Aesthetic Studies

Intertextuality in the Body Designs of AI-Based Virtual Influencers

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Ahmet Oktan1*  & Bilge Yavas2
1Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Communication, Samsun, Turkey. *Corresponding Author.
2Master of Communication Sciences, Turkey.

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 3, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n3.02
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Abstract

This study approaches virtual humans by foregrounding their material dimensions and exploring how virtual stars present visual images and the mythical connections that influence the images they create. We analyze characters named Lu do Magalu, Lil Miquela, Barbie, Thalasya, Noonoouri, Imma, Bermuda, Rozy, Ay Pera, Alara X, Hatsune Miku, and Shudu, selected through purposive sampling, considering their posts on Instagram. We employ intertextuality and its variant, mythological intertextuality, to identify how the creators of these avatars draw on myths, archetypes, and modern cultural contexts in the physical design and construction of their bodies. We discuss our findings by engaging with the views of scholars such as Carl Jung and Jean Baudrillard. In summary, we conclude that virtual influencers are visually created and embodied through inspiration from both archaic and modern myths and archetypes; their flawless and sterile bodies are transcended and idealized like mythological heroes, their eroticized and exposed bodies are presented as objects of desire, and the gender roles they adopt reproduce patriarchal myths. Additionally, it has been observed that through their fluid bodily images and design, they become mythologized and function as a type of simulacrum.

Keywords: Virtual influencer, Body, Mythology, Intertextuality, Embodiment.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Consideration: Informed consent was obtained from all the participants of the study.
Funding: No funding was received for this research.
Article History: Received: 31 August 2024. Revised: 25 October 2024. Accepted: 25 October 2024. First published: 27 October 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 by the author/s.
License: License Aesthetix Media Services, India. Distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Published by: Aesthetix Media Services, India 
Citation: Oktan, A. & Yava?, B. (2024). Intertextuality in the Body Designs of AI-Based Virtual Influencers. Rupkatha Journal 16:3. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n3.02

Rupkatha Journal's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Quality education (SDG 4) Gender equality (SDG 5) Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) Reduced inequalities (SDG 10) Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) Climate action (SDG 13) Life on land (SDG 15) Peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16)

Human Creativity Vs. Artificial Intelligence: A Comparison of Horror Fiction Crafting from ‘Bookish Minds Club’ at Souk Ahras University and Claude AI

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Moufida Boumous 
Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Souk Ahras University, Algeria.

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 3, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n3.01
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Abstract

The dynamic between human writers and artificial intelligence in crafting fiction, particularly in the horror genre, provides an intriguing context for examining the unique strengths and limitations of each. This research investigates the creative outputs of two groups: members of Souk Ahras University’s ‘Bookish Minds Club,’ who have discussed numerous horror books and have been introduced to various techniques and tropes of the genre, and those who employ Claude AI to aid in their writing process. Sixty club members were divided evenly, with each group receiving identical horror fiction prompts to craft their stories. These stories were subsequently evaluated based on originality, coherence, the effectiveness of horror elements, character development, and overall impact. The results highlighted a slight but notable superiority of human creativity over AI-assisted writing, particularly in terms of emotional depth and psychological complexity. The findings suggest that while Claude AI can provide structural support and enhance certain narrative elements, it often falls short in capturing the knotty emotional and psychological distinctions that human writers, especially those well-versed in genre techniques, naturally infuse in their work.

Keywords: human creativity, artificial intelligence, horror fiction, creative writing, Claude AI, comparative study.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Consideration: Informed consent was obtained from all the participants of the study.
Funding: No funding was received for this research.
Article History: Received: 26 August 2024. Revised: 24 October 2024. Accepted: 25 October 2024. First published: 27 October 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 by the author/s.
License: License Aesthetix Media Services, India. Distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Published by: Aesthetix Media Services, India 
Citation: Boumous, M. (2024). Human Creativity Vs. Artificial Intelligence: A Comparison of Horror Fiction Crafting from ‘Bookish Minds Club’ at Souk Ahras University and Claude AI. Rupkatha Journal 16:3. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n3.01

Rupkatha Journal's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Quality education (SDG 4) Gender equality (SDG 5) Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) Reduced inequalities (SDG 10) Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) Climate action (SDG 13) Life on land (SDG 15) Peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16)

Somdev Chatterjee’s Why Stories Work: The Evolutionary and Cognitive Roots of the Power of Narrative: A Review

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T. Mangaiyarkarasi
P.G & Research Department of English, Holy Cross College (Autonomous), Bharathidasan University, India.
Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 3, 2023. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v15n3.r01
[First published: 23 Sept 2023.]
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Stories are universal and storytelling is essential to the creation of meaning in human life.  The story is “central to meaning-making and sense-making” (Peterson, 2).  Our minds construct and analyse our truths and beliefs, as well as determine how they relate to other people’s truths and beliefs, through the use of stories. We develop fresh viewpoints and a deeper comprehension of the world by listening to stories. By examining how others perceive the world and how they comprehend it, we are pushed to question and broaden our perspectives. Ken Liu a fantasy novelist states that “The planet is at the mercy of our history, our story, our spell.” Furthermore, he adds that “Out of stories, we construct our identity, at the individual as well as the collective level. Our stories tell the world how to be” (Liu,2022). Somdev Chatterjee in his book Why Stories Work (2023) claims that the importance of stories is often overlooked and we are losing control of the narratives that shape our lives. Keep Reading

Mondrian’s rendition of Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of will and disinterested aesthetic experience

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Ali Fallahzadeh 1 & Zahra Rahbarnia 2
1,2Department of Research of Art, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 3, 2023. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v15n3.25
[Article History: Received: 10 August 2023. Revised: 5 September 2023. Accepted: 7 Sept 2023. Published: 12 Sept 2023]
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Abstract

Despite the pivotal role of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) in the sophistication of Modern aesthetics and art theories in the 20th century and his special attention to aesthetic experience, considerably little is known about the impacts of his aesthetic theory, particularly pertaining his account on conception disinterested aesthetic experience formed based on his metaphysics of will, on some of the most enriched Modern art theories like Piet Mondrian’s Neo-Plasticism. On the other side of the spectrum, Mondrian’s Neo-Plastic paintings, his universal pure abstract style, have been well examined through historical approaches and Modernist theories, especially about the Greenbergian account and Modern styles like De Stijl art movement in the last few decades. Moreover, his quasi-philosophical writings have been vastly scrutinized in the light of their impacts on Theosophic, Platonic, and Hegelian doctrines. Interestingly, Mondrian, in his theoretical writings, explicitly refers to the Schopenhauerian conception of disinterested contemplation and the requirements for having a universal aesthetic experience. Yet, Mondrian’s account of Schopenhauer’s notion of disinterested contemplation, namely for notions like individual will, Will, intellect, cessation of subserviency of intellect to the will, and so on, has not been scrutinized through an aesthetic lens.

Hence, this article first aims to investigate Mondrian’s rendition of Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of will and his account of disinterested aesthetic experience. Indeed, this article proposes this hypothesis that Mondrian, who always sought to unveil the Platonic Idea of an objective manifestation of a universal equilibrium (harmony) or pure beauty as truth through his universal Neo-Plastic art, was heavily influenced by Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of will and his attitude toward aesthetic contemplation which is disinterested and objective. At the end of this article, it becomes clear that Mondrian’s conception of pure intuition and his contemplative approach to aesthetic experience intimately conform to Schopenhauer’s view on the notion of disinterested aesthetic attention or contemplation narrated within his metaphysics of will.

Keywords: Arthur Schopenhauer, aesthetic experience, disinterestedness, metaphysics of will, Piet Mondrian, Neo-Plasticism, intuition.

Citation: Fallahzadeh, Ali, Zahra Rahbarnia. 2023. Mondrian’s rendition of Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of will and disinterested aesthetic experience. Rupkatha Journal 15:3. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v15n3.25 

Psychological Trauma and Socio-Economic Burden of Girl-Child Marriage in Nigeria: Stephanie Linus’ ‘Dry’ as a Filmic Advocacy

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Mary-Isabella A. Chidi-Igbokwe1, Cindy A. Ezeugwu2, Cynthia Nwabueze3, Alphonsus C. Ugwu4 & Emeka Aniago5
1, 2, 3Theatre & Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
4Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
5Theatre & Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. ORCID id 0000-0003-3194-1463. Email: emekaaniago@gmail.com

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 4, December, 2022. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n4.06 
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Abstract

The need to proffer solutions to the consequences of girl-child forced marriages in Nigeria has continued to draw scholarly attention within the ambits of sociology, history, law and human-right, women and gender studies, health, and psychology studies. However, studies examining the application of Nollywood films as advocacy texts in this regard are scarce. In response to this gap, this study examines interpretively Stephanie Linus’ ‘Dry’ as a filmic advocacy text, portraying the psychological trauma and the socio-economic burden of girl-child marriages in northern Nigeria. Our interpretive analyses utilize theories espousing how denial of childhood can become traumatic to the child-wives and eventually become a socio-economic burden to their family, community, and country. The key observation is that ‘Dry’ typifies a proper and efficacious utilization of film as an advocacy platform to interrogate and communicate matters relating to health and wellbeing revolving around girl-child forced marriages.

[Keywords: child-marriage, filmic advocacy, girl-child right, northern Nigeria, trauma]

Formulaic Language and Style of Turkic Zhyrau of the 15-18th Centuries

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Kairat Zhanabayev1, Karakat Nagymzhanova2, Nursulu Shaimerdenova3, Ayzhan Turgenbaeva4 & Nazerke Tleubayeva1

1Department of Publishing, Editing and Design Arts, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. Email: zhanabayev@nuos.pro

2Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Turan-Astana University, Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan

3Department of Russian and Foreign Literature, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan

4Department of Religious Studies and Cultural Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 2, April-June, 2022, Pages  https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n2.25

First published: June 26, 2022 | Area: Aesthetic Studies | License: CC BY-NC 4.0

(This article is published under Volume 14, Number 2, 2022)
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Abstract

The article reveals the importance of studying the formulaic style in the oral epic culture of Kazakh (Turkic) zhyrau of the 15-18th centuries. The purpose of the article is to identify the specificity of the formulaic language and the style of the epic tradition of these singers, as well as to show the degree of their knowledge, based on the principles of oral theory by M. Parry and A. Lord and their followers. Zhyrau are singers of the times of the Golden Horde and the foundation of the Kazakh Khanate. In the analysis of the ancient forms of their epic thinking; the genesis of genres, principles of performance and transmission of tradition, formulaic style plays a major role. The method of discourse analysis, system review, referencing, comparative analysis, and the methods of previous researchers were applied in the study. The novelty is that the formulaic style was first studied on the oral material of the zhyrau dated the 15-18th centuries, where stable units are represented by a formula – the basis of the epic style and an important means of the singer’s oral-style technique. The theoretical significance of the article and its relevance, is based on a broad discussion of oral theory, and at the same time on its effectiveness and efficiency in studying the Kazakh (Turkic) epic tradition. The practical value of the research gives its results in the analysis of language and style, the distinction of styles and genres of zhyrau from other bearers of Turkic poetic culture. The Parry-Lord formulaic grammar can be applied both for the study of Turkic languages and to the quality of artistic translation.

