Exploring
media spaces and digital cultures
by Aparajita De
Imagine the excitement in the 70s
when Television first came to India
- of the unthinkable possibilities that it could open up and subsequently the irrevocably
changes it would bring in our lives. A completely New
World , new ways of seeing and be seen in return. Television was
most definitely a game changer with a new set of rules. But it all seems passé
now having seen so many avatars of the media. Just think of the present generation,
who much before they can walk or talk is well conversant with computers, mobile
phones or the social media. What disassociates us - the past, present and future
generations, are the form and the technology of the media/medium. But more
importantly, our connection lies in the manner in which media and its varying
avatars have impregnated our lives and our minds.
The blog, Cultural Cartographies of Media
endeavors to create an insight, and a narrative/s on media, media practices and
its wide ranging influences. On one hand, the blog will be a commentary on
various aspects of media and media practices. On the other, the blog tries to
highlight media as a distinctive form of seeing and understanding the world
around us.
The blog also attempts at giving space
and engaging with the multiple voices - both academic and non academic, media
practitioners and non-practitioners, artists and non-artists and beyond – that
are continually trying to make sense of our everyday worlds and lives through
media. Hence, the blog page is not only
an interface between the aforesaid binaries but intends to initiate an
experimental space for all – people with different forms of expression and perspectives.
If you like to know more on this
blog or like to contribute to this blog, please contact us at medialabtalks@gmail.com
Author's Bio-Note:
Hi Aparajita,
ReplyDeleteThanks for inviting me to this blog page. Its a nice read and am quite interested in contributing to this blog. Only that I have an environmental focus. Do let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks and Best wishes,
Hi Ananya,
DeleteGreat to have you on board we plan to come up with a special issue focusing on environmental issues. Please do contribute in fact looking forward to it.
Regards,
Aparajita
Good to see your media lab materializing. I remember your enthusiasm about a media lab for your department at the time when you had just joined the department in early 2005. That was a time when web blogs, in India was in its infancy. In those days not many people really talked about media as a readable space. There was neither facebook… nor orkut. I remember you talked about the MIT Media lab that they had started in 1985. You read the future well. Good to see your proposal on media lab sail through. I personally think media is not only a space to study but as an anthropologist I see this as a field where you can spend, live, observe and die for data collection in order to comment on human societies. Media has already become a space for interaction for the modern communities…rather future communities. Its interesting to observe how media itself is becoming a space, a space where societies interact, a space which is incubating future societies and culture, an infinite space that deconstructs all physical space beyond imagination.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes,
Rajib Nandi
This is an exciting and very innovative platform for the people from different sections of society to share their views and comment on the happenings of our everyday lives.
ReplyDelete