Critical Theory of the Internet — Presentation of a new Geer Lovink Book

June 10, 7:30 PM

This year, the Internet celebrated its 30th anniversary, but even Tim Berners-Lee, its creator, speaks of the need for a serious reform of the network. The current state of the Internet is disappointing to many, but how unexpected is it? How has the inspiration of decentralized networks and anonymity led to the centralization of platforms and commercial and of state surveillance? Why has our entire sociality suddenly shrunk in a small space of a smartphone, which is destined to become obsolete a year later? How can theory keep up with the development — or degradation — of the Internet? To what extent do the concepts of ideology, networks, narcissism and distraction still have an explanatory power? What should political activism look like in the era of real-time data collection and analysis? And how can this activism regain control of the Internet by users previously known as citizens? In the essay collection Critical Theory of the Internet, published jointly by Ad Marginem and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Dutch media theorist Geert Lovink problematizes all these issues and calls for an understanding of our technological sociality in the era of the centralized Internet, analyzing both the simplest cultural techniques — from selfies to commentaries, and the state of democracy and modern progressive movements.

Geert Lovink, founding director of the Institute of Network Cultures, is a Dutch-Australian media theorist and critic. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and in 2003 was at the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies, University of Queensland. In 2004 Lovink was appointed as Research Professor at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and Associate Professor at University of Amsterdam. He is the founder of Internet projects such as nettime and fibreculture. His recent book titles are Dark Fiber (2002), Uncanny Networks (2002) and My First Recession (2003). In 2005-06 he was a fellow at the WissenschaftskollegBerlin Institute for Advanced Study where he finished his third volume on critical Internet culture, Zero Comments (2007).

Lecture will be delivered in English with simultaneous translation,

Free admission, seats are limited. Please, register (link in Russian).