mattscape

Welcome! You've landed on the BBB (Bittanti's Bulletin Board)

I'm a Senior (sigh) Adjunct Professor in the Visual Studies and in the Visual & Critical Studies programs at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland. I am also a professor and member of the scientific board of the Master in Digital Entertainment Media & Design at IULM University, in Milan. Between 2006 and 2011, I collaborated with the Stanford Humanities Lab at Stanford University. I write about technology, film, games, and popular culture for various publications (WIRED, Rolling Stone, Saturno, LINK, Duellanti). My online projects include GameScenes and eventually. Occasionally, I create stuff. Born in Milan, Italy, I live in San Francisco, California.

Above all, I love playing videogames.

TEACHING: CCA Spring 2012: "Bright Lights, Global Cities"

Here's the abridged syllabus for the second course I'm teaching at CCA this semester, Bright Lights, Global Cities.

 

^{California College of the Arts}

 ^{“Bright Lights, Global Cities"}

^{VISST 200-03}

^{Spring Semester, 2012}

^{Prof. Matteo Bittanti}

Meeting Place & Time:

San Francisco Campus, Graduate Building, G3

Mondays 4:00 - 7:00 PM

Start Date: Monday January 23 2012

End Date: Monday April 30 2012

 

Office Hours by Appointment:

Please contact Matteo Bittanti

via email: mbittanti@cca.edu

 

  

 

1. Course Description

The city is one of the greatest unsung heroes in cinema – a modernist inspiration for silent classics such as Metropolis (1927) and a dense urban jungle in Do The Right Thing (1989) – yet there have been relatively few attempts to grasp its cultural and aesthetic significance in film. "Bright Lights, Global Cities" examines the conditions of modernity, postmodernity, and globalization through the lens of film. Los Angeles, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Buenos Aires, and San Francisco: these cities, among other fictional ones like Trumania o Pleasantville, will provide case studies with which to evaluate work by several contemporary filmmakers.

How has our understanding of cities been informed, influenced, and transformed by the cinematic image? Why does the city play such a crucial role in cinema? Is the city inherently cinematic?

This course will investigate the complex and enduring relationship between film and urbanism, and how early cinema, digital technology, and changing urban geographies have all impacted upon notions and representations of the modern, postmodern, and global city. 

The format of the class will place emphasis on critical readings of the visual material as well as a lecture component that will attempt to contextualize each week’s case studies. Students will be required to identify and discuss both in class and in their critical writings the connections between cityscapes and cinescapes, visual culture and urbanism, sociology and anthropology.

This course emphasizes the following learning outcomes:

• Visual Literacy: Students will learn the key components of interpretive film analysis (including the vocabulary and methods common to each mode of inquiry). They will generate analyses that synthesize discussions of a given film's formal properties and its relation to specific urban contexts.

• Interdisciplinarity: Students will understand various ways in which film aesthetics intersect with other areas of social and cultural history.

• Methods of Critical Analysis: Students will learn to identify, actively engage with, and carry out interpretive analyses of individual films.

• Written and Verbal Communication: Students will continue to hone their communication skills by presenting their ideas in different types of writing assignments and within class discussions.

• Professional development: In class discussions and through their written submissions, students will present their ideas in a manner that meets professional standards.

 

2. Prerequisites

VISST-104, VISST-108; You need to complete the following first year CORE and H&S requirements before advancing further in your major; Drawing, 2D, 3D, 4D, English 1, Foundations in Critical Studies or English 2, Intro to the Arts and Intro to the Modern Arts.

 

3. Required Texts

3.1 Bibliography

We will read and discuss Nezar AlSayyad's Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real (London: Routledge, 2006) in its entirety.

A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker will be our style guide.  

Required books:

1) Nezar AlSayyad, Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real,London: Routledge, 2006.

2) Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference (6^th Edition) – (available at Blick Art)

Required essays:

In addition to the above mentioned books, a series of required essays will be available online on a weekly basis on the class' blog. See the schedule for more information.

3.2 Filmography

The students will be responsible to collect and watch prior to class all the required films. The instructor will provide copies of the movies in advance - those who have Netflix, Mubi, Hulu accounts, or other means of watching the films should do so. This course covers both Hollywood productions and foreign productions. Expect subtitles.

For example, on Monday February 6 we will be discussing Modern Times & Berlin: Symphony of a Great City in class. That means that you should have already watched these movies before that date.

On film watching and film criticism: When viewing a film for an assignment, some students tend to rely exclusively on evaluative criteria. Usually, their assessments are based in the idea that a successful film should provide its audience with an entertaining viewing experience. While it is certainly true that many films have been made in order to serve as popular entertainment, in this course students are required to concern themselves with other issues relevant to the academic study of the cinema. This is not a “film appreciation” or film criticism course; it is a course designed to introduce students to think and possibly understand the multifaceted relationship between concepts like modernity, postmodernity, globalization, and the film medium. Analytic thinking and informed inquisitiveness about the cinema are encouraged in this class; but the expression of subjective judgments based in taste or personal preference should not play a part inany of your contributions as a student. At every level of discourse – class discussions, written submissions, online comments etc. – students should be demonstrating that they are attempting to ask pertinent questions and hone their analytic skills.

Filmography - full list:

Title	Director	Year	Country
Annie Hall	Woody Allen	1977	USA
Babel	Alejandro González Iñárritu	2006	USA
Berlin: Symphony of a Great City	Walter Ruttmann	1927	Germany
Blade Runner	Ridley Scott	1982	USA
Brazil	Terry Gilliam	1985	UK
Cinema Paradiso	Giuseppe Tornatore	1988	Italy
Do The Right Thing	Spike Lee	1989	USA
Falling Down	Joel Schumacher	1993	USA
It's a Wonderful Life	Frank Capra	1946	USA
Manhattan	Woody Allen	1979	USA
Metropolis	Fritz Lang	1927	Germany
Modern Times	Charlie Chaplin	1936	USA
Mon Oncle	Jacques Tati	1958	France
My Beautiful Launderette	Stephen Frears	1985	UK
Playtime	Jacques Tati	1967	France
Pleasantville	Gary Ross	1998	USA
Rear Window	Alfred Hitchcock	1954	USA
Sliver	Phillip Noyce	1993	USA
Taxi Driver	Martin Scorsese	1976	USA
Truman Show	Peter Weir	1998	USA
Shìjiè -The World	Jia Zhang-ke	2004	China

Additional required audiovisual texts => documentaties:

• Bill Cunningham New York, Richard Press, USA, 2010. (excerpts). 
• Los Angeles Plays Itself, Thom Andersen, USA, 2003. 
• Manufactured Landscapes, Jennifer Baichwal, USA, 2007. (excerpts). 
• Urbanized, Gary Hustwit, USA, 2011. (excerpts). 
• Utopia London, Tom Cordell, UK, 2010. (excerpts). 
• The Interrupters, Steven James, USA, 2012.
• ...

And video artworks, including:

• Chip Lord, "Une Ville De l'Avenir", 2011
• Chip Lord, "In Transit", 2011
• Chip Lord, Movie Map", 2003
• ...

 

4. Written Assignments

Students are required to write and submit two kinds of written assignments: "Notes on the Cinematic City" and a Final Essay.

Both assignments must be typed, using a 12 pt. Arial font, Spacing: 1.5, excluding bibliography and footnotes, with one-inch margins. All written work should be formatted according to the standards outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style. Additional information pertaining the assignments is illustrated in section 6.2.

4.1 Notes on the Cinematic City" (due: each Monday by noon)

Students are required to submit a weekly “Notes on the Cinematic City” written assignment – a critique of the films and readings devoted to a specific theme (Modernity, Globalization etc.). These short analyses should be between 1000 - 1500 words. As a critical analysis, this assignment should not merely summarize/describe the narrative elements of film but rather analyze and synthesize the material in light of your response to the primary question of this class:

How does this particular film address the city as a manifestation of modernity, postmodernity and/or globalization? What does it say (or not say) about living in these urban spaces?

In most cases, your critique will concentrate on two films There is one exception: on March 12 you will be required to analyze, discuss, compare & contrast three movies. See the class schedule for more information.

In all cases, you should present a clear argument regarding the frame and scope of the cinematic project in question, in view of its strengths and limitations, making full use of the bibliographic resources provided. Your own comments should be a response to both the director's effort and the critic's (or critics') analysis of such effort. Each entry should be accompanied by a bibliography.

To summarize, your entries should accomplish two main objectives:

1) they should demonstrate to the instructor that you are actively analyzing the films you watch, and

2) they should indicate that you are connecting ideas and information found in the readings, lectures, and/or class discussions to the films themselves. 

They should not include summaries of the films you watched. Remember: this is not a review.

Suggestions:

1) Take detailed notes as you watch the movie, in order to identify and later examine significant features of the film in relation to the city. Pay attention to the urban elements depicted that caught your attention as a viewer.

2) Write your critique so that it reflects your thoughts about not only the film but also any of thelarger contexts provided either through the readings or the lectures. Demonstrate that you are paying careful attention to the film and to the conceptual information to which you have been introduced. Focus on the description of only those aspects of film form that you want to analyze, and try as often as possible to consider important concepts, theories, or ideas. Never summarize the plot of the film in your entry. If you do mention plot and story elements, discuss only those who are strictly connected to ideas pertaining to the theories discussed in class and in the readings (e.g. alienation, anomie, simulation etc.)

3) As with every written assignment, focus on the clear communication of your original thoughts and observations. Don't merely replicate what you've heard in class or what you've read. You are expected to critically engage with the material.

4) Your entries should not be impressionistic, stream-of-conscious style commentaries; organize your thoughts before you write and keep your entries as focused as possible.  Your analysis should not address every major element of the film you watched. Don't attempt to write about the entire film or every one of its major narrative, stylistic, or thematic features.  And, of course, never evaluate the film as a critic would.

Evaluation: "Notes on the cinematic city" will not receive individual letter grades. Each submission will be given one of the following grades:

• √+ [above average]     
• √ [average]    
• √- [below average]        
• I [incomplete/late/missing]

At the end of the semester, each student receives one letter grade for the "cinematic notes" as a whole.

Any student who receives an "I" grade for more than three submissions (and has no legitimate medical excuse) fails this assignment for the entire semester.

"Notes on the cinematic city" are due each Monday no later than noon. Please email your written assignment to mbittanti@cca.edu. The email must contain the assignment as an attachment (.DOC or RTF., no .PDF allowed) and as plain text pasted into the body of the message.

All contributions will be posted and the blog to encourage transparency and to foster the conversation.

4.2 "Final Paper" (due: April 30 2012) 

Students are required to write an essay of 3500-4000 words (Font: Arial, Size: 12, Spacing: 1.5, 1 inch margins, excluding bibliography and footnotes). Students will need to analyze a film (or a series of films) set in a specific city, using the concepts, ideas, and methods of analysis encountered during the semester. During the course of the semester, the instructor will suggest several possible movies to analyze, but students are encouraged to be pro-active and come up with their own selection.

Before submitting a final paper, students will be required to write and submit a final paper proposal. Such proposal should be at least 1500 words long and include your interpretative goals and the rationale behind your film(s) choices. A bibliography is required. Examples will be provided. The proposal should be written with a 12 pt. Arial font, spacing: 1.5, excluding bibliography and footnotes, with one-inch margins.

The final proposal is due on March 26 2012 by 4 pm. The final proposal should be send via emaill to mbittanti@cca.edu.

The email must contain the assignment as an attachment (.DOC or RTF., no .PDF allowed). A written copy should also submitted brevi manu in class on March 26 2012.

The recommendations for "Notes on the Cinematic City" also apply to the final paper.

Evaluation: Your final paper will receive individual letter grades.

The final paper is due by April 30 2012 at 4 pm.

Please email your written assignment to mbittanti@cca.edu. The email must contain the assignment as an attachment (.DOC or RTF., no .PDF allowed). A written copy should also submitted brevi manu in class on April 30 2012. There will be no make-up final papers.

4.3. "Final Presentation" (due: April 23 and April 30 2012) 

In addition to the final paper, students are required to give one oral presentation based on their critical essay. Depending on the number of students enrolled, the duration of the presentation will range from 15 to 20 minutes. The students are strongly encouraged to make full use of audio-visual resources for their presentation (film clips, slideshows of still images, PowerPoint etc.). All students are expected to comment on their peers' presentations. Please note that, in some cases, the presentation will be due a week before the submission of the final paper, so plan ahead.

Students are expected to collect and use the equipment needed for their final presentation (e.g. a laptop and the required software - the instructor will not provide such material).

There will be no make-up presentations.

