Anne Popiel

Of Pixels and Particles: the Digital Connection Between Nature and Art in Vilém Flusser's Philosophy Anne Popiel

How is a human like a deep-sea mollusk? How is a computer like the desert wind? Surprising connections between the natural world, human culture, and digital technology are discovered here in the metaphorical philosophy of Vilém Flusser (1920-1991). Although Flusser champions human artistic creativity as the only way to make an absurd world meaningful, his metaphors conceal in plain view the oppposite suspicion: Nature's chaos will always have the upper hand. This study explores Flusser's writings to propose how human beings can use the principles of digital technology to create whole alternative worlds by artistically designing spaces for nature's random chance. What emerges then will always be unpredictable, be it in the form of software, poetry, or genetic art. This book is a treat for artists, scientists, cultural and media theorists, and Flusser scholars alike.