Keywords: Parry-Lord’s oral theory, Turk epic, zhyrau, tolgau, oral technique, individual creativity.

Introduction

Within the framework of the present project, the authors have prepared several theoretical works of value for Kazakh (Turkic) epic studies and modern folkloristics. The authors of the paper also consider that the study of the oral tradition of nomads in Central Asia, the North Caucasus and South Siberia is a significant contribution to the science of folklore and mythology of the East since the culture of the Kazakh (Turkic) culture nomads are not only specific and unique as a special type of equestrian-nomadic civilization, but also have deep ties with the richest oral folklore of ancient and medieval Europe, Asia and Africa (Nurgali, 2013; Zhakupov et al., 2020). With a long history of studying the language and style of Kazakh (Turkic) zhyrau from the 15-18th centuries and comparative epic studies, the authors of the article drew attention to the high productivity of oral theory, two American researchers – M. Parry (1932) and A.B. Lord (1964). In our country, this theory is presented in detail by the monograph published in 1986 by Harvard University professor A.B. Lord (1964) “The Singer of Tales”. It, as noted in the Introduction, “contains ideas important for the study of epic traditions, including Oriental ones” reference. The authors of the oral theory gave a special role to “the technique of oral performance of the epos” – the source of the formulaic style” the link.

Although traditionality and stereotyping in folklore and epic genres have been mentioned before by American scholars, they have a valuable idea that explains this stereotype (sustainability of forms) not only as a feature of traditional style but as a powerful principle of the artists’ creativity. This principle is a formulaic style or formulaic grammar. The effectiveness, efficiency, and perspective of the oral theory are particularly evident in the study of Turkic monuments, whose language is perfectly structured, free from external influences, and characterized by great richness and variety of poetic forms.

Research into the language’s formulaicity and style in recent years has also unexpectedly revealed the fundamental role of formulaic grammar in poetic translation. Especially when it concerns the ancient Kazakh poems, the oral text of the medieval nomadic judge and speaker (Kazakh biy), the ancient runic inscriptions of the VIII centuries of Turkic Haganat, where there is no influence of other languages and religions yet, and therefore of exceptional interest both in terms of their pure form and in their unique content and the prospect of reconstruction of their initial bases – the Turkic archaic myth, rite and ritual (Aimukhambet et al., 2017). Criticism is present in several works on Perry-Lord’s oral theory. It mainly dealt with the problems of nationality and authorship, and the theory of formulaic style. However, it was based, as the translators of “The Singer of Tales” note, on the special author’s terminology, which, in our opinion, should have been different from the existing one, as it is about a living tradition, a living process, that is, oral technique, and not a static grammar and epic. Thus in the classical monograph “Origin of Heroic Epic”, analyzing and criticizing all existing basic theories, the famous scientist E.M. Meletinsky (1963), pointed out that A.B. Lord (1964), who followed his teacher and “derives the epic style from the poetic technique of oral creativity, does not doubt the mythological origin of the contents of epic formulae”. And that’s very revealing because the oldest epic formulas are the ones that lead us to myth, rite, and ritual. And this theory of Lord is most vividly demonstrated by the oral-style poetic technique of nomads of Central Asia, South Siberia, North Caucasus and Crimea…Full-Text PDF

Relevance of Symbols in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist

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Rajat Sebastian

Research Scholar, Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India. ORCID: 0000-0003-4029-515X. Email: rajat.sebastian@res.christuniversity.in

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 2, April-June, 2022, Pages  https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n2.24

First published: June 26, 2022 | Area: Aesthetic Studies | License: CC BY-NC 4.0

(This article is published under Volume 14, Number 2, 2022)
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Abstract

Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho is known for his tales that inspire readers to overcome conflicts and move toward the ‘ultimate truth’. The popularity of such inspirational writings (both fictional and non-fictional) in the new age has given rise to a new literature style. Coelho’s fiction, though inspirational, describes journeys that are physical and psychological at the same time. Symbols guide him in his journeys, forming a significant part of the novels. While these novels are said to appear inspirational for depressed souls with a profound philosophical and spiritual dilemma, the study of symbols found in these novels appears significant. This research aims to read closely the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and evaluate the symbols in it. The research shall attribute the commonly accepted meanings to the symbols and assess the impact of such ‘accepted’ meanings on the same novel through Peirce’s model of semiotic analysis.

Keywords: Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, symbols, relevance, semiotics

Introduction:

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho emerged in a literary scenario in 1995 to translate his bestseller The Pilgrimage from Portuguese to English. Since then, Coelho’s novels have joined the bestsellers club worldwide. He has made a record-breaking sale of over 350 million copies of his books translated into 80 languages (Joshi, 2017). Coelho also entered the Guinness Book of Records, the first time being the only writer signing the most books in the Frankfurt Book Fair (2003) and the second for his novel The Alchemist, becoming the most translated book globally. Coelho integrates his spiritual philosophy through his books in a simple style and palatable language. His fiction and non-fiction turn out to be an awakening call for the reader to live up to their dream or ‘personal legend’, as Coelho calls it. The characters in Coelho’s novels show how one can reach the highest stage of fulfilment, happiness and spiritual existence, overcoming psycho-cultural barriers (Joshi, 2017, p. 2). Coelho has achieved tremendous fame and exposure than any other Brazilian novelist due to film adaptations of his three novels, e-book versions, publicity policies and constant interaction with his readers through his blogs. His works thus become worthy of scholarly study.

A characteristic feature of the archetypal theme of the hero’s journey is symbolism. Symbols are signs which are not intermediaries for their objects but are vehicles for the conception of objects (Langer, 1951, p. 61). In discussing things, we have conceptions of them, not simply the things; it is the conceptions, not the things, that symbols directly mean (Langer, 1951, p. 61). Symbols help Coelho describe the protagonist’s journey – both physical and psychological – towards self-awakening or self-discovery. When the protagonist overcomes internal and external obstacles during the journey, symbols act to destroy personal negativities and help the protagonist retain hope (Joshi, 2017, p. 7). Coelho’s use of symbols varies from animal to religious symbols, as he uses dogs, fountains and even a cross as symbols. Symbols manifest the collective unconscious, the implicate order of human existence (Jung, 1969, p. 286).

“Symbols, particularly those that endure, can be seen as the visual manifestation of archetypes. The greater the appeal and attraction of such symbols, and the longer that attraction endures, the more likely it is to connect to the deepest levels of the collective unconscious” (Jung, 1969, p. 287).

The Alchemist

The Alchemist, published by Harper Collins Publications in 1998, is the story of a boy who dreams of a treasure and undertakes a long journey to find it, only to realise that the treasure lies at his own home. As cited by Arash Hejazi, the story is based on a fable that appears in book VI of The Mathanawi written by the thirteenth-century Iranian poet Rumi and is also found in the Arabian One Thousand and One Nights (Hejazi, 2009). The story even appears in the English folktale The Pedlar of Swaffham (1870), and Australian author Leo Perutz has based his novel Night under the Stone Bridge (1952) on the same plot. Later, Jorge Luis Borges adopted the story in his short story ‘Historia de los dos que Sonaron’ (1974), becoming Coelho’s inspiration. An alchemist is a person or a chemist practising alchemy principles like transforming base metals into gold. He can also be considered a wizard who attempts to make special elixirs curing illness and impart immortality. Hence, the Alchemist is an expert seeking an elixir of life, a panacea for all diseases and the ‘philosopher’s stone’.

In the context of The Alchemist, Alchemy is a symbol of the spiritual enlightenment of Santiago, the protagonist of the novel, and is about converting lower metals into higher ones. Symbolically, spiritual enlightenment transforms human consciousness from a lower to a higher level. In his early twenties, Santiago, a young shepherd from an Andalusian Mountain village in Spain, learns alchemy and achieves his highest destiny at different stages of his journey. He has attended a seminary, knows Spanish, Latin and theology, and likes to read books. His dream was to travel to parts of the world, while his farmer parents wanted him to be a priest. However, for Santiago, travelling was ‘much more important than knowing God and learning about man’s sins’ (Coelho, 1998). Since only the rich or the shepherds can travel, Santiago becomes a shepherd, as his father agrees. His father, too, once dreamed of travelling, but the dream got buried under the responsibilities of life. It made him understand Santiago’s dream and allowed his son to discover the world. The novel thus narrates Santiago’s journey towards his treasure, overcome by various obstacles that transformed him for the greater good.

Review of Literature:

While The Alchemist is a symbolic representation of man’s insatiable quest to search for his place in the world and also the ultimate search for the meaning of life and the universe (Raina, 2017, p.6), it also uses one or more animals as symbols around which the story revolves (Lakshmi & Mani, 2018, p. 313). Coelho’s use of animal symbolism makes animals act like vehicles to the reader through which the stories revolve and are the manifestations of the characters concerned (Lakshmi & Mani, 2018, p. 313). Moreover, The Alchemist uses the techniques of magical realism but endows them with a visionary quality, promoting the notion that each of us is destined for a treasure (Hart, 2010, p. 312). This notion makes the entire novel symbolic, giving the protagonist’s journey a symbolic meaning. It makes its readers feel that each of them has a magical dream buried deep down within them and that it is up to them to search the reality around them until they finally discover where the magic is (Hart, 2010, p. 312). A specific category of symbolism, such as animal symbolism, thus becomes a part of the already symbolic novel. While Coelho expresses himself through the protagonist Santiago (Geetha & Thambi, 2018, p. 98), the transformational journey of the self is also evident in the character Englishman (Mirafuentes et al., 2015, p. 175).

Coelho’s narratives are generally recognisable and highly symbolic of the migrant experience (road, trains, airports, language schools, religious differences, translations, cultural shock, home, longing, memory and identity crisis) (Murta, 2018, p. 17). Therefore, they strike emotional chords (pathos) with a transnational audience, and thematically, the transnational or the migrant experience leads to self-improvement (Murta, 2018, p. 17). Symbolism in The Alchemist could also be seen when we consider how the idea of “Ithaca” is expressed in the novel. For Coelho, the concept called “Ithaca” by the philosopher Constantine Cavafy is the ethical philosophy of life. All his novels appear to be based on the theme of the poem Ithaca (More, 2015, p. 19). Ithaca is a metaphor for birth and death, a great journey we all have to make, whether we want to or not (More, 2015, p. 19). Such a statement, in turn, substantiates the argument that The Alchemist is a symbolic novel, and the life of the protagonist Santiago reveals the philosophy of existentialism, as Coelho used symbolism effectively to make the whole story of The Alchemist a symbol of one’s whole life (Makwana, 2018, p. 199). Paulo Coelho powerfully constructs his plots in the form of an odyssey and positions his characters in imbalanced situations where they feel discontented and puts them through a struggle to obtain meaning out of meaninglessness (Jondhale, 2021, p. 47). He guides them through transcendence leading to spiritual awakening, ultimately portraying them as evolved selves (Jondhale, 2021, p. 47).