 

5. Evaluation

Final grades will be determined as follows:

• Attendance, participation (both in class and online): 20%
• “Notes on the Cinematic City”: 30%
• Oral presentation: 15%
• Final Paper + Final Paper Proposal: 35%

One of the primary goals of this class is to help the students develop a critical eye. This class presents elements of both a seminar and a lecture course.  As such, students will be asked to participate regularly. Participation constitutes 20% of the final grade, so the more input on the student' part, the better.

Assignments are described in the "Course Assignment" section that follows the bibliography & filmography.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of the Visual Studies Assessment Grid (available on the class blog). Each area of assessment corresponds to the following numeric evaluation:

1      insufficient

2      developing skills

3      proficient skills

4      exceptional skills

6. Writing Recommendations, Assignment Regulations, Classroom Conduct & Attendance Guidelines (modeled after Federico Windhausen's rules of engagement)

6.1 Writing Recommendations

1)      Always make sure to italicize the title of each artwork film you mention. In an essay or paper, you must also provide its official year of production/display in parentheses (sans italics), but onlythe first time you mention the work. Ex: Blade Runner (1982).

2)      Students should use secondary sources judiciously. It will be easy to locate informative and/or interpretive texts about the films we view in class. In footnotes (if necessary) and a bibliography, cite any and all texts that provided you with contextual, historical, biographical, or interpretive information which impacted upon your understanding and interpretation of the work.  Make sure to format your citations correctly, according to the standards outlined in A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker.

3)      Some works of art are more readily grasped once relevant contextual, historical, or biographical information has been considered.  Students must avoid relying heavily upon received interpretations when presenting their own analyses of films, however. Someone else’s interpretive analysis should not substitute for or eclipse your own.

4)      Another cautionary note on plagiarism, written by another professor (Murray Sperber, of Indiana University at Bloomington) but thoroughly applicable to this class: "An experienced...teacher can easily tell the difference between original student writing and plagiarized work. Because you will have to write various exercises in class, I will have an excellent idea of your true writing abilities. Thus, when you turn in longer pieces of writing -- although more careful and polished than your in-class work -- they will still reflect your abilities. Your writing is like your signature, unique to you. To turn in someone else's writing -- published critic, friend, tutor, doofus on the Web -- is foolish, easily recognized, an insult to your instructor and fellow students, and a good way to get yourself into serious trouble."  Heed those words.

5)      I will hold students to high standards of spelling and grammatical usage. Proofread carefully.

6)      Avoid slang, jargon, and colloquialisms. "LOL", "ROTLF" et similia are strictly forbidden.

7)      Use prepositional phrases sparingly, and never end a sentence with a preposition.

8)      Eliminate all contractions (e.g., doesn't, isn't, don't, won't).

9)      Discuss the actions of works of art in the present tense, and the activity of the artist in the past tense.

       Example: The director allowed the actors to conduct themselves in a scene that proceeds without cuts. Partly as a consequence of the lack of editing, the acting in that scene seems especially naturalistic, imbued with the flows and rhythms of everyday social interaction.

10)   Avoid the use of intensifiers (e.g., absolutely, extremely, very, interestingly) and vague phrases (e.g., somewhat, to some degree, more or less, seems, appears) whenever possible.

11)   Avoid the use of passive voice or forms of the verb "to be." Replace both with active verbs.

        Example 1: Landscapes were understood as more than innocent depictions of nature.

        Revision: Many contemporary scholars and critics understood landscape paintings as more         than innocent depictions of nature.

        Example 2: The film premiered in 1965.

        Revision: The MGM studio released the film in 1965.

        Example 3: The color blue is seen throughout the mise-en-scene.

        Revision: The color blue dominates the mise-en-scene.

12)   Do not make qualitative judgments about the works or the artists you choose to analyze in your essay and weekly entries.

        Example: Citizen Kane is a great film.

13)   Make your last paragraph conclusive, without being repetitive. Do not simply regurgitate your introduction, and keep any summary of your paper to no more than two sentences. Instead, try to talk about your topic in a new way. This may be a time to discuss the importance or the implications of your argument or essay (think of this as the "so what?" factor).

14)   If you are looking for a helpful book on grammatical rules and norms please rely on A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker.

15)   If you anticipate that you will have problems with spelling and/or grammar, see a writing counselor as soon as possible.  The earlier you establish a relationship with someone who can help you, the sooner your work will improve.

16)   Problems guaranteed to result in a lower grade for your essay:

a)      Too much description, not enough analysis (or, sketchy descriptions that are not clearly linked to points made in the analysis; or, too much opinion and not enough analysis)

b)      Lack of coherence, either linguistic (poor grammar; misusing Spell Check [selecting the wrong word for your intended meaning]; weak overall grasp of written English) or conceptual (the various parts of the paper are not clearly connected; transitions between paragraphs or points are weak or disjunctive)

c)       An excessive reliance on quotations (as when they are used to appropriate analytic points that the student does not complement with his or her own analyses; or when they are inserted into the text without further explanation of the quotation's main points in the student's own words)

d)      Super-sized margins or font, pictures inserted into the main body of the paper, and various other page-augmentation tricks

 

6.2 Assignment Regulations

1)      Students who are absent for a class in which an assignment is due and whose absence cannot be accounted for by a medical professional must email the assignment to me by 11 p.m. on the day it is due. The email must contain the assignment as an attachment and as plain text pasted into the body of the message. (If my word processing program cannot open your emailed document and you did not include the plain text version in your message to me, the assignment will be counted as late and graded down.)

2)      For each week that an assignment is overdue, the final grade of the late submission will be lowered by one full letter grade.  So, a paper that is submitted two weeks late by a student who cannot provide a valid medical excuse (and who did not attempt to meet my email requirements) will first be graded without consideration of the penalty.  Once the initial grade is determined, it will be lowered for the paper's final grade.  Thus, an A paper submitted two weeks late becomes a C paper.

3)      Students who know ahead of time that they will not be able to meet these requirements on a particular date must contact me. Students who claim illness after the due date will always be required to provide medical verification.

4)      Furthermore, any assignment (late or otherwise) sent to me over email must adhere to the format described above. 

5)      No student is automatically allowed a revision of an assignment that received a low grade.  I make decisions about revisions on a case-by-case basis.

6)      Students who produce work under the assumption that the assignments for this class are less important than those for their studio classes will be duly penalized. The demands that this course makes on your time are to be taken seriously. From the very beginning of the semester, you will be expected to plan ahead, taking into account the fact that assignments for studio classes can be exceptionally time-consuming.

 

6.3 Classroom Conduct & Attendance Guidelines

1) Promptness is a basic requirement. Persistent lateness lowers your class participation grade considerably.

2) Students cannot use electronic devices during class. Note-taking on a laptop is not allowed. Cell phones should always be shut off. Texting is not allowed.

3) Sleeping, chatting in the back of the room, reading external materials, working on external projects during the class session - any of these can result in immediate ejection from the class.

4) Any student with more than two unexcused absences during the semester will find that each additional absence, after the second, lowers his or her class participation grade by one full letter. In other words, the third unexcused absence would lower a B+ to a C+; the fourth would result in an F.

5) Students are not allowed to eat during class. 

6)  Students who miss a class must collect the material discussed in class. In most cases, such material will be available on the class blog. At any rate, always make sure to contact me via email about the availability of such materials.

 

7. Class Schedule 

Please note that the schedule is subject to change

Date	Topic	Film	City	Readings
January 23, 2012	Introduction, syllabus walk-though,	Los Angeles Plays Itself,Thom Andersen, USA, 2003.    Chip Lord, "Movie Map", 2003.	San Francisco & Los Angeles	N/A
January 30, 2012 Screening the City	Key Concepts Presentation			Nezar AlSayyad, "Introduction: The Cinematic City and the Quest for the Modern" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006, pp. 1 -17.   Mitchell Schwarzer, “Film,” inZoomscape, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004, pp.206-253;   Giuliana Bruno, “Siteseeing: The Cine City,” in Atlas of Emotion: Journeys in Art, Architecture and Film, New York: Verso, 2002, pp. 14-42.
February 6, 2012 Teutonic Dreams/Nightmares	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   First "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Modern Times/Berlin: Symphony of a Great City	Berlin	Nezar AlSayyad, "Industrial Modernity: the Flaneur and the Tramp in the Early Twentieth-Century City" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp.19- 33 (Chapter 1).
February 13, 2012 Small Town Boys	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	It's a Wonderful Life/Cinema Paradiso	Bedford Falls (fictional)/ Giancaldo, Sicily (fictional)	Nezar AlSayyad, "Urbanizing Modernity: The Traditional Cinematic Small Town" inCinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real,London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 45-70 (Chapter 2).
February 20, 2012 Utopia and Dystopia	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Metropolis/ Brazil	Metropolis (fictional)/ Brazil (fictional)	Nezar AlSayyad, "Chapter 3: Orwellian Modernity: Utopia/Dystopia and the City of the Future Past" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 71-96 (chapter 3).   Ben Wheeler, "Reality is what you can get away with: fantastic imaginings, rebellion and control in Terry Gilliam's Brazil", Critical Survey 17.1, Jan 2005, 95-108.
February 27, 2012 Modernity and Its Discontents	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Mon Oncle/ Playtime	Paris and Parisian suburbs	Nezar AlSayyad, "Cynical Modernity of the Modernity of Cynicism" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 97-121 (Chapter 4).   Joan Ockman, "Architecture in a Mode of Distraction: Eight Takes on Jacques Tati's Playtime", in Mark Lamster, Architecture and Film, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2000,  171-195.   Laurent Marie, "Jacques Tati's Play Time as New Babylon", in Mark Shiel and Tony Fitzmaurice (Eds.), Cinema and the City. Film and Urban Societies in A Global Context, 255-270.
March 5, 2012 Postmodernism and Its Discontents	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Blade Runner/ Falling Down	Los Angeles	Nezar AlSayyad, "From Postmodern Condition to Cinematic City" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp.121-145 (Chapter 5).   Elizabeth Mahoney, "The People in Parentheses. Space Under Pressure in the Postmodern City" in David Clarke (Ed.), The Cinematic City, London: Routledge, 1997. 169-187.   Stephen Rowley, "False LA. Blade Runner and the Nightmare City" in Will Brooker (Ed.) The Blade Runner Experience. The Legacy of a Science Fiction Classic, London: Wallflower Press. 2009, 203-213.   Peter Brooker, "Imagining the Real: Blade Runner and Discourses on the Postmetropolis" in Will Brooker (Ed.) The Blade Runner Experience. The Legacy of a Science Fiction Classic, London: Wallflower Press, 2009, 213-223.
March 12, 2012 Voyeurism, Scopophilia and Surveillance	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Rear Window/Sliver	New York/ Los Angeles	Nezar AlSayyad, "Voyeuristic Modernity: The Lens, the Screen, and the City" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 147-168 (Chapter 6).   Pamela Robertson Wojcik, "A Primer in Urbanism. Rear Window's Archetypal Apartment Plot", in The Apartment Plot, Urban Living in American Film and Popular Culture, 1945 to 1975, Durham, Duke University Press, 2010, 47-88.   Thomas Y. Levin, "Rhetoric of the Temporal Index: Surveillant Narration and the Cinema of Real Time", in Thomas Y. Levin, Ursula Frohne and Petre Weibel, CTRL [SPACE], Rhetorics of Surveillance from Bentham to Big Brother,Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002, 578-592.
March 19, 2012	No class, Spring Break
March 26, 2012 New York Stories	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon   Final paper proposal due by 4 pm	Home viewing: Annie Hall/Manhattan/ Taxi Driver     In-class screening: Bill Cunningham New York, Richard Press, USA, 2010. (excerpts).	New York	Nezar AlSayyad, "The City Through Different Eyes: The Modernity of the Sophisticate and the Misfit" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 169-188 (Chapter 7).   Leonard Quart, "Woody Allen's New York," Cineaste, December 1992, Vol. 19 Issue 2/3, 16-19.
April 2, 2012 Urban/Race	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Do The Right Thing/ My Beautiful Launderette	New York/London	Nezar AlSayyad, "An Alternate Modernity: Race, Ethnicity, and the Urban Experience" inCinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real,London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 189-210 (Chapter 8)   Mónica Calvo Pascual, 'My Beautiful Laundrette: Hybrid "Identity", or the Paradox of Conflicting Identifications in "Third Space" Asian-British Cinema of the 1980s', Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies26, 2002, 59-70.
April 9, 2012 Virtual Cities	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	Pleasantville/ Truman Show	Pleasantville (fictional)/Trumania (fictional)	Nezar AlSayyad, "Exurban Postmodernity: Utopia, Simulacra, and Hyperreality" in Cinematic Urbanism. A History of the Modern City from Reel to Real, London: Routledge, 2006 pp. 211- 239 (Chapter 9 + Epilogue).   Henry Jenkins, "Looking at the City in The Matrix Franchise", in Andrew Webber and Emma Wilson (Eds.), Cities in Transition. The Moving Image and the Modern Metropolis, London: Wallflower Press.176-193.
April 16, 2012 Globalization	Presentation/Film Analysis/Discussion   Last "Notes on the Cinematic City" assignment due by noon	The World/ Babel   In-class viewing: Manufactured Landscapes, Jennifer Baichwal, USA, 2007. (excerpts).   Chip Lord, "In Transit", 2011	Beijing/Tokyo	Required reading: Mike Dillon, "Currencies of The World. Neoliberalism, National Cinema", in Dong Hoon Kim (Ed.)Transnationalism and Film Genres in East Asian Cinema, Spectator 29:2 (Fall 2009): 25-36..   Clifford Hilo, "Negotiating Global/Local Identities: Jia Zhang-ke's The World", Mediascape, Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, Spring 2007, Vol. 1, no. 3.   Paul Kerr, "Babel’s network narrative: packaging a globalized art cinema",  Transnational Cinemas, 2010, Vo. 1, No. 1, 37–51   Optional reading:   Yingjin Zhang, "Remapping Beijing: Polylocality, Globalization, Cinema", in Andreas Huyssen (Ed.). Other Cities, Other World: Urban Imaginaries in a Globalizing Age, Duke U Press, 2007.
April, 23 2012	Presentations (1 of 2)
April 30, 2012	Presentations (2 of 2)   Final paper due today at 4 pm.

