Papers by Romi Mikulinsky
ion are also simultaneous and comparable with many cutting edge scientific quests that took place... more ion are also simultaneous and comparable with many cutting edge scientific quests that took place around the turn of the century. Physics, chemistry, experimental psychology, and other sciences were all similarly engaged in the deconstruction of the inanimate, biological and psychological realms into simple, further indivisible elements. Thus, it can be easily established that the gradual move toward abstraction in art echoes the same zeitgeist, argued Lev Manovich convincingly. Just as physicists, chemists, biologists and psychologists strived to break down reality to its basic constituents, so did the artists of the time. They too attempted to articulate the basic elements that constituted their field of inquiry Using motion as his means of investigation, Hans Richter challenged the cinematic experience by applying musical principles to it. Arguably it is the ‘music’ created by the transition of its elements that lends Rhythmus 21 its geometrical abstract quality. (Of course simil...
Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts, 2016
What lineage connects early abstract films and machine-generated YouTube videos? Hans Richter's f... more What lineage connects early abstract films and machine-generated YouTube videos? Hans Richter's famous piece Rhythmus 21 is considered to be the first abstract film in the experimental tradition. The Webdriver Torso YouTube channel is composed of hundreds of thousands of machine-generated test patterns designed to check frequency signals on YouTube. This article discusses geometric abstraction vis-à-vis new vision, conceptual art and algorithmic art. It argues that the Webdriver Torso is an artistic marvel indicative of a form we call mathematical abstraction, which is art performed by computers and, quite possibly, for computers.
Located on the interstice between Media Studies and Literary Theory, my dissertation explores the... more Located on the interstice between Media Studies and Literary Theory, my dissertation explores the emerging genre of photo-fiction-literary works that incorporate photographic images into the manuscripts-and its impact on the commemoration of traumatic historical events. I argue that the way we represent and remember historical traumas is dependent on the media in which images emanating from these events are produced and circulated; put differently, the context of these images shapes our engagement with them. By examining literary works that incorporate photographs into their printed text, I explore textual and visual representations of historical trauma (such as the two World Wars, the Balkan wars of the Nineties, and 9/11). The authors whose works I analyze (Jonathan Safran Foer, Aleksandar Hemon, W.G. Sebald) grant photography a new status: the inserted images transcend traditional "authentification strategies" and draw attention to the convergence of realism and indexicality featured by these photographs. These authors' employment of photographs from various media (television, internet, printed press, encyclopedias and archives) questions not only the technical qualities of each medium but the veracity and accuracy of evidence. Photography's capacity to secure and store information is put radically into iii question, not only because the new contexts of these images, but because of the manipulations and reconfigurations the movement between media has brought about. Drawing on Walter Benjamin's concept of the literary montage, I suggest that literature provides an apt arena to examine the reception to images. By literary montage I mean the opening up of a new dimension in which visual and verbal elements are juxtaposed, and the disjunctions and gaps between them encourage readers to become active participants in the creation of narrative. Photo-fiction's interplay between images and texts therefore not only sheds light on the mechanics of representation, but demand from its audience to reflect on the way we interpret and respond to historical traumas in a society saturated with images. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing a dissertation is a demanding process, and often an alienating one, I wish to thank all the people who accompanied me in this journey and made this process less isolating. I am forever indebted to my supervisor Linda Hutcheon for her generosity, wisdom and kindness. Our conversations and meeting were not only a source of inspiration and a much needed guidance but made the writing process less daunting, reminding me that writing is forever creative and exciting. Thanks to my committee members, Rebecca Comay, Louis Kaplan and Garry Leonard, for their insights and enthusiasm. I had the privilege of being their student and to later enjoy such thoughtful and brilliant group of scholars reading my work. I owe a large debt of thanks to my professors from both the
Trust is a multilayered concept with critical relevance when it comes to introducing new technolo... more Trust is a multilayered concept with critical relevance when it comes to introducing new technologies. Understanding how humans will interact with complex vehicle systems and preparing for the functional, societal and psychological aspects of autonomous vehicles' entry into our cities is a pressing concern. Design tools can help calibrate the adequate and affordable level of trust needed for a safe and positive experience. This study focuses on passenger interactions capable of enhancing the system trustworthiness and data accuracy in future shared public transportation.
The Bezalel Journal for Visual and Material Culture , 2014
The Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts (CITAR), 2016
What lineage connects early abstract films and machine-generated YouTube videos? Hans Richter's f... more What lineage connects early abstract films and machine-generated YouTube videos? Hans Richter's famous piece Rhythmus 21 is considered to be the first abstract film in the experimental tradition. The Webdriver Torso YouTube channel is composed of hundreds of thousands of machine-generated test patterns designed to check frequency signals on YouTube. This article discusses geometric abstraction vis-à-vis new vision, conceptual art and algorithmic art. It argues that the Webdriver Torso is an artistic marvel indicative of a form we call mathematical abstraction, which is art performed by computers and, quite possibly, for computers.
Located on the interstice between Media Studies and Literary Theory, my dissertation explores the... more Located on the interstice between Media Studies and Literary Theory, my dissertation explores the emerging genre of photo-fiction --literary works that incorporate photographic images into the manuscripts --and its impact on the commemoration of traumatic historical events. I argue that the way we represent and remember historical traumas is dependent on the media in which images emanating from these events are produced and circulated; put differently, the context of these images shapes our engagement with them. By examining literary works that incorporate photographs into their printed text, I explore textual and visual representations of historical trauma (such as the two World Wars, the Balkan wars of the Nineties, and 9/11).
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Papers by Romi Mikulinsky