Alchemy usually refers to heating metals in the laboratory to transform them into higher and better ones (Antony, 2015, p. 188). However, for Coelho, it means the personal transformation of the protagonist from a weak to a nobler character (Antony, 2015, p. 189). Thus, many pieces of research prove that The Alchemist is a novel in which the protagonist’s journey is symbolic of self-transformation in life. Still, only the relevance of animal symbolism has explicitly been focused on. This paper thus analyses the significant symbols in The Alchemist, without particular focus on any specific group of symbols, to understand the combined effect of those symbols on the novel.

Research Method:

The study of signs can be loosely defined as semiotics (Chandler, 2007, p. 1). Semiotics, also called semiology, was first used by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in the early twentieth century (Bouzida, 2014, p. 1001). He states that semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign (Eco, 1976, p. 7). Semiotics involves studying what we refer to as ‘signs’ in everyday speech but of anything which ‘stands for something else (Chandler, 2007, p. 2). Notwithstanding, the two essential customs in contemporary semiotics come from the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913) and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914).

The principal concept of Saussure’s theory was initiated from the thought of a dichotomy or duality basis in which, according to him, a sign consists of two focal components, namely signifier-the sound pattern (marker sound image) and signified- the concept (the outcome/the interpretation/conception of the signifier) (Yakin, 2014, p. 6). A signifier refers to something in a material form (physical) that explicitly exists and can be distinguished by human senses (Eco, 1976). On the other hand, signified denotes something literally and physically that does not exist on an abstract basis (Eco, 1976). Rather than Saussure’s model of the sign as an ‘independent dyad’, Peirce offered a triadic (three-section) model comprising of:

  1. The Representamen: The form which the sign takes (not material, however usually deciphered thus) – called by certain scholars the ‘sign vehicle’ (Chandler, 2007, p. 29).
  2. An Interpretant: Not an interpreter but rather the sense made of the sign (Chandler, 2007, p. 29).
  3. An Object: Something beyond the sign it refers to (a referent) (Chandler, 2007, p. 29).

Each of the three elements is fundamental to qualify as a sign. The sign is solidarity of what is represented (the object), how it is represented (the representamen) and how it is interpreted (the interpretant) (Chandler, 2007, p. 29).

Saussure also suggested that signs have certain limitations, subject to a system of conventions (Yakin, 2014, p. 7).

“For Saussure, something becomes a sign when it is mutually or commonly agreed upon as a sign by all those involved in the particular culture. In contrast to Saussure’s view, Peirce did not confine the existence of a sign as something that is purposely conveyed. For Peirce, anything can be a sign when someone has interpreted it as a sign, even though it was not purposely meant or communicated” (Yakin, 2014, p. 7).

Peirce’s ideology of sign encompasses everything, whether created by humans or not, as long as it can be grasped and acknowledged by their minds (Eco, 1976). Peirce’s model of semiotics thus expands the idea of ‘symbols’ in The Alchemist much more than Saussure’s model. The triadic model proposed by Peirce would also help find the meanings of the symbols extensively, as they could be studied by dissecting as representamen, interpretant and object, compared to Saussure’s dyadic model of semiotics. This research shall identify the significant symbols found in The Alchemist and assess their meanings through Peirce’s model of semiotics by splitting them into representant, interpretant and object. It shall then apply those meanings to the novel’s story to understand the impact of symbols in The Alchemist.

Discussion:

The following are the eight significant symbols found in The Alchemist, classified into representant, interpretant and object according to Peirce’s model of semiotics:

  1. Sheep and Wolf

As indicated by Michael Ferber in his book A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, sheep-raising was a critical practice in the Mediterranean islands’ uneven areas (2017, p. 200). He says that numerous current English expressions and a few maxims, some of the scriptural or old-style starting points, vouch for the proceeding with the presence of the universe of sheep (Ferber, 2017, p. 200). The term is non-exclusive in English, while the sheep are crowded in a herd and kept in a sheepfold, sheepcote or sheep pen. Ferber adds that the Bible is loaded with sheep similitudes, giving models from the Old Testament, for example, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have no shepherd” (1 Kgs 22.17). The New Testament makes Jesus Christ the shepherd of Israel (Ferber, 2017, p. 200). The old-style custom of peaceful verse, indicated in Homer yet commonly taken to date from Theocritus in the third century BC, depends on a romanticised and improved variant of the existence of shepherds and goatherds (Ferber, 2017, p. 201). Indeed, even two of Shakespeare’s plays, for instance, are peaceful: As You Like It and The Winter’s Tale.

Notwithstanding, the most energising piece of Ferber’s definition is the wolf’s thought, adding that the wolf is the conventional adversary of sheep (Ferber, 2017, p. 202). “Till the wolf and the sheep be joined together” appears to have been a Greek identical to “never” (Ferber, 2017, p. 202). Ferber adds that the prophet Isaiah notably envisions when the land is re-established to the Lord’s approval:

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them” (11.6).

In English poetry, adjectives such as harmless”, “humble”, and “simple” got attached to “sheep” and “lambs” (Ferber, 2017, p. 202). The novel introduces Santiago as a shepherd. Although Santiago sells his sheep to travel to Egypt’s Pyramids, he reflects on his life as a shepherd throughout the narrative. Many of the lessons he learns on his journey also reinforce things he discovered by being a shepherd. As Coelho writes,

 “The boy prodded them, one by one, with his crook, calling each by name. He had always believed that the sheep were able to understand what he said” (1998, p. 4).

 Santiago was close to his sheep, and talking to them apart from rearing was his hobby. However, when the king Melchizedek offered him a chance to find a treasure hidden for him in Egypt, he was ready to leave his folk for something uncertain.

“Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have” (Coelho, 1998, p. 23).

When we try to apply the definitions of sheep given by Michael Ferber to that of the sheep we see in The Alchemist, it must be noted that Santiago’s sheep act as a symbol that denotes peace, humbleness and simplicity. Being a shepherd himself, Santiago had a very close relationship with his sheep, thereby considering the sheep as a part of himself. The fact that Santiago is identified as a shepherd throughout the novel results from the same. As a shepherd, Santiago remained humble, calm, and straightforward throughout, even when he was robbed. Thus, the meanings attributed by Michael Ferber to the word ‘sheep’ complies with the symbol of sheep found in The Alchemist. The novel even attributes the sheep’s characteristics to their shepherd, identifying both as one with the same qualities.

  1. Umim and Thummim

While Umim and Thummim are fortune-telling stones that the character Melchizedek gives to Santiago in The Alchemist, no formal meanings or definitions can be found for the words and the stones they represent. However, considering the stones in the novel’s context, Umim and Thummim also address the human craving to surrender control and decision-making ability. The best lie on the planet, as expressed by Melchizedek, is that people do not control their destinies. Although Melchizedek is the person who offers the stones to Santiago, they additionally represent the very thing that he says Santiago ought to stay away from – confiding in something besides himself to settle on a choice. The stones are black and white, with their colours representing “yes” and “no” answers. In the novel, Melchizedek asks Santiago to use the stones whenever he needs to decide, particularly on questions that need a “yes” or “no” answer. Santiago kept both the stones in a cloth bag. He picked up one stone at random whenever he struggled to decide and proceeded according to the colour of the stone he picked up. It is interesting to note how blindly Santiago trusted the two stones in the novel. However, not all his decisions were based on the stone, as Santiago used them only during two challenging situations. His ideas of working in a glassware shop and suggesting changes to the shopkeeper were based on his instincts. In such a scenario, the stones appear to be beyond human instincts. If so, the question of how can two stones go beyond human consciousness to help make decisions remain unanswered.

  1. Alchemy

In the novel, Alchemy is considered a process initially just known bit-by-bit to the Englishman and Santiago. In both cases, the specifics of alchemy symbolise more significant life lessons. Alchemy is usually defined as a process in which a metal is purified to the extent that it becomes gold. As written by Coelho,

 “They were men who had dedicated their entire lives to the purification of metals in their laboratories; they believed that, if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the soul of the world. This Soul of the World allowed them to understand anything on the face of the earth because it was the language with which all things communicated. They called that discovery the Master Work -it was part liquid and part solid” (1998, p. 61). 

The Englishman clarifies that the quest for the ‘Master Work’, another term for Alchemy, in which chemists go through years cautiously contemplating and filtering metals, really filters the actual alchemists. Self-advancement goes inseparably from the improvement of the ‘Master Work’. From this, Santiago understands that one may seek after “a speculative chemistry of life,” wherein self-improvement results from the world’s investigation and different standards of the same chemistry to regular life practices.

  1. Al-Fayoum or The Oasis

 The Oasis or Al-Fayoum is considered a neutral territory in the desert tribal wars. In the novel, we can see that Santiago defies the elder chief at the Oasis with his vision of a future in which adversary fighters attack Al-Fayoum. There can be two explanations behind the Oasis symbol: first, the two sides of the tribal war have oases to secure. Thus, both have an essential shortcoming (or weak point). Second, the Oasis contains regular citizens, many of whom are women and children. Al-Fayoum, or Oasis, in this way, represents a lack of bias, yet life and flourishment.

  1. The Emerald Tablet 

The Emerald Tablet is seen as one of the speculative and noteworthy proprietaries of the Alchemists. It is a solitary emerald engraved with guidelines for finishing the Master Work: the making of the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life. These unique guidelines were, in this way, basic enough that they could be composed on the outside of a solitary stone. The Alchemist in the novel discloses to Santiago that Alchemists later started to doubt simplicity; thus, they made different messages and accumulated other data about the Master Work. According to him, many make progress toward the objective of the Master Work, however, with no accomplishments. Hence, the Emerald Tablet symbolises the significance of simplicity as a value.

  1. Pyramids of Egypt

As indicated by Michael Ferber, the Pyramids of Egypt, existent for the past 5,000 years, have entered literature as bywords for impermanence or the futile vainglory of rulers (Ferber, 2017, p. 171). He says that the inception of the word ‘pyramid’ is obscure, yet to the Greeks, it was recommended: “pyr” (fire). Plato felt that since the pyramid, or tetrahedron, was the most versatile, the littlest, and the keenest of the ideal (Platonic) solids, it was “the component and seed of fire”. Likewise, it was thought to take after a fire (Ferber, 2017, p. 172).

Throughout the novel, the Pyramids of Egypt are Santiago’s ultimate objective, as they mark the location of the treasure he was looking. Consequently, the pyramids represent his legend. The pyramids are hidden in a secret view, taking extraordinary exertion to find them across the desert. They are considered a dazzling accomplishment of design and human achievement on the grounds and symbolise Santiago’s journey’s trouble and the beauty of the same journey coming to an end with an accomplishment.

  1. The Abandoned Church

 The Abandoned church in Spain marks the novel’s beginning and end. It can be seen that Santiago longs for his fortune while dozing in the imploded church toward the start of the book, and he gets back to the same place to discover his fortune at the end. The unwanted church thus represents his own home. The home may not necessarily be a physical place but a feeling attributed to Santiago’s mind – a feeling of familiarity. Since Santiago eventually did not have to venture out any physical distance to discover his fortune, which was in his own country, he could discover the same fact only through a venture. The Abandoned church’s significance is thus related to Egypt’s Pyramids because the journey to the Pyramids made Santiago find his treasure at the church. The abandoned church may be damaged, broken and worn-out as it was abandoned. If the abandoned church symbolises home (as a feeling), the church is ‘abandoned’ and symbolises a broken heart. Thus, in the broken heart of Santiago, he could find his treasure.