Special thanks to Federico Windhousen.

COMMENT: "Disoccupazione tecnologica: l'iPhone sta uccidendo la classe media"

Articolo essenziale del New York Times sulle conseguenze inaspettate della tecnologizzazione del lavoro. 

"Modernization has always caused some kinds of jobs to change or disappear. As the American economy transitioned from agriculture to manufacturing and then to other industries, farmers became steelworkers, and then salesmen and middle managers. These shifts have carried many economic benefits, and in general, with each progression, even unskilled workers received better wages and greater chances at upward mobility.

But in the last two decades, something more fundamental has changed, economists say. Midwage jobs started disappearing. Particularly among Americans without college degrees, today’s new jobs are disproportionately in service occupations — at restaurants or call centers, or as hospital attendants or temporary workers — that offer fewer opportunities for reaching the middle class.

Even Mr. Saragoza, with his college degree, was vulnerable to these trends. First, some of Elk Grove’s routine tasks were sent overseas. Mr. Saragoza didn’t mind. Then the robotics that made Apple a futuristic playground allowed executives to replace workers with machines. Some diagnostic engineering went to Singapore. Middle managers who oversaw the plant’s inventory were laid off because, suddenly, a few people with Internet connections were all that were needed." (Charles Duhigg e Keith Bradsher, "How U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work", The New York Times, Jan 21, 2012, enfasi aggiunta)

Il fenomeno si sta estendendo anche alle altre classi sociali. Ne avevamo parlato qui

ONLINE: "Il 2012 videoludico? Calma piatta" [WIRED]

 

Alienware X51, courtesy of Dell

 

"Si prevede un'altra annata di calma piatta per i videogiochi, medium che ha raggiunto un'evidente stasi creativa e tecnologica.

Tradizionalmente, la longevità media delle console  - una longevità artificialmente imposta dai produttori, una forma di obsolescenza pianificata - era un lustro. L'esempio paradigmatico? Sony PlayStation. Introdotta nel 1994 (nel 1995 in Europa e Stati Uniti) è stata seguita da PlayStation2 (2000) e PlayStation 3 (2006). Questo modello industriale è sostanzialmente entrato in crisi. I principali produttori (Sony, Microsoft in primis) hanno infatti deciso di posticipare il lancio delle loro nuove piattaforme per ragioni di natura economica, tecnologica e sociale. Esaminiamole brevemente.

Produrre una nuova console richiede investimenti enormi. Investimenti che, in molti casi, non vengono adeguatamente ammortizzati se non a diversi anni dal lancio. Considerando che le console esistenti (Xbox 360, Wii e PlayStation 3) continuano a vendere relativamente bene (vedi sotto), le tre aziende produttrici hanno scarso interesse ad introdurre nuovo hardware. Solo Nintendo ha annunciato il successore di Wii (2006), U, per la fine del 2012, anche se a tutt'oggi non ha comunicato il prezzo di vendita al pubblico, le specifiche tecniche o i giochi disponibili al lancio. Insomma, non ha rivelato praticamente nulla. A sei mesi di distanza dalla "rivelazione ufficiale" appare chiaro che la mossa non aveva altro scopo se non quello di rassicurare i sempre più preoccupati investitori circa la salute dell'azienda. Da quanto si è visto - o meglio, non visto -  all'E3 losangelino la scorsa estate e al CES di Las Vegas (2012), la piattaforma non rappresenta un passo in avanti significativo rispetto all'attuale generazione sul piano tecnologico e la critica ha accolto con tiepido entusiasmo l'idea di affiancare un tablet alla console domestica. In breve, molti osservatori hanno sollevato diverse perplessità sulla capacità di Wii U di ripetere la sensazionale performance di Wii, per quanto gli stessi osservatori, ai tempi, avevano sottovalutato l'impatto rivoluzionario dei comandi gestuali resi possibili dal WiiMote. In breve: è troppo presto per sbilanciarsi. La grande incognita, tuttavia, riguarda il supporto delle terze parti. Da Nintendo è lecito attendersi nuove versioni dei soliti noti (Mario, Zelda etc.).

Per converso, Sony e Microsoft non nascondono la loro riluttanza ad annunciare nuovo hardware. La strategia di Microsoft prevede da un lato un massiccio investimento nel settore televisivo, con l'obiettivo - perfettamente logico - di trasformare Xbox 360 (2005) in un set-top box intelligente. Anche se i progetti ambiziosi dell'azienda di Redmond sono stati frustrati dai costi proibitivi delle licenze e dalle richieste esose dei network, è lecito prevedere che nel corso del 2012 verranno introdotte sempre nuove "apps" di natura non ludica per Xbox Live: musica, televisione, video e cinema trasformeranno profondamente l'essenza stessa della console. Nel frattempo, Microsoft spinge a tutta forza Kinect, il sensore 3D che ha riscosso un enorme successo commerciale (oltre 18 milioni di pezzi venduti dal lancio) pur non essendo stato accompagnato da un software altrettanto innovativo. Come abbiamo scritto in precedenza, sono stati hackers ed artisti a sfruttare Kinect assai meglio degli sviluppatori di videogame. Da parte sua, Xbox 360 ha raggiunto una base installata mondiale di 66 milioni di unità a livello mondiale. Nell’ultimo trimestre del 2011 sono state vendute 8,4 milioni di console (fonte: Microsoft). E' legittimo attendersi, nel 2012, nuove versioni di Xbox 360 con Kinect integrato e hard-drive più capienti a prezzi sempre più concorrenziali, ma è improbabile che il successore del best-seller Microsoft farà un'apparizione ufficiale.

Sony si trova in una posizione molto delicata. PlayStation 3 sconta, ancora oggi, la mancata adozione del del blu-ray come supporto di registrazione standard. Negli Stati Uniti, dove lo streaming online sta diventando il modello di consumo privilegiato di contenuti audiovisivi - grazie a Netflix, Hulu, Vudu solo per fare alcuni esempi - l'idea stessa del disco compatto è entrata in crisi - (la situazione è diversa in Europa, ma l'Europa, fino a prova contraria, non produce hardware, ma solo software). Oggi, le console domestiche non esistono indipendentemente da un ecosistema digitale inter-connesso e iper-connesso: smartTV, streaming videoludico, modelli di abbonamento e di accesso ai contenuti digitali, smartphone e tablet... sono tutti fattori che determineranno, in un modo o nell'altro, il successo o il fallimento delle piattaforme future. E chi insegue invece di innovare, farà sempre più fatica a competere. Esempio paradigmatico: PlayStation Move. Introdotto in simultanea con Microsoft Kinect, il controller per PS3 che emula le caratteristiche del Motion Plus di Nintendo Wii non ha saputo ottenere - per ammissione della stessa Sony - l'analogo successo dei rivali. E gli investimenti massicci di Sony sul fronte della visualizzazione 3D (televisori e videogame) non sono stati accompagnati dall'interesse dei consumatori. Un problema notevole considerando l'importanza del segmento televisivo per il business Sony. Samsung - che produce pannelli LCD - detiene il primato anche in questo contesto: recentemente l'azienda coreana ha annunciato che acquisterà tutte le quote della società nata da una joint venture con Sony specializzata nella produzione di pannelli LCD. Sony si sgrava di un ennesimo fardello, ma de facto, lascia carta bianca al rivale. I tempi del Trinitron sono lontani. Anche sul fronte del divertimento portatile, Sony si trova in difficoltà. PlayStation Vita - introdotta in Giappone il 17 dicembre scorso - è stata accolta dal disinteresse generale, al punto che diversi rivenditori hanno già ridotto il prezzo al pubblico nel tentativo di stimolare le vendite. Il fatto che Sony abbia mandato a casa gli sviluppatori BigBig (Little Deviants) - prima ancora dell'arrivo nei negozi del loro gioco non depone bene. Se queste sono le premesse... Al di fuori degli appassionati Sony e degli hard-core gamers, Vita non ha grandi possibilità di successo. La stessa Nintendo è stata costretta in fretta e furia a modificare la sua politica di vendita di 3DS per evitare il tracollo delle vendite, ma anche in questo caso, è difficile immaginare che la console riscuoterà il successo del suo predecessore, DS, introdotto in un mondo in cui prodotti come iPhone e iPad non erano ancora stati concepiti. La qualità dei giochi per tablet sta aumentando esponenzialmente (Infinity Bladee Dead Space lo confermano) e costi più accessibili rendono le console portatili appetibili solo a un pubblico di nicchia. Infine, Sony ha inoltre dichiarato ufficialmente che non presenterà il successore di PlayStation 3 al prossimo E3 losangelino. Sorge spontaneo domandarsi se l'azienda nipponica seguirà l'esempio di Sega, abbandonando del tutto il settore dell'hardware per dedicarsi esclusivamente allo sviluppo di sofware, decisamente più remunerativo.

Il problema, oggi, non riguarda tanto la progettazione di una nuova console - intesa come una macchina più veloce e potente di quella precedente. La vera sfida consiste nel definire la natura di una piattaforma dedicata all'intrattenimento elettronico tout court in uno scenario in rapida trasformazione. Uno scenario di convergenza tecnologica in cui i videogame rappresentano solo un aspetto del digital entertainment. Uno scenario in cui i player tradizionali - in questo caso Nintendo, Sony e Microsoft - si trovano a fare i conti con aziende che provengono dai più disparati contesti dell'elettronica di consumo, dell'informatica e del mobile entertainment. Uno scenario in cui la tradizionale distinzione tra "televisione" e "computer" non ha più senso. Anche un aspetto relativamente minore quali la scelta del formato di registrazione (download vs. dischi), per esempio, riveste un'enorme importanza ed ha ripercussioni significative sul breve-medio termine. Quando Apple ha lanciato l'iMac abbandonando il floppy disk, molti hanno gridato allo scandalo. Apple era semplicemente avanti sui tempi. La domanda che ci poniamo: Microsoft avrà il coraggio di abbandonare i dischi compatti e/o formati di registrazioni proprietari (la strategia di Sony) per la sua prossima piattaforma, abbracciando il modello del digital download o dello streaming?

Il declino tecnologico delle console potrebbe favorire l'ingresso in scena di nuovi soggetti. Qualche giorno fa, Alienware (leggi: Dell), ha introdotto X51, un computer pensato per il soggiorno che si collega al televisore ed è pensato principalmente per il gioco e l'intrattenimento. Anche nell'aspetto, questo accattivante PC evoca il design di Xbox 360 e PS3 e viene commercializzato a un prezzo relativamente accessibile (la versione base costa 800 dollari contro i 2000+ dollari dei modelli di fascia alta Aurora). Molti osservatori inoltre prevedono che nel 2012 Apple proporrà un'offerta videoludica legata al vociferato ingresso nel mercato televisivo. Non si prevede tanto una console dedicata quanto un'infrastruttura caratterizzata da tre componenti: hardware-software-network. E' legittimo attendersi, tuttavia, un'offerta pensata per il pubblico mainstream e non hard-core: giochi casual, puzzle o party per famiglie, anziché kolossal modello The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim o violenti sparatutto in soggettiva, genere che Steve Jobs ha sempre odiato (l'ex-CEO di Apple era riuscito a convincere John Carmack a presentare i nuovi progetti di iD Software al MacWorld 2007 senza mostrare nemmeno una goccia di sangue virtuale - impresa mirabile considerando la passione per l'ultraviolenza digitale del nostro). Ergo, Apple rappresenta una minaccia diretta per Nintendo, mentre Microsoft e Sony competono tra loro per accaparrarsi il segmento degli appassionati di videogiochi duri e puri. Non dimentichiamo che la nemesi di 3DS comincia per "i" (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch).

