Issues in Contemporary Art

Alienation

 occurs when audiences feel disconnected from media because everything is controlled, curated, or staged rather than authentic

Citizen Journalism

allows people to participate directly in global events, sharing information in real time through social media, showing the democratic potential of the media.

The Culture Industry

 refers to how mid-20th-century capitalism standardized and commercialized culture, limiting individual choice and interpretation of media

Diaspora

describes communities of a particular culture or ethnicity living outside their homeland, navigating memory, migration, and hybrid identities.

The Frankfurt School

was a group of scholars applying Marxist theory to culture and media in 20th-century capitalist societies, analyzing how media shapes thought and behavior.

Global Media Events

are large-scale happenings shared and experienced worldwide in real time through media, creating a sense of shared participation

Globalization

is the increasing interconnectedness of the world through trade, migration, communication, technology, and digital communities

Mass Culture / Mass Society

refers to industrialized populations shaped by media and urbanization, sharing common cultural messages. Mass media spreads information and entertainment widely, shaping social norms.

Media Infrastructure

includes the technologies and systems (satellites, servers, cables, cell towers) that enable communication.

Neoliberalism

promotes free markets, privatization, and competition, often increasing inequality and corporate power.

The Public Sphere

is where citizens discuss public issues. Historically limited to certain classes, it now includes online spaces but remains affected by inequality.

Spectacle

describes visually striking images that dominate culture and shape social relationships (Debord).

“The medium is the message”

(McLuhan) means the form of media affects how its content is understood, not just the content itself.

Broadcast

content sent to everyone at once (TV, radio)

Narrowcast

content for specific groups (cable networks, specialty channels).

Webcast

online delivery, live or on-demand, often global (YouTube, webinars).

Brand

A name, symbol, design, or combination that identifies a seller’s goods or services.

Capitalism

 An economic system where private individuals or companies control production for profit. Industrial capitalism focuses on manufacturing, late capitalism on global services and information. Critics say it favors owners over workers.

Commodity

A product made to be sold in the market. Commodification is turning objects into marketable goods.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, and practices that unify a group.

Commodity Fetishism

When products are valued for their image or price, not the labor behind them. Advertising hides production and emphasizes status or ideas.

Conspicuous Consumption

Spending on goods or services to show wealth or status, rather than for basic needs.

Consumer Data

Information about people’s behaviors and preferences used by companies to sell products or target ads.

Consumerism

The belief that buying more goods and services leads to happiness or identity.

Cultural Imperialism

When one culture dominates others via media, brands, or consumer goods, marginalizing local practices.

Culture Jamming

Activism that parodies or disrupts corporate ads to reveal hidden messages.

Hybridity

Mixing of different cultural elements, often in globalized contexts.

Pop Art

Art movement using imagery from mass culture (ads, comics, products) to critique consumerism and mass production.

Shopping Arcades vs Online Shopping

Arcades = physical experience, social interaction, see/touch products.

Online = convenient, wide selection, buy from anywhere.

Flâneur vs Flâneuse

Flâneur = male, detached observer in public space. Flâneuse = female perspective, challenges gender roles and visibility in public/digital spaces.

Genre

Grouping cultural products by familiar formulas or styles.

Hyperreal

 A reality simulation using familiar codes, even when no real-world example exists.

Intertextuality

When one text references or incorporates another text, creating layered meaning.

Irony

Saying one thing but meaning the opposite.

Master Narratives

Dominant stories that present a single version of history, excluding other perspectives.

Polysemy

When a work has many possible meanings, depending on who interprets it.

Postmodernism

A cultural movement that questions universal truths, mixes styles, uses irony, and challenges traditional ideas of authenticity.

Simulation / Simulacrum

Signs or images that may have no real-world counterpart and can replace or create a version of reality.

Structure of Feeling

Shared emotions, values, and experiences of a time, often understood through fragments of culture.

Remix

Reworking or combining existing cultural texts to create new meaning.

Pastiche

Imitates the style of another work, often to evoke history.

Parody

 Imitates for humor or critique.

Remake/Rework

References older works to comment on current social issues.

Modern Reflexivity

Focus on form, structure, and aesthetic innovation.

Postmodern Reflexivity

Focus on audience awareness, blending high/low culture, remixing, using techniques like jump cuts or Brechtian distancing to entertain while revealing ideology

Algorithm

 A set of rules that tells a computer how to process data, often creating personalized experiences for users.

Anthropometry

Measuring the human body—size, proportions, and composition.

Cyborg

A human–machine hybrid. Today, it refers to how technology—from medical devices to smartphones—integrates with our bodies.

Digital Body

The idea that the human body can be treated like digital data—analyzed, mapped, or even altered through technology.

Eugenics

A now-discredited belief in “improving” humans by controlling who can reproduce, often linked to racist or harmful policies.

Genome

The complete set of DNA in an organism, like a blueprint for development and function.

Morphing

it usually refers to digitally transforming one image into another

Physiognomy

An old practice of judging character from physical appearance, especially the face, often used to support racial stereotypes.

Ultrasound Images

Pictures of the inside of the body made using sound waves, mapping tissues safely without radiation.

X-ray vs Ultrasound vs PET scan

X-ray: Uses electromagnetic radiation; best for dense structures like bones.

Ultrasound: Uses sound waves; real-time imaging of soft tissues (like organs or a fetus).

PET scan: Uses radioactive tracers; shows metabolic activity and functioning of tissues.

DNA vs Facial Recognition Systems

DNA: Biological, unique genetic code; identifies individuals based on genetic material.

Facial Recognition: Uses visual features of the face; identifies individuals based on appearance, which can change over time.