The Unforgettables
Rodrigo Díaz, Bernardo Moreno y Josemaría Moreno
Reading an article on cybernetic power, we are reminded of the concerns this power has raised —since the creation of the Internet—and that has finally and inevitably been manifested in artistic expressions. The article in question, by Roger Bartra, talks about the (clearly unequal) capacity that different nations hold in regards to the cybernetic resources at their disposal: cybersecurity, surveillance and information control, participation in international debates to define global cybernetic norms, international intelligence gathering, among many other factors define what a country can do nowadays. Today, undoubtedly, social networks have created a paradigm about our relationships as well. There are those who believe that digital gadgets are killing the intimacy and benefits of face-to-face conversations, thus undermining the development of empathy; that the internet contributes to deepening social and economic inequalities and that it trivializes our cultures. On the other hand, there are those who believe that new technologies are the embryo of a post-capitalist economy, and that they contain the germ of a new democracy. Let´s see some examples.
Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2020)
This text reflects on what is called surveillance capitalism: a new form of exploitative practice in which some companies (notably Google and Amazon, although their competitors can no longer even be counted) unilaterally declared human experience as a commodity from which to extract a type of wealth called behavioral surplus. This formula could be explained like this: the product that these companies trade is not a tangible good, but rather the data they collect from our personal behavior. Statistically, the more information they are able to collect – and as long as there are no laws that limit it or regulate what they can extract from our private lives – the more skillful their algorithms will be when predicting our behavior, and eventually, controlling it to do with it whatever their commercial interests dictate: from tipping the balance in transcendental political moments to motivating unusual degrees of alienation in a society that is increasingly individualistic. Could it be that our identity as social beings now resides, without realizing it, in a handful of servers connected to the cloud?
Her, Spike Jonze (2013)
This moving, romantic, and also disturbing film marked the screenwriting debut of Jonze—who above all has a great career directing music videos for Sonic Youth, The Breeders, R.E.M., Björk, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, among many others— winning him the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2014. Set in the near future, the story recounts the relationship between Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), an introverted and sentimental letter writer, who faces depression due to his divorce, and Samantha (Scarlett Johanson), an operating system whose artificial intelligence manifests itself through a voice via different devices. Theodore finds in Samantha someone with whom to share his fears, secrets and illusions; he comes to admire her way of understanding the world, of becoming sexually intimate; and finally he falls in love with her. Wrapped in wide urban landscapes and with a perfectly cared color palette, we see the protagonist suspicious of his relationship with Samantha, who confesses to him that her operating system (already popular within the general population) has been updated and will not require humanity to exist and process information any longer; and also, that she has been communicating simultaneously with other users, whom she also loves.
Inside (The Songs), Bo Burnham (2021)
Beyond being a comedian, Burnham is a great artist of sharp political and anthropological insights. Inside (The Songs) is the compilation of his work. All of these songs were written during the pandemic, locked away in his apartment, using a hundred electronic devices that conspire through him to deliver truly admirable music: thick, acid, desperate, and brilliant lyrics. Burnham created this show, which due to lack of categorization, we can call it a comedy or a stand up routine, but in reality it is much, much more than that. It is a dystopia. His songs touch on topics such as: white supremacy, global warming, social movements, the internet and anonymity without any responsibility, privilege, panic attack (which he suffers from and which is why he has left the stage), suicide and of course, three songs dedicated to the great Jeff Bezos. In a delirious manner, Burnham’s narrative is, possibly, the most interesting thing on the North American satirical scene today. If you haven’t seen his latest work, you are missing out on a psychotic, meaningful, and extremely human work of art achieved thanks to the technology at everyone´s disposal. Our favorite song, without a doubt, is “How The World Works”.