Il mercato videoludico è in fase di stallo economico. Lo conferma il fatto che negli Stati Uniti le vendite di software nel dicembre 2011 hanno fatto segnare una diminuzione del 21% rispetto al 2010. Un calo considerevole, che si accompagna a quella corrispondente dell'hardware, -28% stando ai dati forniti da NPD. Il grande successo di una manciata  di prodotti - per esempio, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision) che ha totallizzato 1 miliardo di dollari in vendite in 2 settimane o Just Dance 3 (Activision) che annovera, tra i suo fans, il presidente Barack Obama e ha venduto, a livello di serie, 25 milioni di copie - non deve far dimenticare che nel 2011 il mercato videoludico americano ha fatto registrare una diminuzione delle vendite dell'8% rispetto al 2010 (a sua volta, annata tutt'altro che entusiasmante). Cifre altrettanto deludenti per il mercato dei videogame nipponico, che nel 2011 ha perso l’8%. La pessima performance è attribuibile al calo delle vendite del software (-14%). Il giro d’affari complessivo è stato pari a 454 miliardi di yen (4,6 miliardi di euro).

Stanno inoltre cambiando le dinamiche di acquisto dei videogame. Premesso che il mercato retail non scomparirà nei prossimi anni, è evidente che la sua rilevanza è destinata a diminuire considerevolmente. De facto, sta già avvenendo. Nelle otto settimane di vendite prenatalizie (che si sono concluse ufficialmente il 7 gennaio), GAME la principale catena specializzata in videogiochi in Inghilterra ha fatto registrare vendite complessive in calo del 14,7% (-17,6% nel Regno Unito). Le cose sono andate leggermente meglio per la catena americana GameStop. Nonostante il lieve calo nelle vendite complessive registrato nelle nove settimane precedenti al 31 dicembre, -0,3% senza contare le nuove aperture (frutto di un calo dell’1,5% a livello internazionale e una crescita dello 0,3% negli Stati Uniti), la catena ha fatto registrare una crescita del 9,9% nelle vendite di software e un incremento del 60% nel business digitale.

I servizi digitali, appunto. Su questo fronte, arrivano notizie molto positive. Si consideri il caso di Steam. Il network di Valve che propone multiplayer gaming e digital delivery ha raddoppiato il proprio fatturato nel 2011. Steam offre circa 18.000 titoli e ha un'utenza di circa 40 milioni di utenti, per un totale di 780 petabyte di dati scaricati a pagamento. Anche Xbox Live vanta 40 milioni di utenti, tra Gold e Silver, a livello mondiale. Steam, Xbox Live e PlayStation Network offrono evidenti vantaggi per i consumatori. Ma la vera killer app consiste nell'accesso ai videogiochi invece dell'acquisto, il che spiega anche il crescente successo di servizi di noleggio di videogame per corrispondenza come GameFly. (Modello che Netflix avrebbe voluto imitare prima di abbandonare frettolosamente l'idea).

Il crescente successo di OnLive - e la sua diversificazione multi-piattaforma (dai tablet agli smartphone, dal pc ai set-top box) - rappresenta un interessante modello alternativo di distribuzione del software ludico attraverso lo streaming online. Il rivale Gaikai ha stipulato un accordo esclusivo con LG, Walmart, YouTube e, recentemente, anche FaceBook. Anche in questo caso, la formula prevede l'accesso ai contenuti rispetto all'acquisto. Un modello - il noleggio - chiaramente preferibile all'accumulo coatto di dischi compatti. Sono in molti a prevedere che il 2012, sarà l'anno di grazia dello streaming videoludico negli Stati Uniti. A questo proposito, non mi stupirei se OnLive o Gaikai venissero acquistati da Google, Microsoft oppure dalla stessa Apple. Da qualche giorno, OnLive è disponibile sulle Google TV di seconda generazione, il che potrebbe lasciare presagire ulteriori mosse dell'azienda di Brin e Page in questa direzione...

Sul fronte dei contenuti, l'offerta videoludica attuale riflette l'analoga penuria di idee che affligge il cinema commerciale americano, dominato da seguiti e remake. Nel caso dei videogiochi, la situazione è ancora più tragica. La produzione attuale consiste in un'overdose di sequel (tutti i titoli "caldi" - o meglio, riscaldati - del 2012, sono seguiti: Grand Theft Auto V, Ninja Gaiden 3, Halo 4, Resident Evil 6, Mass Effect 4, Max Payne 3, Soul Calibur 5, Bioshock Infinite, Dirt, Mario Party 9, Brothers in Arms: Furious 4, Diablo III, LEGO Harry Potter, Ridge Racer, Armored Core V, Final Fantaxy X-III-2, - sigh - solo per citarne qualcuno), remake (versioni "rimasterizzate", si fa per dire, di giochi usciti per precedenti piattaforme: Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Hitman, Mortal Kombat, Tony Hawk che si aggiungono alla marea di remake pubblicati nel 2011), espansioni (vedremo la solita dozzina di pack per The Sims 3 e le edizioni annuali dei titoli sportivi, da FIFA a PES), cross-over (Street Fighter vs. Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3) e "rilanci" (Syndicate, Twisted Metal, SSX, Fifa Street, Kid Icarus). I dance games (Just Dance, Dance Central) e fitness games (Zumba, EA Active Sports) continueranno la loro marcia inarrestabile dopo l'ecatombe dei music games (Rock Band, Guitar Hero e DJ Hero). Le ultime produzioni videoludiche "fuori dagli schemi" sono state Spore, che non ha tuttavia saputo riscuotere il successo auspicato dai suoi sviluppatori, e LittleBigPlanet (sei milioni di livelli creati dai fan a oggi), senza dimenticare il fenomeno indie di Minecraft (20 milioni di utenti registrati a oggi). Ma i progetti nuovi, diversi, stimolanti si contano letteralmente sulle dita di una mano: The Witness, Journey, I Am Alive, Catherine e pochissimi altri. Oggi il panorama videoludico appare in stand-by, in limbo, in stato catatonico. Difficile immaginare il futuro del medium quando "futuro" per i produttori significa semplicemente offrire il sesto episodio dello sparatutto di successo ("Uccidi il terrorista in alta-definizione!") o la quinta iterazione del popolare racing game ("Con le statistiche aggiornate all'ultima stagione!").

Detto altrimenti, il settore videoludico si trova a fare i conti con una fase di stagnazione creativa, prima ancora che economica. Manca il coraggio di sperimentare, creare esperienze differenti, ripensare formule consolidate. Oggi, il termine "innovazione" viene confuso con la mera riproposizione dei medesimi modelli, meccaniche e personaggi, in un delirio meta-referenziale e auto-citazionista che esclude priori il nuovo. Gli scaffali offrono mere variazioni sul tema (e i temi sono sempre quelli). Siamo intrappolati in un lungo presente che recicla continuamente il passato prossimo. Un loop perverso. Non ci sorprende che, negli ultimi tempi, molti game designer leggendari abbiano abbandonato le loro aziende per dedicarsi a nuovi progetti: Will Wright, per esempio. E Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus). Shigeru Miyamoto, icona di Nintendo e condannato a riproporci Mario in tutte le salse, non ha fatto mistero di voler perseguire i suoi progetti personali. Alexandre Amancio, direttore creativo di Assassin's Creed, ha lasciato l'industria dei videogame tout court dopo sette anni con Ubisoft Montreal. A scanso di equivoci, ci tengo a precisare che non esiste una relazione di causa ed effetto tra la longevità delle console e l'assenza di originalità dell'offerta ludica attuale. Ma il persistere di un hardware ormai datato a la crisi economica che spinge i publisher a battere strade battute invece di esplorare nuovi itinerari sta definitivamente esacerbando il problema.

Game over? Ci auguriamo che l'E3 di Los Angeles ci smentisca su tutti i fronti.

Immagine: Alienware X51, courtesy of Dell." (Matteo Bittanti, WIRED)

Leggi l'articolo su WIRED

Mr. Bit

TEACHING: CCA Spring 2012: "Perceptions"

Here's the abridged syllabuys for "Perceptions", one of the two classes I'm teaching at CCA this semester:

 

Perceptions

VISCR-602-01/GELCT-680-02

Visual & Critical Studies Program

California College of the Arts

Spring 2012

Instructor: Matteo Bittanti

Meeting place & time: SF Campus, GCC1 GC1 12:00 - 3 pm

Start Date: January 17 2012

End Date: May 5 2012

 

Office hours: by appointment only

I am available to students for consultations by appointment.

Please contact me by email to arrange an appointment.

 

 

Table of contents

1. Course Description

                1.1 Course Format & Requirements

                1.2 Learning Outcomes

2. Required texts

                2.1 Audiovisual Material

3. Class Discussions

4. Research Project, Mid-term and Final Presentation

               4.1 Mid-term Project & Presentation

                4.2 Final Project & Presentation

5. Evaluation

6. Classroom Conduct & Attendance Guidelines

7. Schedule 

 

1. Course Description

"Perceptions" provides a general understanding of visual and critical studies in relation to histories and theories of visual perception. This course explores a series of key topics in the field of visual and critical studies concerning the relationship between images and media with the aim of developing a critical understanding of these complexities.

As "Perceptions" looks into a number of theories concerning this evolving connection, the main focus of our inquiries will be a cluster of consistently recurring ideas about vision, media, and historical development. Specifically, we will examine different iterations of the premise that vision has a history, including the claim that recognizable "modes of perception" can be periodized or historicized alongside changes in visual technology. Several examples of visual experiences will be discussed, from nineteenth-century optical toys to photography, from cinema to television, from computer-based interaction to data visualization and their relationship to notions of subjectivity, knowledge, power, and politics. Our investigation will be supported by a close critical reading of some of the most compelling theories produced in the past twenty years by bold, original, and innovative scholars such as David Jay Bolter, Anne Friedberg, Vilém Flusser, Richard Grusin, Freidrich Kittler, Lev Manovich, and Slavoj Zizek. 

Students will: a) compare and contrast their narratives, in order to develop a deeper understanding of visual culture; b) use principles of visual and critical studies to analyze works of historical and contemporary visual culture; c) sharpen their research, verbal and written skills through weekly readings and the development of critical papers on topics related to images, media, and perception.

1.1 Course Format & Requirements

Classes will consist of lectures, screenings, in-class discussions, and student presentations. Our approach will be both historical and thematic. Students are expected to read and critically discuss books, essays, articles, and watch audiovisual material (films/documentaries/shorts) both in class and at home. Students are also expected to come to class with several questions in mind  for discussion. Readings, questions, and extras will be posted on the password-protected class blog. Finally, students are required to write - and present to the class - a final paper of 10 pages minimum and a 3-page mid-term paper.

1.2 Learning Outcomes 

In addition to the key goals described in section 1, Perceptions emphasizes the following learning outcomes:

• Methods of Critical Analysis: Students will learn to identify, actively engage with, and carry out exegeses of individual texts, both visual and textual. Students will be consistently required to dissect written texts and oral presentations and to articulate the primary and secondary claims being advanced. When identifying, clarifying, and posing relevant questions about the various types of assertions found in both texts and presentations, students will also incorporate into their analyses a reflexive and self-aware consideration of methodological issues.
  • Written and Verbal Communication: Students will continue to hone their communication skills by presenting their ideas in different types of writing assignments and within class discussions and oral presentations.
  • Visual Literacy: Students will learn how to recognize and decode different media aesthetics, conventions, and languages through an analysis of different kinds of visual artifacts that are derived from, produced using, or merely associated with specific media or machine technologies.
  • Research Skills: Students will hone their skills in information gathering, documentation, investigation, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation
  • Interdisciplinarity: Students will understand various ways in which different media aesthetics intersect with other areas of social, technological, and cultural history.
  • Professional development: Students will learn to write outlines for oral presentations and essays, to introduce students to new texts and to their own ideas in classroom presentations, and to write a long essay that balances their own interests with the course's main subject matter and its key issues.

 

2. Required texts 

We will read the following books from cover to cover:

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005.
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010.
• Vilém Flusser, Into the Universe of Technical Images. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

And selected chapters from the following books:

• Richard Grusin and David Jay Bolter, Remediation: Understanding New Media, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1999.
• Slavoj Zizek, The Plague of Fantasies, London: Verso, 1997. (2nd edition)
• Margot Loverjoy, Christiane Paul and Victoria Vesna, Context Providers: Conditions of Meaning in Media Arts, London: Intellect Books, 2011.

