G2: Vir & M-Ha

by Anthony and Raed

Virilio explains how our existence in relation to our surroundings is not only mediated by our classical seeing with light, but is forever affected by time. Our relation is becoming transparent and we are hybridizing with our surroundings. Thus, we become our surrounding, and alienate ourselves from our perceived “reality” to live in our produced “reality”. Our drive to control everything (including our existence) becomes mechanical and we end up being in the cogs that we turn. Sensing a strong feeling of alienation from media, we become burning fuel for the latter. We do not ameliorate or prolong our existence but render us in a state of prolonged estrangement and death: empty capsules.

M-Ha dips in notions of re-creating reality in an objective way. Technology used in this manner should be non-existent for the latter image to be real because technology isn’t natural, and when filming something natural, its presence produces a subjective image. We think that nature is perfect; when it is truly imperfect. So when recreating reality through video (example), one should show the imperfections so as to have amore honest view of everything that is going on, not a mediated one.

M-Ha 2: The notion of “reality” is debated through media and our existence. And when we mediate its existence, reality is changed. One has to be aware of this process because he or she could easily feel separated from the produced “reality”. Ones existence is then shaped by misinterpretation. One must be able to want to see the differences and be able to disconnect from the produced “reality” to be able to define objectively him or her self and perceived “reality”. Media as an alienator can also serve as a tool for understanding our existence. Tools such as “film, television, journals and radio” promote the textures of our existence to ensure an overall sight of what constitutes us. We are all strangers in different realities, one must hope to be able (and want) to process it and re-construct your own.