Ma Sen-AADTHU

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DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION ART & DESIGN

Ma Sen

Associate professor

Email: masen_479@163.com

Academic Title: Tenure-Track Associate Professor

Education

·September 2002 – June 2006: Bachelor of Arts in Photography, Beijing Film Academy

·September 2007 – June 2010: Master of Arts in Cinematography, Beijing Film Academy

Professional Experience

·September 2010 – April 2014: Teaching Assistant, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University

·April 2014 – April 2017: Lecturer, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University

·August 2017 – Present: Assistant Professor, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University

Research Focus

Modern Imaging Art Technology and Expressive Methodologies

Academic Philosophy

Science and technology: from automobiles and electric lights to airplanes—have consistently reshaped human life at a staggering pace. The rapid proliferation of digital cameras, which evolved from laboratory prototypes to dominant tools surpassing traditional imaging techniques, took merely a decade. Similarly, since the debut of the first-generation iPhone in 2007, smartphones have swiftly conquered mainstream markets. These multifunctional devices, integrating voice calls, social media (WeChat, Weibo), video recording, photo capture and retouching, and gaming, have triggered profound societal ripple effects. As smartphones became primary internet gateways for the public, their always-online nature has transformed every recording feature—particularly photography—into instant content-sharing tools, redistributing images to targeted individuals, groups, or the entire web. This shift fundamentally redefines photography’s historical role as a "replicative" medium.

As a pivotal recording technology, photography now occupies a critical battleground in this relentless tech evolution. High-tech corporations vie to attract users with innovations for profit growth, while internet platforms leverage image-sharing to drive data flow and engagement. Today, photography’s defining traits are no longer mere digitization but networked mobility. This analysis explores how pervasive connectivity impacts traditional photographic culture, anchored in the dual-edged influence of technological advancement.

Photography, swept into the digital and internet-driven torrent, witnesses its entrenched cultural traditions dissolving. New devices and platforms dominate communication; soon, few will recall manual film winding, darkroom chemicals, or debates over slide development techniques.

Though digital cameras persist (albeit declining under smartphone dominance), mobile photography apps now enable seamless capture, editing, and graphic-text integration—all on handheld devices. Digital photography has shed reliance on computers and nears independence from dedicated cameras. Smartphones, by unifying functionalities, reduce costs and eliminate the need for specialized gear, marking photography’s most radical transformation. Globally networked camera-phones form an imaginative platform, prompting us to envision the novel visual landscapes born of ubiquitous, spontaneous imaging.

Shifts in image-making also reshape photographic content: traditionally curated "exquisite" works will likely yield to personalized, ephemeral visuals. With barrier-free access via smartphones, photography now permeates all societal strata. Increasingly grassroots imagery may capture raw, authentic moments—or fleeting 10-second video snippets. Conversely, visual clutter is inevitable.

Altered viewing habits and the functionalization of images have turned visuals into data fragments. Geotagged or color-coded photos are algorithmically dissected and reorganized, yet they remain extensions of human vision, aiding our comprehension of the visual world. Our imagination and understanding of this hyperconnected image universe remain nascent. However, as cameras morph into phones, content grows serendipitous, and images flood networks, photography’s authority wanes—no longer revered as a hallowed medium.

Academic Achievements

Representative Publications

·Translated: Introduction to Cinematic Lenses

·Editorial Board Member: Manufactured Imagery

Selected Papers

·Restructuring Digital Photography Education, published in Art Panorama

·Connected Photography and Images, published in Chinese Photographers

·Reconstructing Digital Photography, published in Zhuangshi

Exhibitions

·Order of Things: Inheritance of Academy Art, Tsinghua University Academy of Arts & Design Art Exhibition

·Order of Things: Crafting Ideals – Faculty Academic Works Exhibition (Visual Arts), Tsinghua University Academy of Arts & Design

Research Projects

·Applied Research on Interaction Design in Future Network Contexts

·Design and Case Development for the Second Edition of the Digital Museum of Traditional Villages

·Digital Experience Design for Chinese Traditional Culture

·Interaction Design Methods in the AI Era

·Digital Application Design for Manufacturing Industries

·National 973 Program: Theories and Methods for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Art Collections

·Monde World 1-2, collected by the CAFA Art Museum (Central Academy of Fine Arts)

·Monde World 1-2, collected by the Shandong Arts and Crafts Museum

Notable Works

·Public Service Ads: China Milk Love Initiative (featuring Ding Junhui)

·Commercial Ads: Bomb Erguotou Liquor, Haoliang New Instant Noodles, Atlantis Red Wine, Lenovo ThinkPad X+60

·Short Films: The Next Second, Change Begins (Olay, starring Gao Yuanyuan), Self-Selected Topic

·Promotional Videos: Beijing International Design Week (30s) , Jiangsu Yonglian Corporate Image, Pingdingshan Museum Campaign, Confucius Museum Presentation, Boeing Project, Dell Business Laptops, Dunhuang 973 Project, Tsinghua University Art Museum Inauguration, Beijing Technology Group Documentary