Additional texts:

For their final project, students are required to read and critically + creatively review one of the following novels:

• Don Delillo, Point Omega: A Novel, New York: Scribner, 2009.
• Ewan Morrison, Ménage, London: Jonathan Cape: 2009.
• Michel Houellebecq, The Map and the Territory, Trans. Gavin Bowd. New York: Knopf.

Last but not least, A Writer’s Reference (6^th Edition) by Diana Hacker will be our style guide.

Additional and optional essays/papers/articles/videos will be provided by the instructor on a weekly basis, via the password-protected class blog.

Please note that since the workload is considerable, it is strongly recommended to plan ahead. 

2.1 Audiovisual Material

During the course of the semester, we will watch, both at home and in class, several videos, including:

• The Genius of Photography, BBC, 2009
• The Joy of Stats, BBC, 2010
• Sophia Fiennes, The Perverse Guide to Cinema 1-2-3, 2006

 

3. Class Discussion

Students will be expected to come to class with the reading/viewing done and be ready for discussion. Try to think of class meetings as a resource session in which you can get  your questions answered and at the same time, learn what concerns are driving your colleagues. At some point in the course, students will be asked to lead and moderate in-class conversations. To do it effectively, students will need to be able to summarize the key arguments of a specific reading and suggest how they connect to themes in our ongoing discussion. Students will also need propose key questions for subsequent discussions. Students can prepare a formal presentation or simply use their notes.

 

4. Midterm Project, Final Project, Mid- and Final Presentations

Students will develop two written projects and two oral presentations using principles of visual and critical studies. In order to complete this task successfully, students will be required to undertake rigorous and thorough research of the topic. Specifically, students are expected to:

a) Develop a clear and original thesis.

b) Present the thesis and organize the supporting evidence in a logical manner in the form of a critical essay.

c) Give a clear and persuasive in-class presentation of their research projects to their peers.

 

4.1 The Midterm Project & Presentation: "My Screenscape" (Due March 1, 2012) 

In 1997, artist Alexei Shulgin wrote

“Desktop is the main element of a human – machine interface. Desktop is your window to the digital world. Desktop is your first step into virtual reality. Desktop is a reflection of your individuality. Desktop is your everyday visual environment. Desktop is an extension of your organs. Desktop is the face of your computer. Desktop is your everyday torture and joy. Desktop is your own little masterpiece. Desktop is your castle. Desktop is a seducer. Desktop is a reliever. Desktop is your enemy. Desktop is your friend. Desktop is a psychoanalyst. Desktop is your little helper. Desktop is your link to other people. Desktop is a device for meditation. Desktop is the membrane that mediates transactions between client and server. Desktop is a substitute for so many other things. Desktop is a question. Desktop is the answer.” (Alexei Shulgin, 1997)

Fifteen years later, The Guardian started a new fascinating series titled "Writers' Desktop", in which writers describe their working lives by revealing what is on their computer desktops. So far, contributions from Tom McCarthy, Steven Hall, Julie Myerson, and Louise Doughty have been published.

Taking direct inspiration from these imaginative projects, students are required to write a short essay of 1500 words (Font: Arial, Size: 12, Spacing: 1.5, excluding bibliography and footnotes) about their computer desktop's image specifically and, more in general, about their relationship with their laptop computer, by actively incorporating ideas, themes, and concepts encountered in our readings (especially Friedberg and Kittler's).

Unlike a newspaper article, the Midterm project requires a full bibliography and proper formatting (MLA). Failure to include a bibliography or improper formatting will automatically result in a lower grade.

The Midterm project must be submitted in two ways:

1) as a printed document handed brevi manu to the instructor on 1 March 1 2012;

2) as an electronic file, sent to the instructor via email by March 1 2012.  Most formats are accepted (e.g. .DOC, .RTF) but not .PDF.

In addition to the written essay, students are required to give one oral presentation based on their research. Depending on the number of students enrolled, the duration of the presentation will range from 10 to 15 minutes and will take place on March 1st 2012. Students are strongly encouraged to make full use of audio-visual resources for their presentation (film clips, slide-show of still images, Powerpoint, Prezi, video etc.). Finally, all students are expected to skillfully critique their peers' presentations. The oral/visual presentation will be evaluated on the basis of the students' ability to look critically and express her or his own ideas in oral and visual form. The assessment guide will be available on the class' blog.

4.2 Final Project: "Novel/Art"

Students are required to write an essay of 3500-4000 words (Font: Arial, Size: 12, Spacing: 1.5, excluding bibliography and footnotes).

The paper is designed to help you reflect, analyze, and discuss core themes and ideas encountered in PERCEPTIONS, practice dealing with primary and secondary materials, and develop a background in the area that will allow you to pursue more in-depth research projects in the future, e.g. a thesis or a dissertation.

The final project will consist in a "critical/creative review" of one of the following novels: Don Delillo's Point Omega, Ewan Morrison's Ménage or Michel Huellebecq's The Map and the Territory (see 3.1. for details).

What is meant by " critical/creative review"?

Students are expected to make connections between the ideas, theories, and concepts encountered in the class and the novels. Students should attempt to decipher the novel's themes by applying the theoretical tools discussed during the semester (e.g. What role does cartography play in Huellebecq's novel? What is the significance of Douglas Gordon's artwork, "24 Hour Psycho" in Delillo's book? What is the function of the art critic in Morrison's Ménage?).

In other words, to qualify as "critical/creative", students are expected to go beyond the simple description/summary of the novel. Instead, they will provide an interpretation based on ideas discussed by Kittler, Friedberg, Zizek, Grusin, Bolter, and Flusser. Specifically, students will compare-and-contrasts the scholars' theories on media and art, vision and perception by using, as a case study, the novel.    

Students may address one or more of these research questions or objectives:

- How do the visual elements described in the novel(s) relate to the ideas encountered in the readings? Which specific idea can be used to better understand the role, function, and effect of the literary use of artworks that range from painting to photography, from installation art to video art?

- What is the role played by visual artifacts in the novel of your choice? What is their significance and relevance within the context of the story? As the artworks described are in metonymical relationship with the Artworld, what conclusion can we draw about the function of Art as a whole in the fictional reality crafted by the writer? And does that affect "our" own understanding of the Artworld as a social and cultural space?

- What kind of language does the novelist use to describe the nature and function of images in the story? If you were to identify a framework, which one(s) would you pick (e.g. Friedberg's, Kittler's, Flusser's, etc.). Why? Are the theoretical frameworks applied in one source more useful in answering your question(s) than those adopted in another? Are there any gaps in the form of relevant questions that do not appear to have been tackled by the authors you read? Can the novel help us explain possible contradictions and inconsistencies, both within single pieces of work, and as a result of making comparisons between the work of different scholars?

In short, students are expected to display the ability to:

• make non trivial connections between theory and practice;
• recognize un-stated and invalid assumptions in arguments;
• distinguish facts from opinions;
• distinguish an argument’s conclusions from the statements that support it;
• recognize what kind of evidence is relevant and essential for the validation of an argument;
• recognize how much evidence is needed to support a conclusion;
• distinguish between relevant and irrelevant statements and evidence;
• identify logical fallacies.

It is essential to discuss your ideas with the instructor before developing a full proposal.

It is also a very good idea to look ahead in the syllabus and get started early.

The final paper is worth 35% of your final grade (55%, including the presentation).

It is due the last day of class: April 26 2012 at noon.

The final paper must be submitted in two ways:

1) as a printed document - yes, on good old fashioned paper! - handed brevi manu to the instructor on April 26 2012 and as

2) an electronic file, sent to the instructor via email by April 26 2012.

Most formats are accepted (e.g. .DOC, .RTF) but not .PDF.

Students can include up to six images in your final paper, but only if properly credited and used to make a point. The use of images for mere decorative purposes is highly discouraged.

The paper will be evaluated on the basis of the students' ability to look critically and express her or his own ideas in the form of expository writing. The assessment guide is provided below.

In addition to the written essay, students are required to give one oral presentation based on their research. Depending on the number of students enrolled, the duration of the presentation will range from 15 to 25 minutes and will take place on the last two classes of the semester. Students are strongly encouraged to make full use of audio-visual resources for their presentation (film clips, slide-show of still images, Powerpoint, Prezi, video etc. - see blog for more info). Finally, all students are expected to skillfully critique their peers' presentations. The oral/visual presentation will be evaluated on the basis of the students' ability to look critically and express her or his own ideas in oral and visual form. The assessment guide will be available on the class' blog.

 

5. Evaluation

Final grades will be determined as follows:

• Attendance, participation - both in class and online: 20%
• Midterm project and presentation: 25%
• Final presentation: 20%
• Final paper: 35%

One of the primary goals of this class is to help the students develop a critical eye. This class presents elements of both seminar and lecture courses. As such, students will be asked to provide relevant input, during discussions and in-class critiques. 

Each student will be evaluated on the basis of the Visual and Critical Studies Assessment Grid (available on ythe class blog).

Each area of assessment corresponds to the following numeric evaluation:

1      insufficient

2      developing skills

3      proficient skills

4      exceptional skills

 

6. Classroom Conduct & Attendance Guidelines

1) Promptness is a basic requirement. Repeated lateness lowers your class participation grade considerably.

2) The use electronic devices, gadgets, and gizmos - including smart phones - during class is not permitted. Note-taking on a laptop is not allowed. Please wait for the break to make phone calls or use the internet. Computers may only be used for in-class presentations. In class texting will automatically result in a lower grade.

3) Sleeping, chatting in the back of the room, reading external materials, working on external projects during the class session - any of these behaviors can result in immediate ejection from the class and in lower grades.

4) If more than one class is missed due to illness, students must submit written verification from a physician and notify professor via e-mail or in writing. Written medical documents must be submitted within two weeks of an absence. Any student with more than two unexcused absences during the semester will find that each additional absence, after the second, lowers his or her class participation grade by one full letter. In other words, the third unexcused absence would lower a B to a C; the fourth would result in an F.

5) Students are not allowed to eat during class.

6) There are no make-up presentations or assignments.

7) Students who miss a class must collect the material discussed in class. In most cases, such material will be available on the class blog. At any rate, always make sure to contact the instructor email about the availability of such materials.

Thank you for your cooperation!

 

7. Schedule

Please note that the schedule is subject to change

WEEK 1: January 19, 2012

Introduction to the course

WEEK 2: January 26, 2012

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005. "The Window", pp. 25-58.  
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010. "Preface", "Theoretical Presuppositions" and "Technologies of the Fine Arts", pp. 19-70.

WEEK 3: February 2, 2012

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005. "The Frame", pp. 59-100.
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010. "Technologies of the Fine Arts", pp. 70-118. 

WEEK 4: February 9, 2012

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005. "The Age of Windows", pp. 100-148.
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010. "Optical Media", pp. 118-145. 

In class screening: The Genius of Photography, BBC, 2009 (part 1).

WEEK 5: February 16, 2012

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005. "The Screen", pp. 149-190.
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010. "Optical Media", pp. 145 - 207. 

WEEK 6: February 23, 2012

• Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2005. "The Multiple", pp. 191-249.
• Friedrich Kittler, Optical Media, New York: Polity, 2010. "Optical Media", pp. 207 - 230.

WEEK 7: March 1, 2012

Midterm due - students presentations.

WEEK 8: March 8, 2012

• Vilém Flusser, Into the Universe of Technical Images (Electronic Mediations). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

WEEK 9: March 15, 2012

• Richard Grusin and David Jay Bolter, Remediation: Understanding New Media, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1999. pp. 2-88.  

WEEK 10: March 22, 2012

Spring Break - no class.

WEEK 11: March 29, 2012

•  Richard Grusin and David Jay Bolter, Remediation: Understanding New Media, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1999. pp. 88-220. [March 15 2012]

WEEK 12: April 5, 2012

•  Slavoj Zizek, "Cyberspace, or The Unbearable Closure of Being," and "Appendix I. From Sublime to the Ridiculous. The Sexual Act in Cinema," in The Plague of Fantasies, London: Verso, 1997. Pp. 161-245.

Screening: Sophia Fiennes, The Perverse Guide to Cinema 1-2-3, 2006.

WEEK 13: April 12, 2012

• Kevin Kelly, "Becoming Screen Literate", The New York Times, November 23, 2008.  
• Lev Manovich, "What is Visualization?", 2010. manovich.net.
• Will Brooker, "Now You're Thinking With Portals: Media Training for a Digital World",International Journal of Cultural Studies, 2010, 13: 553 - 573.
• Warren Sack, "Aesthetics of Information Visualization", in Margot Loverjoy, Christiane Paul and Victoria Vesna, Context Providers: Conditions of Meaning in Media Arts, London: Intellect Books, 2011, pp. 123-151.