  1. Gold

As per Ferber’s dictionary, gold is the first metal (Ferber, 2017, p. 91). “Gold, similar to fire bursting/in the evening, sparkles transcendent amid noble riches”, says Greek verse artist Pindar (Race, 1997, p. 1). Its excellence and virtue gave it divine status in scriptural and old-style culture; un-tarnish-able and subsequently godlike, it has a place with the divine beings – “Gold is the offspring of Zeus” (Race, 1997, p. 86). “Golden” is applied to whatever is ideal or generally superb, like the golden guideline, the golden stanzas of Pythagoras, or the golden mean (Ferber, 2017, p. 91). The sun is golden – Pindar again has “the golden strength of the sun” (Race, 1997, p. 118), while Shakespeare has the sun’s “gold appearance” in Sonnet 18 (Shakespeare and Burrow, 2002, p. 417) – whereas the moon is silver. Gold consumes in another sense, for it is a profound risk, a reason for evil (Ferber, 2017, p. 91).

The symbols found in The Alchemist can be classified or divided as follows according to Peirce’s idea of signs:

Representant Interpretant Object
Sheep Santiago is introduced as a ‘shepherd’ Calmness, humbleness and simplicity
Umim and Thummim A black stone and a white stone stand for ‘yes’ and ‘no’, respectively Surrendering the mind to instincts or intuitions
Alchemy A process, somewhat of which was known to the characters Englishman and Santiago Purification of the mind copying certain chemical principles
Oasis A lush place where Santiago stays. The Oasis also gets invaded by enemy warriors in Santiago’s dreams A lack of bias, yet life and flourishment
Emerald Tablet An emerald engraved with instructions Simplicity as a value
Pyramids of Egypt Location of a treasure Personal legend
Abandoned Church Santiago sleeps in the church Home, in the sense that it is a mental state
Gold A metal, which is also an end-product of alchemy Anything of tremendous value

Table1: Symbols found in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist are classified or divided according to Peirce’s sign model.

Conclusion:

Daniel Chandler argues that every text is a system of signs organised according to codes and sub-codes, which reflect particular values, attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and practices (Chandler, 2007, p. 157). While writing, we select and join signs concerning the codes we are familiar with. Codes make it simpler to impart encounters providing better communication experiences. In understanding writings, we decipher signs regarding what seems to be the appropriate codes to restrict their potential implications (Chandler, 2007, p. 157). He adds that textual codes do not decide the content’s implications. However, dominant codes constrain them. Social conventions guarantee that signs cannot mean whatever an individual needs them to mean. The utilisation of codes helps direct us toward what Stuart Hall calls ‘a preferred reading’ and away from what Umberto Eco calls ‘aberrant decoding. Be that as it may, media messages do not fluctuate in the degree to which they are not entirely clear (Hall, 1980, p. 134).

Consequently, all interpretations are systems of signs: they signify rather than represent, and they do as such with essential reference to codes instead of reality (Chandler, 2007, p. 160). As Catherine Belsey notes, ‘realism is possible not because it reflects the world, but because it is constructed out of what is (discursively) familiar’ (Belsey, 1980, p. 47). Realism becomes relative, dictated by the system of representation standard for a given culture or individual at a given time (Goodman, 1968, p. 37).

When we inferred and attributed meanings that were socially ‘accepted’ and ‘familiar’ in literature to random symbols found in The Alchemist, their meanings seemed to ‘adjust’ with codes rather than reality. It is not possible to assume whether Coelho deliberately used the symbols found in the novels. However, they stand as a sign vehicle, carrying their meanings determined by specific ‘codes’. Even though open-ness drives symbols and their meanings to appear to be expected after some time, we need to figure out how to ‘read’ such symbols. Reading the symbols thus becomes mechanical and confined to specific forms or structures. Thus, the structure made The Alchemist a famous novel, provided the readers were already trained to think and read standing amidst that structure.

Declaration of Conflict of Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Funding

No funding has been received for the publication of this article. It is published free of any charge.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Vidya S and Dr Chandan Kumar, Assistant Professors, Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, for their valuable guidance and support in providing feedback on my ideas and thoughts. My understanding of semiotics would not have been complete without their help.

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Hart, S. M. (2010). Cultural Hybridity, Magical Realism, and the Language of Magic in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Romance Quarterly, 51(4), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.3200/rqtr.51.4.304-312.

Hejazi, A. (2009, October 15). The Alchemy of the Alchemist: How Paulo Coelho became the most translated living author for the same book. Arash Hejazi. http://english.arashhejazi.com/alchemy-of-the-alchemist/.

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Rajat Sebastian is a Research Scholar of English Studies at the Department of English and Cultural Studies, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India. He holds an MA in English with Cultural Studies from the same university. Apart from being a freelance photographer, his academic interests focus on the relationship between symbols and their meanings through textual and philosophical approaches, especially semiotics.

Multimedisation of Contemporary Art in the Context of Globalisation and European Integration

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Svitlana Derkach1, Myroslava Melnyk2, Volodymyr Fisher3, Volodymyr Moiseienko4 & Oleh Chystiakov5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Department of Variety Directing and Mass Festivals, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Kyiv, Ukraine. Email: mmelnyk@nuos.pro

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 2, April-June, 2022, Pages  https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n2.23

First published: June 26, 2022 | Area: Digital Humanities | License: CC BY-NC 4.0

(This article is published under Volume 14, Number 2, 2022)
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Abstract

Modernity has given humanity such a quality of public life as globalisation in its various spheres. As the common root of this concept with the word “globe” suggests, it refers to an object that unites the whole world, including its most remote, unexplored corners into a single whole. The positive side of this phenomenon is the universal involvement in progressive trends in the history (meaning its modern stage) of mankind, the opportunity to acquire sources of fresh knowledge about the world, improvement of the quality of being in general. This also applies to such a sphere of consciousness as art, in particular, to its samples that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As is known, it absorbed the whole huge complex of achievements of the cultural fund of previous eras, integrated various, sometimes very distant artistic traditions, schools, and their stylistic orientation into a single whole, also bringing its own new and unique word – extraordinary complexity, ambiguity, paradoxicity, and unpredictability of content. The energy of the experiment penetrates into the sphere of contemporary art as its integral quality, the most important component. In this regard, the interaction of artistic creativity with engineering science, including the latest achievements of information and communication technology software, becomes logically conditioned and natural. They are also designed to provide considerable assistance to the authors of works of modern culture in terms of the updated design of ideas and their presentation to the audience in a unique innovative format. Thus, the problem of studying the multimedisation of contemporary art in the context of globalisation and European integration becomes natural and urgent.

Keywords: integration of art and technical sciences; stages of computerisation of culture; digitalisation of artistic creativity; objects of innovation; interdisciplinary synthesis.

Introduction

Multimedia, as it is known, is an integral complex developed by components such as hardware and software that provide the creation of texts, graphic structures, sound series and blocks, including visual images (Prokopenko et al., 2019; Smirnov, 2021). Of no small importance is also the factor of the possibility of not only contemplation (a linear way of implementing a project), but also a person’s direct participation in creating a complex media composition in real time (a nonlinear or interactive way of implementing a project). An example of the latter is computer games. As for the complete set of media equipment for the updated and qualitatively modernised presentation of samples of high culture, both past and present, it has passed a certain path of evolution, which was facilitated by the active work of researchers aimed at finding and creating devices for recording, storing, and processing information with unlimited possibilities.

In the depths of mass culture, the prerequisites for the multimedisation of artistic creativity were born, which led to its qualitatively new appearance and the possibilities of functioning in society. The most powerful incentive for this process was the emergence and distribution of the portable Portapak video camera in the 1960s, which allowed its owner to become a director of a new format with wider opportunities for fixing the environment and further “editing” its objects (Eliner, 2013).

Recording audio data in the form of files on various media using a personal computer appeared in the early 1990s. However, the large volume of material and the limited size of available information storage devices did not allow using this type of source fixation to the full. The development of algorithms for encoding and compressing audio information gave rise to the widespread of digital audio file format. The main difference between these models of data fixation, storage and transmission from the previous info media was the absence of restrictions on the mandatory compliance of the audio source with the media format. An audio file recorded once could be saved and transferred by copying to many other devices, such as hard and optical disks, flashcards. The most important foundation for a breakthrough in this area was the creation of such models of digital media as CDs. In April 1982, Philips demonstrated the first player designed for them, and their production was opened in the same year. The CD-ROM was a model of a new sample designed to record and save audio, video recordings, and media information in general. It became a breakthrough in the field of creating modernised media, replacing phonograph records (Levyk et al., 2020).

In January 1998, the DVD Forum’s Working Group 4 (WG4) presented a draft DVD-Audio standard that allows recording phonograms with a different number of audio channels. The final version of the DVD-Audio 1.0 model was approved in February 1999 and presented in March of the same year. From 1998, Sony and Philips began to promote an alternative Super Audio CD to the market. It combines several formats in a single medium. With the Direct Stream Transfer lossless compression scheme developed by Philips, this disc allows one to store stereo material in a time volume of up to 74 minutes, up to six channels of DSD material simultaneously. At the end of 1999, Pioneer released the first DVD-Audio player in Japan. In July 2000, Matsushita produced universal DVD-Audio and DVD-Video players under the trademarks Panasonic, Technics, Pioneer, JVC, Yamaha.

In January 2004, Sony introduced the Hi-MD media carrier format as a further development of the MiniDisc model. It could store one gigabyte of information and be used not only for audio recording, but also for storing documents, videos, and photographs. Thus, the renewal of the engineering and technical base, which provides ample opportunities for fixing, saving, and processing information, including a radical transformation of its content in general, served as a platform for expanding the scope of contemporary art, both in terms of the character of its images, themes, ideas, plots, and in the field of broadcasting material of innovative art projects. Information and communication technologies appeared to be, on the one hand, a means of integrating different cultures into a single space, on the other hand, they provided access to discoveries and achievements in the field of software to an unusually wide range of users around the world (Haydanka, 2020; Levyk et al., 2020; Prokopenko & Omelyanenko, 2020). This, as a result, became a prerequisite for Euro integration of cultural traditions, more broadly, globalisation in general.

Materials and methods

Modernity has offered mankind a rich arsenal of information and communication technology software. As is known, over a certain period of time, it was developed, updated and accumulated components that had a direct impact on the level of complexity and perfection that the computer sphere demonstrates today. The process of origin and further development, the interaction of such different fields as artistic creativity and the technical sector, served as the main material for the research undertaken by the author in this publication. As methods of studying information sources, temporal analysis (a review of the evolution of the interaction of works of art and multimedia), system analysis (a set of categories updated as a result of a combination of cultural samples and software, including revolutionary in internal structure), the principle of generalisation of the information obtained concerning the multimedisation of contemporary art were applied.

