Identity is becoming a fluid concept, encompassing different domains of the self. How are identities affected by technology and digital tools? What is the role of art in shaping this notion? The Digimag Journal is back with a new international call for papers from its independent publishing house Digicult Editions. This is the second call after the official launch the last beginning of March, we are waiting for your contributions
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One of the most interesting aspects of our relationship with technology is the way we relate to other people and create new identity narratives through it. Internet, social networks and p2p tools have amplified this phenomenon, enabling the ramification of larger networks built around individuals. As a consequence, personal narratives are linked to virtual (and real) dimensions of social, economic and artistic fields. Digital identity becomes, therefore, the individual unit of a larger digital culture environment.
This subject has been widely studied in Streaming Egos, the pioneering international project by Goethe Institut (http://blog.goethe.de/streamingegos/) which involved five different European countries through the production of an online platform, some critical texts, a convention, commissioned artworks and a final catalogue. The aim of the project was to study how Internet, social networks and, more in general, technologies are modelling the way we relate to others and to the external world, both conceived not simply as biological systems, but also as virtual entities telling their own stories.
“Who am I?” is a primordial existential question, with different connotations depending on the context (social, political or cultural). “Who do I want (or: do I have) to be?” is questioning the very basis of economy, ethics, theology and politics, especially in its collective meaning “Who are we?”
The act of transforming and reinventing the concept of ourselves and, consequently, the idea of community is at the very basis of identity explorations in the digital era. Identity becomes a fluid concept, encompassing different domains of the self. How are identities affected by technology and digital tools? What is the role of art in shaping this notion?
When interacting with other people on the Net, individuals reflect more and more on themselves, carefully choosing contents (whether personal or not) to be shared (and seen by others). This leads to a self-discourse redefining the notions of identity, repetition and difference.
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The call includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:
- Technology and Existence (Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Bio-engineering, Robotics...)
- Posthumanism / Post-Anthropocentrism / Identity and the Anthropocene
- Queer identities / Feminisms
- Transpecies Narratives and the Animal
- Surveillance Culture / Collective Identity / Communities and Networks
- Transnational Narratives / Race and Migration
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Technical Details
With this call Digicult addresses research contributions on the mentioned topic, especially from individuals active in the artistic and academic fields (curators, critics, hackers, fabbers, creative producers, lab managers, activists, designers, theorists, independent and academic writers, scholars, artists, etc.)
An abstract of 200 words and a full text of max 5000 words, as well as interviews (1000 to 2000 words), event and book reviews, should be sent to: journal@digicult.it
a) Deadline for submission of full article for consideration: 7 May 2017
b) 5 to 10 images at 72 dpi resolution, 700 pixels width
c) Correct captions for images
d) Please, follow the guidelines
If you wish to send us inquiries and proposals on a special topic to be featured in the next issues, please, contact journal@digicult.it
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We look forward to hearing from you!
Silvia Bertolotti, Marco Mancuso and the Digicult Editorial Board