Screening: BBC, The Joy of Stats, 2010 (excerpts).

WEEK 14: April 19, 2012

Final presentations 1 of 2.

WEEK 15, April 26, 2012

Final presentations 2 of 2.  

Final Project paper due at 4 pm.

 

ONLINE: "Portlandia è un monito" [WIRED]

"Portland, Oregon è un luogo fuori dal tempo, out of a joint, direbbe Philip K. Dick. Un luogo dove i giovani vanno in pensione, dove gli hipsters rappresentano la maggioranza della popolazione, dove l'inchiostro dei tatuaggi non si secca mai, dove la gente si reinventa come clown e si unisce a un burlesque. Come cantano Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live, Yo! Gabba Gabba) e Carrie Brownstein (ex-grrrl di Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag), "Il sogno degli anni novanta è vivo e vegeto a Portland".

Giunta alla seconda stagione e prodotta da IFC (Independent Film Channel, il cui motto è "always on, slightly off"), Portlandia non è una semplice serie televisiva. Piuttosto, è un manifesto retronostalgico, una celebrazione del passato recente, l'ipostatizzazione di un non-luogo - un universo parallelo, tipo Bizarro World seinfeldiano - in cui "dormire fino alle undici del mattino è normale", dove far carriera significa lavorare in una fattoria organica o nel cafè all'angolo della strada (ma solo per due giorni alla settimana) oppure essere disoccupati a tempo pieno. A Portland "le camicie di flanella sono cool" e "mangiare fuori" vuol dire sfamarsi con i rifiuti. La Portland di Armisen e Brownstein sussume i caratteri surreali di città come San Francisco e Seattle, senza dimenticare Berkeley, la cui filosofia uber-conservatrice che si cela dietro a una facciata libertaria viene sistematicamente sbeffeggiata.

Sul piano narrativo, Portlandia è frammentato e schizofrenico come gli utenti di Twitter, che schizzano da un tema all'altro senza alcuna soluzione di continuità. Guarda qui! Guarda li! Leggi qui! Retwitta questo! Retwitta quello! Cresciuti in un ambiente mediale che prevede tempi di attenzione inferiori ai due minuti, i fans di Portlandia non possono che apprezzare le briciole di genialità concepite per un medium come YouTube che trasudano in ogni situazione messa in scena dal brillante duo. Portlandia ricorda le cose migliori di Christopher Guest, capolavori come Waiting for Guffman. Relitto urbano della scena "alternativa" - dalla filosofia slacker al culto della caffeina gourmet - Portland ha elevato la diversità e la tolleranza a livelli trans-umani. I nuovi mostri sono i fanatici della bicicletta modello Critical Mass ("Caaars, man... Why?!?") che si considerano padroni della strada e in questo senso non sono ontologicamente differenti dagli stronzi alla guida degli SUV tanto detestati da Greenberg. I nuovi mostri sono gli ossessionati dal cibo biologico, che qui negli Stati Uniti chiamiamo "organic". Un nuovo culto che ha come cattedrali i supermercati per straricchi Whole Foods. I nuovi mostri sono i fanatici del DIY, della cultura fai-da-te, celebrata come valida alternativa al capitalismo di massa quando in realtà presenta tutti i vizi del consumismo industriale. Del cosplay a tutti i costi. Del sesso politically correct. Del culto dell'informazione. Dell'idea che per creare un'opera arte basta capovolgere un quadro oppure appiccicare l'immagine di un piccione a una tazza del caffé (cfr. Art School Confidential di Daniel Clowes). I veri mostri sono le bellicose Candice e Toni, che gestiscono la libreria femminista Women and Women First e che si rifiutano di separarsi dei libri che vendono o di consentire al povero Steve Buscemi di servirsi della toilette ("Come osi portare la tua arroganza fallocratica nel nostro tempio?"). I veri mostri sono i fanatici del multitasking che slittanodall'iPod all'iPhone a Facebook a Netflix per sentirsi vivi.

I veri mostri sono quelli che vendono telefoni cellulari. I veri mostri sono quelli che vogliono essere originali e diversi da tutti gli altri, dove l'originalità è concepita come "personalizzazione del template" di Facebook. I veri mostri sono quelli che ascoltano solo musica "alternativa", vestono "vintage", si dichiarano fan dei Pearl Jam nel 2012 e fanno la spesa esclusivamente nei mercatini e altre aberrazioni del genere. Portlandia non è una sitcom, ma una serie di ritratti. Sketch. Situazioni. Momenti. Mementi. Ah, il sindaco di Portlandia è Kyle MacLachlan, ex Twin Peaks, che non ha altro obiettivo nella vita se non superare l'odiata Seattle (il vero sindaco, Sam Adams, interpreta il ruolo del suo assistente).

Ho detto tutto.

Il grande paradosso di Portlandia è che dietro all'apparente idiozia delle situazioni messe in scena, si cela un umorismo particolarmente sofisticato, che presuppone un pubblico in grado di cogliere il genio dietro alla scelta di usare Aimee Mann come cameriera nella prima serie. O delle consequenze sociali e psicologiche delle malsane maratone di DVD su Netflix - quanti hanno perso il posto di lavoro per colpa di Battlestar Galactica? Ma la parodia del geek, dell'eco-terrorista, dell'allergico oltranzista e dei salutisti integralisti funziona solo nel momento in cui gli spettatori sono a conoscenza delle contraddizioni demenziali dei lifestyle delle summenzionate sottoculture ("Niente glutine, per me"). In altre parole, Portlandia si rivolge a un pubblico di nicchia, che apprezza cose fuori dagli schermi tipo Rubicon o Men of a Certain Age (che, non a caso, sono state cancellate dopo una o due stagioni - troppo sottili per lo spettatore medio che si ingozza di roba tipo CSI, X-Factor, 30 Rock e altre puttanate simili). In altre parole, seguitela ora, prima che scompaia dagli schermi. Perché Portlandia è la migliore serie dell'era post-televisiva - la televisione è finita da almeno un lustro, quella che ci ostiniamo a chiamare televisione è, in realtà, un mero monitor. In questo senso, Portlandia è un monito.

Anzi, il monito." (Matteo Bittanti, WIRED)

Leggi l'articolo su WIRED

Mr. Bit

ONLINE: "Mens sana in corpore sano: on running and reading" [WIRED]

"I have a confession to make. Actually, two: I love running. I love reading. And since I believe in the cult of multitasking, combining these two passions is mandatory. The end result is not speed-reading, a practice that Marshall McLuhan envisioned as the de facto standard of consuming information in the "Electric Age". No, what I am really talking about can be described as listening-on-the-move. This is why jogging and audio books are a match made in heaven.

 Audio books have been around for many decades, but their mainstream success is relatively recent. Their first appearance can be traced back to the 1930s, when the United States' Congress established a program called "Books for the Adult Blind Project", which was intended to help visually impaired adults who had difficulties in reading written text. The American Foundation for the Blind produced a series of "oral versions" of the most popular books on vinyl, and, as new formats were introduced, on audiotapes and compact discs. One of the key figures in the development of the new format - more on the marketing rather than technological side - is Duvall Hecht, who received his Master's degree in Journalism from Stanford University. Interestingly, Hecht was also a professional rower and winner of an Olympic gold medal - if you need a further proof that sport and literacy are deeply connected, there you go. In 1975, Hecht created Books on Tape, a direct-to-consumer mail order rental service for unabridged audio books, which achieved an unparallel level of popularity in the US (The company was later acquired by Random House).

The timing could have not been better. The rising success of the audio book coincided with the launch of Sony Walkman (1979), the most popular portable music device until the iPod made its appearance (i.e. 2001). Interestingly, when Sony, Philips, and other companies introduced the audio compact disc in the mid 1980s, the audio book did not experience a similar boost, mainly because unlike an audiotape, the digital format was not equipped with the now ordinary "bookmark" function. With a tape, stopping-and-resuming was as easy as pressing a single button. Portable CD players, on the other hand, did not retain the playing position of the compact disc when turned off, forcing the listener to start over or, worse, to fiddle with the controls to find the right spot. Moreover, it was not until cassette players were replaced by CD players in most cars that this format eventually took hold.

The audio book renaissance can be directly linked to the explosion of MP3 players (especially the iPod) and smart phones, which have now become ubiquitous. But the real game changer is Audible, an Internet provider of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming. Audible sells digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers. Founded by Don Katz in 1997 and acquired by Amazon in 2008, Audible offers an appealing subscription plan that includes "free" monthly credits for the purchasing of new titles. In addition to its ever-expanding catalog, it is complemented by a powerful recommendation engine that provides relevant suggestions. In short, Audible is to audio books what iTunes is for music and podcasts. Alas, the gamification imperative has not left Audible intact. The inevitable iPhone App transforms the reading, pardon, listening practice into a game, a challenge, a competition, awarding the "player" a series of badges and trophies. The app also visualizes the users' literary consumption with the aid of diagrams and charts, raking the player from "Newbie" to "Master".

In his brilliant essay "Wired for Sound", published on The New York Times in November 2011, John Schwartz mentions that audio books are somehow stigmatized by the literary community and considered "inferior" to their printed counterpart - in fact, until the mid 1980s, a significant number of writers refused to have their books adapted into audio form. For all that matters, I regard the format as culturally relevant as its paper-based predecessor. After all, books, audio books, and ebooks are three different beasts: As the Canadian theorist reminds us, the medium is the message. Each format delivers the "same" content in considerably different ways. Investigating the cognitive effects of each medium seems to me much more interesting than establishing some form of cultural hierarchy.

On a phenomenological level, there's something magical in hearing a story instead of reading it. Especially if that story is told by Paul Auster himself. In the case of Sunset Park, for instance, Author and Narrator, Writer and Orator overlap. I don't need to make up the narrator's voice in my head, because Paul Auster is talking to me. In his own voice. Listening to an audio book has subtle nostalgic implications: the iPod is really a time travel machine. I am automatically transported back to my infancy, when my parents read me stories at bedtime. These days, however, I find myself craving a peripatetic rather than sedentary listening pratice. Thanks to audio books, I have synchronized my fitness and cognitive activities, to the point where they have become indistinguishable. In other words, I run to listen. I listen to run. Being disciple of personal tracking, I love the fact that my reading/running activities can be easily quantified: the average length of a nonfiction audio book is 7-8 hours. Since my workouts consist mostly of 7-8 miles and since each workout last approximately one hour, I can finish an audio book in approximately a week, or three per month.

Moreover, I have discovered a peculiar relationship between speed and memory, retention and attention. When I find myself listening to a particularly interesting passage, my pace automatically increases. I run faster. This has two obvious advantages: a) I end up burning more calories and b) I run further. There is more: my mnemonic retention is higher with audio books. In other words: I remember better when I "read" with my ears. The acoustic beats the visual. Apparently, I'm not the only one: Schwartz shared a similar anecdote in his piece. Albeit my personal experience cannot be generalized, my "findings" clash with Kundera's claims that speed is an antagonist of memory. Consider these often quoted passages:

“The degree of slowness is directionally proportional to the intensity of memory. The degree of speed is directionally proportional to the intensity of forgetting.” (Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting)

“There is a secret bond between slowness and memory, between speed and forgetting. A man is walking down the street. At a certain moment, he tries to recall something, but the recollection escapes him. Automatically, he slows down.  Meanwhile, a person who wants to forget a disagreeable incident he has just lived through starts unconsciously to speed up his pace, as if he were trying to distance himeself from a thing still too close to him in time.  The degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of memory; the degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity of forgetting” (Milan Kundera, Slowness)

As I mentioned earlier, my personal experience differs significantly from Kundera's. My axiom reads more like this: "The degree of slowness is inversely proportional to the intensity of memory; the degree of speed is inversely proportional to the intensity of oblivion". There's more: if I want to remember the passage of a book I have listened during a workout, I have discovered that I can recall it more effectively if I stand up, walk or run. When I am out for a jog, the voice, tone, cadence of the narrator become somehow imprinted in my mind and in my body, along with the content. This kinesthetic, physiological experience fascinates me. Such phenomenon is both kinetic and cybernetic: I become a running machine, a self-organizing system composed of three elements: a body, my iPod - and mp3 player which also tracks calories, speed, duration of the workout thanks to the Nike+ sensor and software - and a ghost, that is, the narrator of the audio book, whose disembodied voice soothes my eardrums and stimulates my mind. Combined, these three factors create the ecstasy of speed. As Kundera wrote:

"Speed is the form of ecstasy the technical revolution has bestowed on man. As opposed to a motorcyclist, the runner is always present in his body, forever required to think about his blisters, his exhaustion; when he runs he feels his weight, his age, more conscious than ever of himself and of his time of life. This all changes when man delegates the faculty of speed to a machine: from then on, his own body is outside the process, and he gives over to a speed that is noncorporeal, nonmaterial, pure speed, speed itself, ecstasy speed." (Milan Kundera, Slowness)

Listening to an audio book is the closest experience to the mind-expanding, neural downloads described by science-fiction witers, something that Gibson's Johnny Mnemonic or the protagonist of Limitless are familiar with. Kundera is right: speed is indeed "the form of ecstasy the technical revolution has bestowed on man". And ecstasy is euphoria's cousin. This phenomenon has been perfectly captured by Haruki Murakami in his masterpiece What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (narrated by Ray Porter), a fascinating examination of two not-so-different practices and art forms: writing and running. Murakami is hooked on running. He used to run six miles a day and a couple of marathons per year. For him, running has existential implications. Consider these two passages:

“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they'll go to any length to live longer. But don't think that's the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you're going to while away the years, it's far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive then in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole. I believe many runners would agree” (Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running)

"For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level. I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.” (Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running)

Interestingly, several reviewers, including the perpetually fastidious Geoff Dyer, have dismissed Murakami's confessions as a badly crafted vanity project. I take Dyer never leaves his couch. Murakami's memoir is my all time favorite audio book. Above all, I love its self-referential nature. As I run, I listen to a writer's experiences about running and writing, and here I am, now, writing about an audio book mainly concerned about the intricacies of running. Can it possibly get any more meta?