The way of modernisation of cultural works, connected with the computer design of their individual components, unfolded progressively, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Multimedisation, as a voluminous complex phenomenon, has a rich and interesting history of its development and enrichment. The beginning of this process was the phonograph silent film. The first was responsible for fixing and transmitting the sound source, the second for recording, preserving, and broadcasting visual images (from short films to longer and voluminous ones). Later, as is known, there was a successful unification of audio and video series into a complete complex, the quality of which gradually improved due to progress in the development of engineering technologies. Cinematography has allowed almost all types of art performance (rites and rituals, theatrical productions, musical performance in all its varieties, and the performance of speakers) to be translated into a new format of the engineering industry. It was its modernisation, the discovery of information and communication technologies, digital software that led to those modern examples of multimedia art that are available to the audience now. At the early stage of the introduction of electronic media into artistic practice, the emphasis was on the character of audio design (sound accompaniment of art projects). Its qualitative updating and improvement produced the necessary “new expressiveness” effect, offered the possibility of showing new (related, among other things, to the world of fiction) images (Romaniuk, 2016). Afterwards, the latest software became responsible for creating the visual side of works of art. The fact that a modern electronic engineering system implies, as one of its properties, a communicative aspect, appears to be direct evidence and link in the integration of Russian culture into the Euro Union, more broadly, its active participation in such a phenomenon of the late 20th – early 21st centuries as globalisation (Aleksandrova et al., 2018; Sabadash et al., 2020). The gradual qualitative improvement of devices, components of audio and video recording, the creation of complex equipment and algorithms for recreating the picture of the world by means of digital software have provided humanity with the opportunity to learn art in all its depth, complexity, and immensity. Multimedisation not only allows artists of the present time to implement the most daring experiments in the field of creativity, reflection of reality, embodiments of ideas, but also ensures the universal dissemination of works, their creation by companies uniting representatives of various cultures, peoples, artistic traditions (Kokbas et al., 2020). In this regard, the objective phenomenon of modernity – Euro integration and globalisation – discloses its positive, deeply progressive side.

It is also necessary to consider the factor of the indispensable presence of a responsible attitude to the content of works of art that are currently emerging. The means of the engineering and technical base (including its latest models) are designed to serve the maintenance and continuous renewal of the humanistic component of the existence of the world society (Stepanchuk et al., 2016). Following the classical standards of the high culture of the past is a mission for the authors of the 21st century, contributing not only to the preservation of the great creations of past eras but also to the creation of a meaningful, deeply innovative culture that promotes progress in both the material and spiritual spheres of human life (Orazbayeva & Nurgali, 2017; Turysbek et al., 2021).

Results

Being an inherently unique phenomenon, multimedisation took the form that it is today through the gradual implementation and enrichment of its individual components in the context of world creative practice: video and audio series; technical processing of material obtained in the external environment; synthesis of all aspects of an art project into a single whole. The present time testifies that technological progress, including, also, the factor of multimedisation of modern art, has become a deep and solid base for communication, interaction, unification of individual countries and nationalities, due to new opportunities to learn and discover the whole world, unknown and distant, to improve the quality of life in general (Khrypko et al., 2020).

Stages of multimedisation of art: fixation and broadcasting of artistic creativity by means of video engineering (silent film); fixation and broadcasting of artistic creativity by means of audio engineering (radio operas, radio performances, radio concerts); fixation and broadcasting of artistic creativity by means of both video and audio engineering (sound cinema, television); fixation and broadcasting of individual elements and images associated with the idea of embodying an unreal, fantastic world by means of computer engineering; showing an artistic (modern type) composition that is based entirely on the achievements of digital technology software; showing an artistic composition synthesising computer graphics and classical elements of art.

Thus, the course of the renewal of the art sphere is a voluminous and meaningful evolution of its appearance, inextricably linked with the modernisation of the engineering and technical base, which ensures the recording and preservation (in the present period – long-term) of the developments of artists, creative groups, and entire peoples.

In reviewing materials devoted to the study of the problems of multimedisation of culture, the integration of individual artistic traditions into the world community (Euro integration, more broadly – globalisation), the categories of objects that play a key role in this area were determined, since each of them is an integral part of the general context of the phenomenon under consideration. Table 1 demonstrates the complex of the leading elements of the modernisation of art in the conditions of technological progress and the emergence of communicative sources to a new level.

Table 1. The modernising value of the multimedisation

Multimedisation as a process and areas of its transformative impact
Professional branches and specialities: art design, media design, sound design, software design. Spheres of public cultural life: media art. Genres: animated films, movies and television films, media art projects of the latest sample: installations and hyperliterature. Engineering and technical base: the latest equipment related to discoveries concerning software, means of fixation, storage, and processing of the material. The perception of cultural values and artistic thinking: the movement towards direct dialogue between the authors of art projects and the audience, the expansion of ideas about the cultural heritage of mankind and distant artistic traditions through the use of information and communication technologies.

Multimedisation of cultural objects and, in particular, contemporary art is inextricably linked with the opening of new branches of specialised activity of representatives of the field of art (art design, sound design, media design, software design). They arose as a response to the need for professional development of the latest achievements of information and communication technology software, to modernise the presentation of art samples and improve their fixation, storage, and in some cases – restoration, processing, radical transformation to obtain the necessary effects of exposure to all possible means of expression.

There are also absolutely new socio-cultural niches that did not exist before – media art. Modernisation of the technology of creation, design, and broadcasting of samples of contemporary art has led to the establishment of a new branch in the life of society – media art, which includes ample opportunities to familiarise the audience with various types of artistic practices. Such practices are orators’ performances, ceremonies and ritual actions, theatrical performances, musical performance (solo, collective, vocal, mixed instrumental), synthetic compositions combining the listed types of artistic reflection of reality.

In accordance with the evolution of the engineering and technological base, genres that embody the present (animated films, films and television films, media art projects of the latest model: installations and hyperliterature) appear. They represent a holistic and organic synthesis of such components as the performance of an actor or musician, sound and visual series, director’s dramaturgy and the actual technique of processing all available material by a group of specialists involved in the creation of an art project. Engineering and technical support is being modernised, providing new inventions that allow the implementation of the largest art projects in terms of volume and complexity. The newest components contributing to the fixation, storage, processing, and transmission of works of modern artistic practice include the latest models of compact discs, flashcards, portable and large stationary laptops, mobile devices. It is also important to update the internal content of technical means by expanding their capabilities regarding the volume of received and stored information and ways of processing it.

An updated type of thinking is emerging, based on the development of intellectual imagery and sensory modelling. This fact is due to the eternal desire of the creative personality to expand the scope of opportunities for self-fulfilment, the implementation of new ideas, the disclosure of broad horizons in the conventional field of activity. In many ways, the process of “mental revolution”, “modernisation of perception and thinking” is due to the active use by modern authors of the principle of experimentation in creativity. The latest digital technologies provide unlimited possibilities in this regard. A logically conditioned phenomenon of interdisciplinary relations appears, the leading sides of which are such different spheres as artistic creativity and engineering and technical field. Finally, the very process of perception of cultural samples by the audience, its interaction with the participants of art projects is transformed in the area of the implementation of the “dialogue of the parties”. Thus, listeners and viewers begin to take an active part in the construction of a compositional plot and its implementation. Examples of such interaction are various kinds of installations, where observers can change the layout of the composition at will, both indoors and outdoors. The reader can also take the initiative, during a virtual acquaintance with the works of hyperliterature, adjusting the course of the plot and creating its final result.

The result of all the above is the development of such a unique phenomenon as multimedisation of culture. It, according to I. Eliner (2009), permeates the entire information space, all social systems, no boundaries affect it. Its solid foundation includes the principle of dialogue, communication and interrelationships between representatives of various, sometimes very distant artistic traditions and schools provided by modern multimedia (Figure 1). Media culture is a phenomenon that embodies a comprehensive type of modern artistic practice, directly related to the processes of Euro integration and globalisation. It serves as an indicator of cognition of the mentality and, in particular, the creative traditions of other peoples.

Figure 1. The constituent elements of multimedia culture

The Euro integration contributes to the deep and comprehensive assimilation of the artistic traditions of the peoples of Europe (both past and present) by national representatives of culture, and to the familiarisation, comprehensive study and disclosure of the achievements of national creativity by people inhabiting other countries (Kostiukevych et al., 2020). It offers the possibility of using the latest information and communication technologies to a huge number of users, which contributes to the popularisation of culture all over the world. The latest engineering developments, including those aimed at creating ultramodern compositions, contribute to globalisation, both in a purely technological and ideological-humanistic context.

Discussion

Globalisation and, in particular, the modernisation of the artistic sphere, is one of those objects that modern specialists actively study. Thus, the issue of scientific and cultural cooperation in the context of the integration of individual countries into the world community is considered in the study by E. Myronchuk (2019). The author explores the role and promising areas of transformation of international scientific cooperation in the context of globalisation. The leading forms and methods of international scientific exchange in the modern world system are characterised there. The mechanisms of internationalisation of international scientific and innovative interaction and its consideration as an instrument ensuring the rapid transition of the national economy to stable, intensive, full-scale development are analysed.

International cooperation in the field of innovation is also gaining one of the leading places in the field of modern research. In particular, researchers consider its role in the functioning of organisations and institutions, in the work of an individual and a group of individuals, entire countries. The authors also provide meta-principles as guidelines (instructions) for maintaining safe and successful international cooperation in the field of science and technology (Klueting et al., 2021).

Culture and globalisation are phenomena inseparable from each other at the present time. The evidence of this is the study of I. Oyekola (2018).

Recently, much attention has been paid to issues related to globalisation and culture, especially since the beginning of the 21st century. The main concern is the impact of globalisation on the creation and regulation of “world culture”, and the contribution of culture to the process of globalisation. From the very beginning, it should be noted that globalisation is both a cause and a consequence of cultural diversity and cultural similarity. Consequently, the continuous spread of cultures generates three possibilities. Firstly, a strong culture dominates the smaller ones (convergent thesis). Secondly, cultural interaction leaves the identity of each culture untouched (or unaffected), thereby creating a real gap between the cultures of the world (divergent thesis). Thirdly, the mixing of cultures generates a unique culture (combined thesis). To solve these problems, questions of explaining the general phenomenon of culture and globalisation are raised, and then the listed three options for the spread of culture around the world are discussed. (Oyekola, 2018).

Globalisation and the culture of education are becoming the leading subject of A. Verbrugge’s (2010) research. They are also addressed by I. Rifai: “Globalisation affects world society in economic, social, political, cultural, and many other aspects. With powerful technological advances, this impact has intensified in the last few years. This is a considerable moment for the educational sector as well. The study presents various dimensions of globalisation, taken from different sources, and suggests conclusions that the leaders of the educational sphere can make to manage the challenges of a globalised world. Countries have no choice but to adapt to the changes that have suddenly hit them economically, politically, and culturally. Education is seen as a way to interact with this phenomenon. A thorough analysis of the scale of globalisation and its consequences can be a positive start in terms of efforts to develop appropriate policies related to the development of education. Localisation and individualisation should be considered as two main aspects of globalisation in general and learning in particular (Rifai, 2013; Yereskova et al., 2020). The theory of culture in the life of modern society is becoming an actual subject of study by specialists of the present time. Thus, the role of common cultural models, the problems of their design and the possibilities of providing information to a wide audience are explored by A. Smith and T. French (2003).

