institutions, including Brown University, the University of Florence, and the University of Turin.
Of particular relevance to this Summer School, the Department of Art Theory and Creativity has established a dedicated research cluster in Arts Communication and Technology, exploring digital humanities, cross-media narrative, visual culture, and the impact of emerging technologies on artistic practice. This forward-looking orientation provides a strong academic foundation for the programme and makes the School an ideal venue for investigating the convergence of art and technology in the age of AI.
About the Co-organiser: Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton
Winchester School of Art (WSA) was founded in 1870 and has over 150 years of heritage in creative education. It merged with the University of Southampton in 1996 and is now part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The University of Southampton is a member of the Russell Group and ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide. WSA comprises three departments — Art and Media Technology, Design, and Fashion and Textiles — with teaching and research spanning fine art, game design, curating, digital media, creative computing, cultural leadership, fashion design, and management. The School is committed to fostering interdisciplinary thinking at the intersection of art, science, technology, and culture. Its research infrastructure includes the Winchester Centre for Global Futures in Art Design & Media, the Global Smart Lab, and the E-textile Innovation Lab, with research themes ranging from transformations in cultural production driven by digital and participatory media, to smart technologies in art and design, and cross-disciplinary investigations of culture, politics, and identity. WSA collaborates extensively with universities, creative industry organisations, and NGOs around the world, and is home to a highly international community of students and staff.
WSA's equal emphasis on practice-based making and critical inquiry, together with its established strengths in creative computing, digital media, and media arts, aligns closely with the Summer School's exploration of the “in/computable.” As an art school embedded within a research-intensive Russell Group university, WSA brings to the programme a future-oriented technological perspective grounded in rigorous creative practice.