A curious side effect of running while listening to audio books is that occasionally, I find myself briefly closing my eyes as I try to visualize some of the concepts described by the narrator. I imagine the shape of paragraphs, the indented quotes, the images described, the size of the fonts... Sometimes, the relatively low "attention density" (Linda Stone) of an audio book takes over: the cognitive overwhelms the physical. Obviously, running at a faster pace than normal with eyes closed is a recipe for distaster. This peculiar "blind race" evokes that uncanny scene in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intacto (2001), where the protagonist, Tomas, and a few others run blindfolded, at full speed, through a forest; the winner, the luckiest, is the one who doesn't collide with a tree. Now, kids, don't try this at home!

 

 

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Intacto, still, 2011

My favorite audiobook of 2011 is Jonathan Lethem's The Ecstasy of Influence. Nonfictions Etc.. A collection of essays and short pieces, The Ecstasy of Influence is as brilliant as Lethem's previous anthology, The Disappointment Artist (full disclosure: I prefer Lethem-the-nonfiction-writer to Lethem-the-novelist, with the possible exception of As She Climbed Across The Table). In his new collection, Lethem discusses a variety of topics ranging from the effects of digital culture on society to his relationship to Bret Easton Ellis ("Bret and I had one more odd fate to share. I’d gotten to know him again in Manhattan in the ’90s. Our friendship, though ostensibly between two working novelists, seemed less to overwrite our college acquaintance than to extend it against a new backdrop of ersatz grownups"), from his admiration for Philip K. Dick, Italo Calvino, and J.G. Ballard - whose deaths are always taken as "personal affronts" by Lethem - to the countless paradoxes of Postmodernism ("The reason postmodernism doesn’t die is that postmodernism isn’t the figure in the black hat standing out in the street squaring off against the earnest and law-abiding “realist” novel against which it is being opposed. Postmodernism is the street. Postmodernism is the town").

When I listen to Lethem, I feel like he's running next to me. We're are like old pals going for our weekly workout in Golden Gate Park. Lethem lived in Berkeley, California for many years, making such eventuality not that implausible... Actually, no. Let me amend that. Lethem is not running next to me. He is inside my head. In a kaufmanesque sense. Think Being John Malkovich. But as I listened to The Ecstasy of Influence, I experienced a sense of cognitive dissonance, a form of aural schizophrenia. Lethem narrates only a segment of the book. When the second narrator, Mark Dickens, takes over, I felt shocked, almost betrayed. I had become so familiar with Lethem's voice that when the switch occurred I felt like a character in a Philip K. Dick's novel, suddenly realizing that my reality was nothing more than a simulation. Lethem's alter ego, Dickens, sounds great, but he is not Lethem, if you know what I mean. He sounds like Lethem, he reads Lethem's essays, but he is not Lethem... Invasion of the Voice Snatchers? This episode reminds me of those psychological experiments described under the umbrella term of "change blindness", a phenomenon in visual perception in which very large changes occurring in full view in a visual scene are not noticed. I have always doubted the veracity of such experiments - how on earth is it possible that a subject does not notice the obvious change? An example is described by J. Kevin O'Regan here:

"In a typical scenario described by Simons & Levin [1998], the experimenter stops a person in the street and asks for directions. While the person is speaking to the experimenter, workers carrying a door pass between the experimenter and the person, and an accomplice takes the place of the experimenter. The person usually goes on giving directions after the interruption, and very often does not notice that the experimenter has been replaced by the accomplice."

I can guarantee you that I felt the switch immediately and felt slightly cheated. After all, the aural is more powerful than the visual.

By the way, audio books to me are the perfect example of Walter Ong's "Secondary orality". In his most celebrated work, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (1982), Ong describes secondary orality as “Essentially a more deliberate and self-conscious orality, based permanently on the use of writing and print” (p. 136). It is the kind of orality that is fully dependent on literate culture and the existence of written texts. Another example of second orality is a television anchor reading the news or radio. While it exists in sound, it does not have the features of primary orality because it presumes and rests upon literate thought and expression. Moreover, secondary orality is the quintessential phenomenon of a post-literacy era, our era, dominated by digital technologies that have forever changed the meaning and function of the written word.

Ong regards orality as more relevant than writing, as the former implies a social, communal bond that is completely absent in the latter. When listening to spoken words, one becomes part of a group, while reading a written text - as a practice - is mostly individualized. Reading happens in isolation. Audio books, on the other hand, simulate a conversation, although they are really monologues: a narrator reads, or rather, vivifies, a text with her or his own voice and the listener feels directly interpellated, engaged, included. I use the word "simulation" because the listener cannot ask questions. His abilities are limited: like a reader of a printed book, she or he can only stop, skip, or rewind. It is more like listening to a voice mail than having a "real" telephone conversation. It is a simulacrum of a feedback loop. And yet, when I listen to an audio book I feel like the author is talking to me, right now, right here, in her/his own voice. It is a powerful experience, an experience of immanence and transcendence that no written book can replicate. The distance between the sounds and the ideas are somehow shortened. It is as if I am directly connected to the ideas themselves, rather than dealing with the symbolic realm of language. It is as if raw data, rather than uttered words are inundating my synapses rather than emanating from my white headphones.

More importantly, as I run and listen, I finally understand the true meaning of the Latin motto: mens sana in corpore sano.

[A previous version of this article was published in Italian in July 2011]" (Matteo Bittanti, WIRED)

Read the article on WIRED

Mr. Bit

PRINTED MATTER: "Tanya Vlach, bionic woman" [WIRED UK]

"Tanya Marie Vlach looks at Wired across the table. "My dream," she says, "is to become a cyborg, an enhanced human being." In the summer of 2005, the artist, ballerina and producer, now 38, was driving her Jeep towards Burning Man in the Nevada Desert when the brakes failed, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed." (Matteo Bittanti, WIRED UK)

Read the full story @ WIRED UK

Previously

ONLINE: "Kickstarter: un 2011 trionfale" [WIRED]

Immagine: Zombies, Run!, courtesy di Kickstarter

"Fondato nel 2009 da Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler e Charles Adler, Kickstarter, il geniale sito di crowdfunding ha ridefinito la logica dei finanziamenti, convincendo gli scettici e smentendo tutte le cassandre. Le statistiche riassuntive del 2011, pubblicate sul blog ufficiale, parlano da sole: quasi 100 milioni di dollari di investimento, percentuali di successo che si approssimano al 50%, mille progetti vincenti al mese.

Il 2011 in cifre:

• Progetti lanciati: 27,086
• Progetti coronati dal successo: 11,836
• Donazioni: $99,344,382
• Premi selezionati: 1,150,461
• Visitatori totali: 30,590,342
• Percentuale di successo: 46%

Le statistiche del 2010:

• Progetti lanciati: 11,130
• Progetti coronati dal successo: 3,910
• Donazioni: $27,638,318
• Premi selezionati: 322,526
• Visitatori totali: 8,294,183
• Percentuale di successo: 43%

Anche nel 2011, i progetti di natura cinematografica hanno spopolato, raggiungendo investimenti pari a $32 milioni, seguiti a una certa distanza da iniziative di natura musicale ($19 milioni). Aumentano vertiginosamente i progetti legati al design (1060 nel 2011 vs. 235 nel 2010). In fortissima crescita anche i videogiochi, come avevamo sottolineato qualche mese fa: la percentuale è aumentata del 730% (!). Si tratta di un segnale importante: mentre l'industria "ufficiale" arranca e affoga nello stagno dei sequel/prequel/remake, la scena indie sforna idee originali a ritmi travolgenti e senza budget multi-milionari. Sorprendentemente, i progetti coronati dal più alto tasso di successo sono legati alla danza: il 74% delle proposte hanno raggiunto l'agognato "via libera". Ciascuna delle tredici categorie considerate da Kickstarter - Arte, Fumetti, Musica, Videogiochi, Fotografia, Design, Moda, Film & Video, Cibo, Teatro, Tecnologia, Editoria - ha ricevuto almeno un milione di dollari di investimento negli ultimi dodici mesi.

Tra i progetti superstar spicca Elevation Dock, un dock per iPhone che ha raccolto $165,910 in sole 24 ore (!) e che ha infine totalizzato $570,000 (ne bastavano "solo" $75,000 per entrare in produzione). Spopolano i progetti basati sulla filosofia del DIY lo-fi di Arduino. Tra i tanti, spicca il geniale hack di Gameduino, un minuscolo construction kit per game designer dalle grande ambizioni. Tra i premi più gettonati del 2011 spiccano l'elegante stylus per tablet Cosmonaut (prezzo variabile, 5,623 sostenitori) e i chicchi di caffè "raffreddanti" Coffee Joulies ($40, 4,246 sostenitori). Meritano una citazione anche la Capture Camera Clip ($50, 3,372 sostenitori), la penna minimalista Pen Type-A ($50, 2,930), il pennino per schermi portatili Jot ($25, 2,556 sostenitori) e lo stand per tablet e e-reader PadPivot ($25, 2,515 sostenitori). Il videogame per piattaforme mobile Zombies, Run! ($10, 2,620 backers) ha riscosso un enorme successo. Il mio progetto preferito? Glitch. Una promettente sit-com per geeks che trasforma i malfunzionamenti e i bug dei videogame in pura commedia. Quasi uno spin-off di Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! Per quanto minima, questa selezione attesta la creatività degli sviluppatori indipendenti, il cui genio non ha nulla da invidiare a quello degli strapagati designer di Apple, Bang & Olufsen o Braun. Un discorso analogo vale per le produzioni televisive o cinematografiche. Alcuni dei migliori documentari del 2011 sono stati prodotti grazie a questo fantastico strumento. Kickstarter sta diventando l'Etsy degliindustrial designer indie, l'incubatore dei filmmaker del kitchen sink 2.o. Si moltiplicano, inoltre, i progetti di natura civica, che conciliano la scienza all'ambiente, la tecnologia all'ecologia. Prendiamo Detroit, il simbolo del fallimento del sogno americano - inteso come celebrazione dell'automobile, della suburbia e del centro commerciale... Kickstarter racconta un'altra storia. Anzi, cento storie: arte, natura, commercio. Detroit vive, anzi, ri-vive. Grazie all'ingegno dei suoi abitanti e alle tasche della rete.

La chiave del successo dei progetti vincenti? I video esplicativi. Le immagini in movimento valgono più di centomila parole. Quasi l'80% dei progetti lanciati nel 2011 sono stati accompagnati da un video rispetto al 69% del 2010 e al 53% del 2009. Una lezione applicata alla perfezione dalla "Donna Bionica" Tanya Vlach, che ha coronato il suo sogno di diventare cyborg grazie a un brillante campagna di finanziamento culminata con una presentazione a TEDx San Francisco la scorsa estate. E qui potete vedere una selezione dei migliori video del 2011, tra cui spicca il geniale Girl Walk, uber-video clip tratto dall'ultimo album di Girl Talk. Insomma, Kickstarter ha trasformato la raccolta di fondi in una sofisticata forma di storytelling, una narrazione multimediale, coinvolgente tanto quanto quella delle patinate produzioni televisive. Kickstarter combina il pathos delle migliori storie all'adrenalina delle aste online di eBay. Per un'intera generazione di inventori, designer ed artisti, la suspense e la frenesia del countdown finale rappresentano una delle esperienze più elettrizzanti della rete.