Cultural interface as a phenomenon is covered by: M. Azeem, A. Tariq, F. Javed, and M. Butt (2015): “The World Wide Web has reduced the distance between its users, but it is still difficult to find a common interface model for everyone. People living in different parts of the world represent different cultures, religions, and traditions. It is necessary to develop a universal user interface that is in accordance with the user’s culture. The study provides a detailed overview of recent research in the field of the influence of culture on the design of metaphors and examines the problems and issues related to the localisation of metaphors in different cultures”.

World culture in metaphors is analysed by the researcher Z. Kövecses (2010). The leading subject of the researcher’s publication appears to be a “conceptual metaphor” consisting of a set of correspondences or mappings between the “source” and the “target” domain. The renewal of consciousness through culture, including through its multimedisation, comes to the fore in the publication of a group of specialists: J. Kwon, A. Glenberg and M. Varnum (2020): “In this study, we explore the dynamic relationship between culture, body, and embodied cognition from the standpoint that mental processes cannot be separated from our physical actions, body morphology, sensorimotor systems, and physiological characteristics. Firstly, the embodiment scheme can be useful for investigating the emergence of cultural psychological variations. Culture is a product of a cognitive system that primarily developed to control the body through its surroundings, and therefore must be sensitive to the natural and stable features of the environment that restrain bodily processes. Consideration of the environmental impact on collective sensorimotor experiences can provide useful information about how psychological variations occur at the group level. Moreover, embodied processes play an important role in cultural transmission, due to which such variations are preserved. Secondly, we argue that the consideration of the influence of culture on bodily processes can offer a new understanding of embodied cognition. Culture defines physical activity and changes existing assumptions about the interactions of the body and the environment, shaping the physical and social realities of people. Culture also shapes people’s chronic sensorimotor experiences through norms that regulate how we dispose of our bodies and how we should feel. Thirdly, we assert that culture-related embodied processes can ultimately facilitate the exchange of meaning within a group, determining how an action should be understood in different contexts. Finally, we show that this structure, combining culture, ecology, and embodied cognition, is capable of generating new hypotheses and providing a set of new predictions and conclusions arising from this synthesis”.

Globalisation (and the implementation of localisation principles in its depths) using the latest achievements of computer technology software is covered in the study of J. Byrne (2009). The specialist discussed the work of an entire industry, striving to ensure that engineering devices overcome the gap between different languages and cultures, imperceptible to users of the global Internet. This structure can be represented by the abbreviation GILT, consisting of globalisation, internationalisation, localisation, and translation. It is a consolidated process through which companies put into effect the procedures and mechanisms necessary for effective functioning in the global market.

Culture and information and communication technologies (globalisation and interfaces) are investigated in the study by the authors: E. Duncker, J. Sheikh, and B. Fields (2013). Experts give an overview of cross-cultural interface design solutions combining cross-language information retrieval and cross-cultural design. According to researchers, internationalisation does not require changing the user interface. It provides a general way of understanding this phenomenon on a global scale without changing its design in relation to each of the individual cultures. Multimedisation (and the important role of music) in the field of mobile phone applications is also becoming an object of research. In particular, the features of the most common audio and video formats are discussed (Xin, 2009).

Cultural thinking in the context of globalisation is analysed in detail in the study of O. Polishchuk. Thus, the specialist introduces readers to such categories of the sphere under consideration as “artistic and imaginative thinking”, “design thinking”. The author also warns against the trend of technicalisation of culture, urging to preserve the best humanistic traditions of both Ukraine and the world powers, observing the laws of harmony inherent in art in general (Polishchuk, 2021). The role of innovative technologies in the development of social, political, economic, and cultural life of society is of crucial importance for researchers of the problem stated in the title of this publication. The motivation for a positive attitude, with regard to software, which becomes a means of redistributing ideas, cultural achievements, and means of preserving progress, is covered in the publication by L. Kalinichenko (2011).

The protection of society and humanistic values, their role in ensuring progress are highlighted in the study of P. Ostolski (2021). In particular, the researcher determines the functional value of individual elements of culture that contribute to maintaining security in the life of society (Buribayev et al., 2020). They are represented by such components as the intellectual sphere, emotional potential, ethical values. According to the author, they are capable of updating their content and expanding their scope.

The responsiveness of culture in the context of globalisation and Euro integration is considered in the study by D. Alt and N. Raichel (2021). The aim of the authors is to cover the development of cultural evaluation of various artistic traditions belonging to other nationalities. Intercultural integration, in particular the creation of multicultural teams, is being studied to discover the most effective ways of cooperation between specialists in various fields at the international level (D’Iribarne et al., 2020).

The unification of multicultures into an integral group – as a factor of the success of training of all participants of this community is also analysed in modern science. In particular, the cultural patterns underlying the team learning model and having a direct impact on the processes and conditions of learning in a team are investigated (Cseh, 2003; Bidaishiyeva et al., 2018; Bhate et al., 2021). Intercultural dialogue is the key to economic stability and progress, as evidenced by the study of specialists: A. Bhate, L. McCusker, and M. Prasad [40]. The role of social networks in the functioning of culture is studied by B. Erickson (2021). Thus, upon analysing the fate of individuals through social networks, the author gets a visual picture of the probability of future events in the life of society. However, the problem of multimedisation of contemporary art in the context of globalisation and Euro integration is still open and requires thorough research.

Conclusions

As evidenced by the material of this publication, the modern era has offered to the world such bright phenomena as the integration of art and technical sciences (interdisciplinary synthesis of areas and spheres of activity); computerisation of culture; digitalisation of artistic creativity, in particular the modern art sector. Having become an object of innovation, the considered branch of humanitarian thinking raised the interest of various traditions in relation to each other, contributed to familiarisation with outstanding examples of their heritage and, as a result, unification into a single information and technical space (Euro integration, more broadly – globalisation).

The process of multimedisation has been going on gradually for over a hundred years. It began with the invention of silent film. No less urgent was the problem of providing high-quality audio accompaniment of works of art and, primarily, samples of the art performance. This stimulated the powerful development of the sound industry, as a result of which mankind acquired various models of engineering devices designed to fix, store, expand, and process artistic sources. The idea of synthesising technological achievements in the field of the visual and sound design of compositions appeared to be progressive. Finally, the use of images, scenes, and integral storylines created using digital technology software appeared to be a breakthrough in the field of intellectual activity of mankind. The result of the technical renovation of works of art was the emergence of specialities that did not exist before sound design, software design, art design, engineering design. A whole branch in the life of society originates – media art. Genres such as installation, hyperplot (more broadly, the area called hyperliterature), art projects are born. The broadcast of works of art is being updated, aimed at creating a direct dialogue between the participants of the media performance and the audience. All of the above leads to the expansion of the boundaries of perception by the viewer and listener of the creations presented by various authors at the present time.

Undoubtedly, the multimedisation of contemporary art is a phenomenon created by the combined efforts of various countries, schools, and trends. This, in turn, is a reflection of globalisation and, at the same time, the basis that contributes to its further development. There are a number of unexplored, unique, rich and long in history of cultures, the discovery and renewal of which are also possible due to technological progress and the integration of individual nationalities into the world community, the future of which will ensure respect for the high artistic ideals of other nations.

Declaration of Conflict of Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Funding

No funding has been received for the publication of this article. It is published free of any charge.

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Art and Culture in the Diplomatic Ceremonial as the Basis of International Relations

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Oksana Zakharova

1Department of Art Management and Technology Events, National Academy of Management of Culture and Arts, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: o.zakharova@tanu.pro

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 2, April-June, 2022, Pages  https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n2.16

First published: June 26, 2022 | Area: Performance Studies | License: CC BY-NC 4.0

(This article is published under Volume 14, Number 2, 2022)
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Abstract

Currently, there is an increased interest in ceremonial culture. A ceremonial is a kind of cultural message from one social group of people to another. The basic idea of behaviour, the inner meaning of secular ceremonial is laid down in church rituals, and external forms of behaviour can be borrowed from the traditions of everyday secular life. Diplomacy as one of the spheres of applied politics is a very complex and responsible type of human activity, which has always had a pronounced ritual character. The conclusion of contracts and alliances took place according to a certain scenario plan, according to which the ceremonial action developed. During the preparation and holding of the ceremony, the exchange of diplomatic letters and embassies continued, solemn meetings were arranged for the honored guests, feasts, theatrical performances, games, and festivities were given in their honor. the purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive study of the communicative functions of diplomatic ceremonial in international communication based on the analysis and generalisation of new facts with the involvement of archival materials and other sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In this study, art is considered for the first time from the point of view of the communicative factor of a diplomatic ceremony. A ceremonial is an event in the life of society that has a symbolic meaning. The norms of ceremonial reflect not only ideology but also the social psychology of society, without an adequate interpretation of which it is impossible to correctly understand the behavior of statesmen in specific situations related to their official status.

Keywords: diplomacy; culture; art; political elite; ideology; society.

Introduction

By the beginning of the First World War, the Russian Empire was a state whose opinion could not be ignored. Court ceremonials, which emphasised the strength and power of the ruling dynasty, were the political programmes of the government (Golubev & Nevezhin, 2016; Gould-Davies, 2003). After the February Revolution of 1917, the politicisation of leisure became the most important feature of public life. Not only rituals, but also performances, concerts, and cinema sessions turned into political demonstrations. The Revolution used new artistic forms, decorations of demonstrations, processions, and mass celebrations. The origins of this phenomenon are in the mass celebrations of the French Revolution (Martin & Piller, 2021). The ceremonial action itself is a synthesis of the arts – pictorial design of space, music, choreography, and costume.

Already in the first years of Soviet power, the symbols of power entered “into the struggle for power.” At diplomatic ceremonies, this struggle was in the nature of a confrontation between European protocol traditions and the newly created rules of Soviet diplomatic etiquette by the staff of the Protocol Department of the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (ICID). The uniform at diplomatic receptions, concert programmes, the list of dishes served – everything had to meet the norms of Bolshevik ideology (Karyagin, 1994; How to Be Diplomatic, 2022). During the leadership of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs under V. Chicherin, Protocol Department under D.T. Florinsky is a collective of creative personalities who, without being afraid to experiment, developed norms of protocol practice that have been relevant for decades, compiled in 1923 by D.T. Florinsky’s “Brief Instruction on observing the rules of Etiquette adopted in bourgeois society” was taken as a basis for the creation in 1935 of a new manual on the protocol “Diplomatic Technique” (reprinted in 1938) (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 3. P. 101. D. 1. L. 20-25).

From the first years of its existence, the Protocol Department of the NKID (People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs) (until November 12, 1923 – the protocol division (protocol unit), took an active part in the preparation of foreign visits to the RSFSR (Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic), and since 1923 – to the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). In the 20-30s, Protocol Department employees were literally at the forefront of “diplomatic” relations, forming the foundations of Soviet protocol practice. Reports of D.T. Florinsky and comments on them by G.V. Chicherina are filled with interesting details that convey the atmosphere, and the spirit of the time with a lot of humor and self-irony. Elegant in form, they are very deep in content. Chicherin and Florinsky carefully analyse every situation that arises during visits, not to punish the guilty, but so that in the future such mistakes of the protocol service do not discredit the authorities, for many of whom the European diplomatic protocol is an external manifestation of bourgeois morality (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 8. P. 106. D. 6. L. 157-159).

In addition to the development of regulatory documents for the preparation and conduct of foreign visits, the Protocol Department staff actively participated in the organisation of diplomatic ceremonies with the participation of diplomats accredited in Moscow and their family members. The peculiarity of the diplomatic corps’ stay in Moscow was that the embassy staff were in an unusual socio-cultural environment, the value system which was formed by the norms of Bolshevik ideology. Using the methods of agitation and propaganda, the authorities sought to form a negative attitude among citizens towards modern European culture, representatives of which were, among others, employees of diplomatic agencies.

Diplomatic life and ceremonial culture after the formation of the USSR

From 1923 to 1929, the diplomatic corps in Moscow was distinguished by the cohesion of its members and at the same time isolation from Russian reality. But at the same time, from the point of view of the development of diplomatic ceremonial culture, the life of the diplomatic corps was very busy. Receptions at embassies were arranged almost daily and were built according to a certain scenario: during lunch – conversations about politics and art, then a dance or concert program. Many accredited diplomats in Moscow were engaged in collecting objects. So, the Ambassador of France, one of the best French journalists J. Erbet acquired a collection of objects from Ural malachite. The head of the German Embassy, Count Brakdorf-Rantzau, collected antique bronze. Norwegian diplomat Dr. Urbi collected icons. Just like the Latvian Ambassador K. Ozols (2026), he believed that a modern diplomat should spend two years in Moscow to consider himself a professional. The embassies of the Baltic states were practically under siege in Moscow, as states that the USSR wanted to seize into its sphere of influence. The aggressive policy of the authorities has led to the fact that the diplomatic corps has become even more united. Receptions were held quite often at the Latvian Embassy, they were attended not only by well-known journalists, but also by representatives of the Soviet elite (Ozols, 2016). The Lithuanian Embassy occupied a special position in Moscow, largely due to the personality of the envoy Jurgis Baltrushaitis – poet, translator of Byron, Ibsen, d Annunzio, Hamsun, Wilde, Strindberg. Of the Soviet diplomats, who also needed to be included in the diplomatic corps, the most significant was G.V. Chicherin, who was a brilliant pianist, a subtle connoisseur of musical culture.

Despite an active diplomatic life, the Italian writer C. Malaparte (2018) calls the Soviet capital a provincial city in which the creativity of European writers was preferred to the creativity of European fashion designers. The Soviet nobility tried to “try on” the lifestyle of the pre-revolutionary elite of Russian society, but copying the form, it did not care about the content, about its moral and spiritual origins. The traditions of pre-revolutionary secular life continued to develop at receptions at embassies, to which representatives of the Soviet creative intelligentsia were invited. Stalin did not take part in the events of the diplomatic corps, but at the same time the entire diplomatic corps “with one voice” praised the lifestyle of the leader, whom he compared to Bonaparte after 18 Brumaire (November 9), 1799, when the Directory was dispersed in France, and the government headed by Napoleon Bonaparte came to power. Stalin was a dictator, the communist nobility was against him, in the late 20s its representatives tried to imitate Paris, London, Berlin or New York manners (Malaparte, 2018). Notably, the embassies of fascist Italy and Nazi Germany were the peculiar centers of the diplomatic life of the capital of the USSR. In the 20s, the Italian Embassy played a leading role in the life of the diplomatic corps, forming programs of diplomatic receptions, in which, for example, dancing was replaced by playing bridge.

Sports, in particular tennis, united members of the diplomatic corps, but did not contribute to their rapprochement with Soviet colleagues, who for the most part came from a working-peasant environment, were neither practically nor psychologically ready to communicate with foreign diplomats. This problem was discussed in the language of art at one of the most striking events of Soviet diplomatic life in the early 30s – the ball at the German mission (1931), at which, during a theatrical performance, the Soviet protocol was criticized for being late, not knowing foreign languages, etc. (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 11. P. 109. D. 2. L. 73). During this period, ballroom ceremonial ceased to be a component of the state ceremonial culture, but it still remained an important component of European life. In diplomatic Moscow, balls were given not by official Soviet officials, but by members of the diplomatic corps.

It was the ballroom ceremonial, combining various types of arts, that allowed achieving the greatest emotional impact on those present, who, at the same time, were active participants in the ceremonial, owning a whole complex of relevant class norms. Of all the ceremonials, the ball had the utopian function to the greatest extent. Music, choreography, architectural decoration created an ideal environment from the point of view of artistic harmony. In the 30s, the staff of the German Embassy were the leaders of secular life, but at the same time, German diplomats did not seek to isolate the embassy and the entire diplomatic corps from the NKID staff, but were looking for ways to get closer to them. In particular, discussing protocol issues, for example, the appearance of a diplomat at official receptions.

When Hitler came to power in 1933, the music of R. Strauss and all modern German composers was banned in the USSR. Excluded were the repertoire of Wagner’s operas, which were performed on the stage of the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater – in the 1926-1927 season – “Meistersingers”, in the 1932-1933 season – “Lohengrin” (Stefanovich, 1960). The Soviet-German agreements signed in Moscow in 1939 had a noticeable impact not only on the political, but also on the cultural development of Soviet society. In 1939, during negotiations with the German Foreign Minister in Moscow, the foundations of a new world order were laid and the map of Europe was “reshaped” considering the interests of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

At the end of 1939, the pro-German musical policy began and the reason for this phenomenon was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. But the changes in the foreign policy of the USSR were said in the language of art a few months before the meeting in Moscow, namely on May 5, 1939. On this day, at a concert for the participants of the military May Day parade in Moscow, the “Chorus of Sailors” by R. Wagner was performed in the 3rd department. Symphony orchestras began to perform R. Strauss (Nevezhin, 2011). The Protocol is not only an instrument, but also a kind of indicator of the priorities of the state’s foreign policy, which was especially clearly manifested in the relations of the Soviet leadership with German representatives in Moscow and during the visit of I. von Ribbentrop. The totality of protocol norms as a whole demonstrated the priorities of the Kremlin leaders in the field of international relations. One of the clearest confirmations of the Kremlin’s loyalty to the chosen course aimed at establishing friendly relations with Germany was the decision to stage R. Wagner’s opera “Valkyrie” on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater by the outstanding Soviet film director S. M. Eisenstein, who openly expressed his anti-Nazi views (Golubev & Nevezhin, 2016). On November 21, the premiere of the opera, which was a kind of “greeting” of a delegation that arrived from Berlin after Molotov’s talks with Hitler and Ribbentrop.

During the Soviet period, all the details of state ceremonies were carefully developed, each of which is an illustration of the ethical norms accepted in society. As in the pre-revolutionary period, great importance was attached to the gesture, musical accompaniment, and the language of the costume. Methods of appearance design are important signals, personality signs. Clothes are a business card. The attitude towards a diplomat is related to the perception of the country he represents. In choosing a suit, the personal preferences of a diplomatic employee give way to political expediency. The “expulsion” of the tailcoat, and even earlier the top hat, from Soviet protocol practice was regarded as a victory in the struggle against bourgeois values. Modern European dances were also considered carriers of ethical norms alien to the Soviet citizen. Despite the prohibitions of the authorities, the daily, unofficial life of Soviet people was filled with foxtrot, tango, waltz, which literally “punched” their way into dance halls at different periods of history. Each of them was accused of promoting sexual promiscuity, called obscene and vulgar. And here it is very important to distinguish between the original choreography and the subsequent “processed” by classical choreographers, teachers of ballroom dancing. The ennobled returned dancing to the ballroom floor and became its kings. Each dance in different periods of history had its own semantic meaning, its own intonation at the ball, being not only an organizational link, but also a kind of expression of the basic ideas of banal ceremonial. Diplomatic privileges and immunities extended not only to diplomats, but also to the forms of their leisure, in particular, to the programs of dance evenings. Thus, the foxtrot, banned in the USSR, is performed in embassies not only by foreign diplomats, but also by the head of the protocol department of the NKID, D.T. Florinsky. The 20s were a time of searching for ways to reconcile traditional European protocol norms with the Bolshevik ideology of the Soviet state.

With the expansion of international contacts, the problem of the exchange of commemorative gifts both in the foreign missions of the USSR and in Moscow itself became more acute and urgent. Especially acute was the issue of the relationship between the authorities and the keepers of the cultural heritage of the USSR – museum workers (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 8. P. 106. D. 10. L. 223, 223 rev). It should be noted that if the interior items that were not returned to the museum storages remained in the USSR, then the works of painting, sculpture, decorative and applied art became the cultural heritage of other states. The canvases of B.M. Kustodiev “The Beauty” (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 8. P. 105. D.1. L. 128, 129), S.Yu. Zhukovsky “Forest in early spring” (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 21. P. 115. D. 4. L. 19), V.I. Zarubin “Landscape with three old ladies” (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 21. P. 115. D. 4. L. 23), K.F. Yuon “Parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941” (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 31. P. 155. D. 20. L. 48), A.I. Laktionov “Girl for embroidery”, P.P. Konchalovsky “Lilac” (AVPRF. F. 57. Op. 41. P. 198. D. 36. L. 168), I.E. Grabar “Frost, the last rays” were used as diplomatic gifts (AVPRF. F. 57. Op. 41. P. 198. D. 36. L. 169).

Foreign guests were generously gifted with fur products, some of which can rightfully be attributed to works of art. So, in 1943, Molotov’s wife gave the wife and daughter of the representative of the President of the United States (United States of America) Davis’s outfits were made of fox and ermine, and in 1946 a sable fur coat was presented to the Princess of Iran A. Pahlavi personally from I.V. Stalin (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 26. P. 127. D. 7. L. 18). The range of Kremlin gifts is very diverse. If in 1944 U. Churchill received as an official gift 10 kg of caviar, 15 liters of vodka and 40 packs of cigarettes, then his wife in 1945 – a diamond of 5.58 carats (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 24. P. 120. D. 7. L. 33; AVPRF. F. 06. Op. 7. P. 22. D. 246. L. 62).”The Prime Minister’s grocery set is rather evidence of special friendly relations, since in 1944 Churchill was still “his boyfriend”, and you can also give vodka to “your own”. In turn, M.A. Churchill earned a diamond for organising Soviet aid during the war. In this regard, the question involuntarily arises – for what merits the wives and daughters of Soviet leaders received very valuable gifts from foreign guests (platinum watches with diamonds of Stalin’s daughter from I.B. Tito, etc.) (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 26. P. 127. D. 8. L. 32).

The visit of K. Churchill was one of the first independent visits of the wife of a state leader to the USSR. The “women’s visit” forced the staff of the Protocol Department to depart from the “men’s code” of the Soviet protocol, in which the presence of women at official receptions was not welcome. The situation began to change in March 1945 during the visit of Czechoslovak President Benes and his wife to Moscow: members of the delegation were invited to dinner with Stalin (March 28) together with their wives (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 25. P. 123. D. 8. L. 53.). Ulanova, Maksakova, Kozlovsky, Mikhailov and others performed at the concert in the Central House of the Red Army (CDKA) [25]. The President’s wife visited the Moscow Art Theater (Moscow Art Academic Theater named after M. Gorky) (the play “Russian People”) and the ballet school at the Bolshoi Theater.