Tutto quello c'è da sapere sulla performance di Kickstarter nel 2011 si trova a un click di distanza." (Matteo BIttanti, WIRED)

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Mr. Bit

PRINTED MATTER: "New Age Videogame: La fine del mondo è vicina" [ROLLING STONE]

Pubblicato su Rolling Stone di gennaio 2012

 

"Ti ordino di rilassarti. Adesso.

Io mi rilasso con i videogiochi. I videogiochi rilassanti, hai presente? No, non è un ossimoro. Dopo la fitness simulata, tocca al wellness. Infatti, il wellness è diventato interattivo perché viviamo nell'era digitale e del web 2.0. Deepak Chopra Leela massaggia il corpo e lo spirito, almeno così promette lo sviluppatore, quel volpone di Eric Zimmerman per conto di THQ e di Deepak stesso, campione mondiale della filosofia New Age. THQ pubblica giochi di wrestling iperviolenti come Ultimate Fighting Championship e WWE Smackdown vs. Raw ma io preferisco di gran lunga Deepak Chopra Leela. Non c'è niente di meglio di un sano relax videoludico dopo aver aver saccagnato virtualmente il mio migliore amico. Dovevate vederlo! Una maschera di sangue.

Deepak Chopra Leela è un esempio paradigmatico di quella che Slavoj Zizek chiama "Buddismo occidentale": una forma di meditazione tecnologicamente mediata, ideologia usa-e-getta per le masse. Diluita, semplificata, fresh and easy... Per chi non ha tempo di attendere il caricamento dei dati. Sissignori! Finalmente, la meditazione del suono primordiale è disponibile sotto forma di videogame! Lo yoga da giocare, oltre che da bere! E posso condividere il mio mandala personale su Facebook! Tutti i miei amici devono sapere che sto raggiungendo livelli di illuminazione incredibili. Sono quasi un guru! 

Grazie a Deepak Chopra Leela ho conquistato il badge dell'"equilibrio" che ancora mi mancava. Ora sono molto più sereno, a tratti umano! Per aprire i chakra non devo fare altro che agitare le braccia e farmi riconoscere dal sensore Kinect. Ritengo importante farmi riconoscere dal sensore Kinect in un'era di diffidenza della differenza, caos calmo e occupazioni persistenti. Deepak Chopra Leela rappresenta la perfetta soluzione tecnologica a un problema provocato dalla tecnologia: lo shock del futuro, per dirla con Alvin Toffler, la difficoltà di rimanere utili nell'era dell'obsolescenza immediata, del transumanesimo, dell'ansia dell'aggiornamento coatto. Calma, tranquillità e concentrazione sono diventate meccaniche ludiche. Dopo tutto, Leela significa "giocoso" in sanscrito!

In questo senso, il confine tra sintomo e feticcio è sottile come uno spaghetto. Il videogame è allo stesso tempo sintomo di una patologia - la pervasività della tecnologia in ogni ambito dell'esistenza umana - e insieme fetish - prendi l'inquietante sensore Kinect che, come il Dottor Mabuse, ci scruta con il suo occhio elettronico, registra i nostri movimenti e probabilmente li comunica a terzi, a nostra insaputa. Qualcuno, da qualche parte, sa tutto di noi. Nemmeno la Stasi e Google erano riusciti a fare meglio. Risolvimi questo rompicapo se ci riesci: Deepak Chopra Leela invita a mettere la tecnologia in secondo piano per "ritrovare se stessi". Ma la presunta "ri-scoperta" non può prescindere dalla tecnologia. Un corto circuito epistemologico. 

Poco importa! Ci sottoponiamo con entusiasmo contagioso a quelle forme di masochismo tecnologico che chiamiamo videogiochi: dalla danza geek al tiro al bersaglio del terrorista, dalla simulazione di Calciopoli alle schitarrate di plastica per rockstar inciabattate. I videogiochi commerciali, che da sempre promuovono la logica del capitalismo globale, da oggi colonizzano non solo il corpo e la mente, ma anche il nostro spirito. Possiamo concludere che il declino dell'Occidente è un fenomeno ormai irreversibile. Checkpoint? Checkmate! (Matteo Bittanti)"

ONLINE: "Bruce Sterling e il futuro visto dall'Italia" [WIRED]

Photo credit: Bruce Sterling. European Graduate School,www.egs.edu/, Photograph by Hendrik Speck,www.hendrikspeck.com/, Source: www.flickr.com/photos/hendrikspeck/

"Sensazionale come sempre, Bruce Sterling racconta l'Italia di oggi sulla madre di tutti i bullettin board, The Well, contrazione di Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, che dal 1985 celebra l'idea stessa di "intelligenza collettiva". Scrittore, futurologo, collaboratore di WIRED, Sterling risiede a Torino dal 2007. Il paragrafo sul Belpaese, che commentiamo di seguito, fa parte dell'affascinante conversazione con Jon Lebkowsky sullo Stato del Mondo nel 2012. Le parole chiave usate da Sterling per spiegare la situazione italiana in un post intitolato "Future Change as Seen by Italy"del 5 gennaio 2012 sono cinque: "Crisi", "Macchina del Fango", "Casta", "Europa" e "Immigrati illegali".

Partiamo dalla "Crisi". Secondo Sterling, la crisi economica globale ha finito per convergere con le crisi locali, persistenti e permanenti che affliggono il Belpaese da tempo immemore, fino a raggiungere le dimensioni di una meta-Crisi, un'uber-Crisi che presenta implicazioni esistentiali, ontologiche, escatologiche. Il problema è di grave entità dato che non lascia spazio a vie d'uscita, alternative e soluzioni. Usata come smartbomb letterale, la parola "Crisi" distrugge ogni possibile conversazione, annulla ogni speranza, acquista una valenza trascendentale. Produce effetti dirompenti. La "Crisi", scrive Sterling, è "paragonabile agli "Anni di Piombo", intesi più come narrazione - o, meglio, micronarrazione, in senso lyotardiano - che come periodo storico definito - gli anni Settanta. Non esiste infatti una Realtà condivisa. Al contrario, una moltitudine di narrazioni competono tra loro per definire la situazione contingente. "Crisi" è il mega-racconto dominante . "Crisi" è "un atteggiamento sociale negativo usato per spiegare ogni sventura", dalle inefficienze del sistema ferroviario all'isteria dei gatti. "La 'Crisi' ha alti e bassi, ma domina ogni discorso". In effetti, vista da qui (San Francisco, ma la mia percezione è filtrata dal New York Times e dal Guardian - è assolutamente inutile tentare di comprendere la situazione leggendo i media locali, anzi, è il modo migliore per disinformarsi), l'italia mi ricorda gli sparatutto Irem per Super NES dei primi anni novanta, tipo R-Type, il cui scrolling orizzontale inevitabilmente scattoso era intervallato da rari momenti di fluidità. Fuor di analogia: la tesi di Sterling è che in Italia, la "Crisi" dominante è intervallata da occasionali momenti di ottimismo. Ergo: se si vuole cambiare il paese, occorre cambiare retorica - il modo di descrivere l'esistente. Per il momento, cul-de-sac.

"Macchina del Fango" ("The Mud Machine") è il termine usato per definire l'impero mediale di Berlusconi, espressione di un'ideologia dittatoriale nel contesto softcore italiano. Molti osservatori hanno rimarcato il genio di Berlusconi nel sopprimere le più elementari libertà di espressione e di pensiero mantenendo un'apparenza di legalità e promettendo tette & culi per tutti. Tra gli altri, il filosofo Slavoj Zizek, per il quale l'Italia rappresenta un sofisticato laboratorio creativo di manipolazione delle coscienze ("Italy is our ominous future", ha scritto nel suo ultimo saggio). Il funzionamento della "Macchina del Fango" è semplicissimo e, per questo, geniale. La tesi fondamentale, scrive Sterling, "È che in Italia tutto è inutile e corrotto, quindi non vale la pena di preoccuparsi". La logica, perversa ma di grande appeal sulle masse, è riassumibile in questi termini: "Chiunque sarebbe felice di prendere parte a orgie con prostitute musulmane senza diritto di soggiorno, quindi perchè lamentarsi? Fatevi gli affari vostri". Sterling conclude che la "Macchina del Fango funziona alla perfezione perché gli italiani sono particolarmente cinici nei propri confronti". Dato che "nessuno vuole fare la figura dell'idiota, tutti finiscono per farsi vittimizzare". In altre parole: gli italiani amano piangersi addosso, ma nessuno si sporca le mani per cambiare lo status quo. Perché in fondo la situazione gli fa comodo. Sterling scrive che la "Macchina del Fango" trascende il Berlusconismo. Ovvero: non è un'invenzione di Berlusconi, ma è una caratteristica essenziale dell'italianità. Ergo, "È tutt'ora in grande forma e funziona a prescindere da Berlusconi. Nella misura in cui le ballerine dalle gambe lunghe continuano a sculettare in televisione, il meccanismo produce soldi a palate". Berlusconi passa, ma la "macchina del Fango" è qui per restare. E i fanatismo religioso con cui gli italiani seguono i reality TV-show conferma le tesi di Sterling. Cul-de-sac.

Che l'Italia sia una gerontocrazia è una scoperta relativamente recente per gli italiani, scrive Sterling. "La gente ha improvvisamente compreso che il paese è controllato da un'elite incredibilmente vetusta e i giovani non riescono a trovare un lavoro o una casa. "Casta" è il termine usato per indicare il sistema politico e sociale che mantiene il paese in uno stato di paralisi economica e culturale.L'Italia è un paese per vecchi. "Sfortunatamente per i giovani, la vecchia guardia vota regolarmente e non vota contro se stessa". Ergo, impasse. Impasse permanente. L'Italia come il Giappone, è incapace di rinnovarsi. Non produce "sangue fresco", ma raggrumato. Conclusione: "Gerontocrazia in azione, e la situazione è destinata a peggiorare. L'Italia ha un governo 'tecnocratico di emergenza, ma sono tutti vecchi". Cul-de-sac.

L'Europa vista dall'Italia è "differente da quella di altre nazioni, se non altro perchè l'Europa è governata assai meglio dell'Italia. Se L'italia non fosse stata tra i paesi fondatori dell'Unione Europea, oggi non verrebbe ammessa, perchè l'Italia è troppo decadente e fragile per rispettare gli standard minimi," scrive Sterling. A ben vedere, l'Europa rappresenta l'unica speranza di salvezza. Abbandonato al suo destino, il Belpaese finirebbe per collassare rapidamente. Gli italiani non sono in grado di salvare l'Italia. "Forse l'"Europa" risolverà la "Crisi" senza che gli italiani debbano muovere un dito, e, wow, sarebbe davvero il massimo". Per il momento, cul-de-sac.

"Immigrazione illegale" è l'ultimo termine chiave usato da Sterling per spiegare agli americani - e al mondo connesso - l'Italia contemporanea. "Ci sono un sacco di immigrati illegali in Italia - osserva Sterling - e provengono tutti da posti orribili che sono stati visitati dai soldati italiani, tipo Libia e Somalia.". Gli immigrati extra-comunitari si aggiungono agli immigrati interni, provenienti dall'Italia meridionale, che sono "considerati altrettanto tossici". "Di tanto in tanto, ondate di immigrati arrivano in Italia perchè i droni della NATO hanno fatto messo a ferro e fuoco qualche luogo e la situazione si fa intensa". I reazionari vorrebbero spazzare via gli immigrati non graditi, ma "La società è troppo vecchia e statica per imbracciare una scopa". Solo i clandestini vengono respinti al mittente. Fortunatamente, conclude Sterling, "Basta dare un'occhiata a qualsiasi scuola elementare italiana per concludere che la prossima generazione sarà multi-razziale e multi-etnica. È solo questione di tempo".

Da parte nostra, non ci resta che auspicare che una nuova generazione multi-etnica e multi-razziale spazzi via la "Casta", risolva la "Crisi" e crei una nuova visione per l"'Europa". Condivido pienamente l'ottimismo del futurologo texano e, da novello pre-cog in ammollo, posso vedere che in quella scuola elementare oggi studia una ragazzina nata in Italia, ma la cui famiglia proviene dall'Etiopia, che, tra vent'anni, guiderà l'Italia fuori dal pantame, nel ruolo di Presidentessa del Consiglio. È solo questione di tempo. 

Qui potete leggere l'intera conversazione. Oltre al testo di Sterling, di particolare interesse sono i commenti dei membri di The Well, alcuni dei quali associano la crisi italiana alla nuovo crollo dell'Impero Romano, intesa come Mondo Occidentale di stampo Capitalistico. Altri citano Cavour in relazione ai cambiamenti sistemici necessari per superare l'impasse." (Matteo Bittanti, WIRED)

Leggi l'articolo su WIRED

Mr. Bit