It should be noted that in the programs of official foreign visits there is practically no information about the visits of guests to academic drama theaters in Moscow and other cities of the Soviet Union. The reason for this phenomenon probably lies not only in the difficulty of translation – professionals possess a number of artistic techniques that allow not only to understand the meaning of what is happening on stage, but also to feel the atmosphere itself, the mood of the performance. Probably one of the reasons is the repertory policy of theaters, which could not refuse to stage plays by foreign and pre-revolutionary domestic playwrights. But even in the traditional staging of classical works, censorship could detect an encroachment on the foundations of communist morality, at the same time, visiting the Bolshoi Theater was an important component of the programs of foreign visits to the USSR. Great music and choreography, and outstanding performers, greatly contributed to the fact that the ballet “Swan Lake” became a kind of element of Soviet classical diplomacy (Karyagin, 1994).

After the “Basic provisions of Protocol practice in the USSR” approved in 1976 by the Central Committee of the CPSU (Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), official visits to the theater were excluded from the programs of foreign visits. (AVPRF. F. 057. Op. 60. P. 260. D. 1. L. 40, 41, 43, 44). The official version is saving public funds. But in our opinion, the main reason is the confidence of the leaders of the state that their political course does not need the support of art. Moreover, in the 70s and early 80s, representatives of the creative intelligentsia, including soloists of academic opera and ballet theaters, were either expelled from the country – Vishnevskaya and V. Rostropovich – or preferred to work in foreign collectives in the Bolshoi Theater or the Kirov Theater (Mariinsky Theater) – Natalia Makarova, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov. But the specific features of the Kremlin leaders’ “understanding” of the significance of works of art in the political life of society in no way begs for their value.

The art of ballet forced the world community to see the USSR as a country in which the traditions of classical art continue to develop, and, consequently, human values are not alien to the Soviet state. Thus, it is possible to build partnerships with the Soviet Union, which are based on mutually beneficial cooperation. At Kremlin receptions, there was a representation of power, the process of interaction between the party leadership and the invited audience, which allowed communicating (including using the language of art) to the broad masses the main ideas of power. Individuals with a high social status, an active and trustworthy part of society, were invited to the Kremlin.

Features of the development of the cultural repertoire in Soviet Moscow

In states with a pronounced vertical of power, state policy in the field of culture largely depends on the tastes of the leaders of the state. At the same time, not only are the people deprived of the right to choose, but also the ruling elite, which for the most part was deeply mistaken about their real capabilities. The slightest violation of the designated rules of the game could lead to moral and physical destruction. The proof of the above is the Soviet musical doctrine of the 30s-50s of the twentieth century during the active process of the totalization of art in the USSR.

A comparative analysis of the programmes of government concerts in Moscow and the repertoire policy of Ukrainian theaters showed that they were united not by what was performed, but rather by what was forbidden to perform. So, in the repertoire of theaters, including concert programmes, there are no works of Hindemith, Stravinsky, Bartok, Kozelli, Schoenberg, Mesian, Penderetsky, Berg, Krshenek, Schreker and Kurt Weil. They were excluded from concert programs and theater posters after Zhdanov’s articles against Shostakovich’s music – “Confusion instead of Music” (about opera “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district”) and “Ballet Falsehood” (about the ballet “Light Stream”), published in January and February 1936 in the newspaper “Pravda” point to this.

In totalitarian states, the government deprives the people of the right to choose. The development of entire directions in the field of art depends on the leader’s predilection. Before the war, Stalin liked the music of I. Dzerzhinsky. As a result, the composer’s operas were staged on the stage of leading musical theaters: “Raised Virgin Land” – in Kiev (season 1937-38); in Odessa (1937), in Dnepropetrovsk (1937); “Quiet Don” – in Kiev (season 1936 – 1937), in Lviv (1940). The works of D. Shostakovich, including the opera “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district”, did not make a proper impression on the leader. So, it is not surprising that they were not on the theater posters of opera houses and in the programs of government concerts. At the same time, the 7th Symphony (Leningrad) was performed on February 21, 1943 on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences in London during the theatrical performance “Salute to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Red Army”, which is a unique event in the history of Soviet-British cultural ties (RAHE/1/1944/16).

The press noted the “grandiose” design of the stage space, which represented a stylized view of the Russian city. Each of the two thousand participants, attracted from various services, factories, civil defense institutions, as well as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, numerous Guards orchestras, outstanding artists, was an important component of the stage action, which The Times called a “triumph” (The Times, 2022). Against the background of the aggravation of allied relations caused largely by the Katyn tragedy, as well as the problem of opening a second front in Europe, a concert dedicated to the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Red Army on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall on February 23, 1944 acquires special political significance.

A kind of culmination of the concert, composed of works by outstanding composers of the English musical Renaissance, led by Edward Elgar, was the work of G.F. Handel “Hallelujan Ghorus Aroma Messiah” performed by the Royal Choral Society and the London Symphony Orchestra (The Times, 2022). Despite the fact that the concert was dedicated to the Red Army, it became an important factor in British cultural diplomacy. In London, the music of D. Shostakovich and S. Prokofiev was played, but we could not find them in the programmes of government Kremlin concerts either during the war or in the post-war periods.

In totalitarian states, the subjective factor prevails over national interests, priorities in domestic and foreign policy. Stalin loved opera. Excerpts from opera performances by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Rossini, Gounod were performed at almost every government concert. In choreography, he preferred characteristic and national dances to classical dance. The leader did not like instrumental music, especially symphonic and chamber music. We were unable to find fragments of symphonic works by Russian and Western European composers in the programs of government concerts, as well as long-lasting compositions for solo instruments – sonatas, concerts.

Stalin considered vocal music to be the highest kind of music. These opinions of the leader were reflected in the musical Soviet policy and were theoretically justified in the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1948. In the field of folk music, he preferred Ukrainian and Russian folk songs. The Kremlin leaders had a special dislike for vocal and instrumental modernist music. Thus, Stalin’s tastes formed the basis of strict control in the field of musical creativity. The musical doctrine of the Soviet government was based on the musical tastes of the leader. This doctrine wore the mask of “socialist realism in music.” But it was the “mask” under which the music that gave Stalin pleasure, the works that acted on the leader “like a dentist’s drill or a musical slaughterhouse” (as Zhdanov put it), were excluded from the repertoire. In February 1948, the Moscow central newspapers published a resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU(b) (Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of the Bolsheviks) about the opera “The Great Friendship” by Vano Muradelli, in addition to the author, D. Shostakovich, S. Prokofiev, A. Khachaturian, B. Lyatoshinsky, V. Shebalin, N. Myaskovsky.

Lviv Theater excluded the opera V. Muradelli and other “dubious” performances in the light of the new party decrees. In Lviv, Prokofiev and Khachaturian were “rehabilitated” only in 1965, when the ballets “Cinderella” and “Spartak” were staged on the stage of the theater. In 1985, S. Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace” was presented to the audience. It is a mistake to say that only modern music was subject to the ban. What the leader did not like and did not understand, for example, the Viennese operetta, was not performed. Ballet “The Big Waltz” to the music of I. Strauss was stopped in Lviv in 1957, and the operettas “The Gypsy Baron” and “The Bat” – in 1960 and 1982, respectively. In the 40s, paradoxically, the cultural programmes of the Allies contributed more to the creation of a positive image of the USSR – a theatrical performance (1943) and a concert (1944) at the Royal Albert Hall – than the programmes of government concerts in the Kremlin and the Bolshoi Theater. A performance glorifying the Red Army was created in the Albert Hall, and in Moscow in the same year a reception was held at the Spiridonovka, which was more famous for abundant treats, rather than a concert programme. The “thaw” that came in the mid-50s forced Soviet leaders to reconsider the style and methods of international activity.

The number of diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow increased from 1918 to 1945 from 2 to 32. In 1960, the USSR already had diplomatic relations with 69 states, 53 foreign diplomatic missions were accredited in Moscow. Soviet leaders practically did not attend receptions at embassies, diplomatic staff, military personnel, cultural figures were sent there – all according to the approved list. In the early-mid-50s, the Soviet government began to take measures aimed at establishing active contacts with the diplomatic corps, providing it with information about new achievements, processes in the development of the economy, science, culture, etc. The protocol service organized regular screenings of new works of cinematography and theater, trips around the country, meetings with representatives of the creative intelligentsia.

In 1953-1954, conditioned upon the intensification of the USSR’s foreign policy, more international meetings, congresses, festivals, exhibitions, etc. began to be held. In the “activation” of work with the diplomatic corps, the main role was assigned to cultural programs. In the Bolshoi Theater, in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, separate seats were assigned to diplomats. In the representative mansion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Since January 1963, the USSR has organised weekly screenings of feature films, monthly author’s evenings of famous cultural figures. The demands to take measures to “activate” work with the diplomatic corps were repeated in the decisions of the Board in the 70s and 80s.

In 1970, the British Council (a semi-governmental organization operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the field of cultural, scientific and other humanitarian exchanges) promoted the organisation of an exhibition of ancient Chinese drawings in London. In exchange, Beijing received the London Symphony Orchestra. In diplomacy, this cooperation has been called “symphonic ping-pong”. “Ping Pong diplomacy” became a household name after the Chinese-American table tennis match, which marked the beginning of active relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (People’s Republic of China).

Conclusion

In the early years of Soviet power, representatives of the workers’ and peasants’ government tried to ignore the norms of diplomatic protocol and etiquette, arguing that they were based on bourgeois morality alien to the young Soviet Republic. But already in the early 20s it became obvious that it is impossible to build partnerships with foreign countries without observing generally accepted European norms, traditions and conventions in international communication.

In the post-war years, the isolation of part of the diplomatic corps continued on an ideological basis. Such a situation could not but influence the behaviour of the members of the diplomatic corps in Moscow, in which there was, along with the traditional, a kind of diplomatic counterculture, that is, the deliberate disregard by the participants of international communication of the accepted protocol norms, and the rules of respect and politeness in international communication. Behind the seemingly “dry” language of the protocol are specific individuals with their habits and characters. In the system of international relations, art as a communicative factor not only poses problems, but also contributes to their resolution.

The study identified that art is a communicative factor not only in classical, but also in public diplomacy. In this regard, the profession of a diplomat implies communication both with persons provided for by the protocol service, and with scientists, writers, musicians, artists. Otherwise, diplomacy will remain an archaic institution that ignores public opinion, denies the possibilities of public diplomacy, and, consequently, the role of “soft power” in world politics, which defends the national interests of the state peacefully, using, among other things, the language of art in state ceremonies.

Declaration of Conflict of Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Funding

No funding has been received for the publication of this article. It is published free of any charge.

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Computer Artist Manuel Felguerez: A Brief Interview on the Pioneering Origins of Geometry Painting

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Reynaldo Thompson & Manuel Felguerez

Reynaldo Thompson (professor researcher) Universidad de Guanajuato. Department of Art and Enterprise. Email: thompson@ugto.mx

Manuel Felguerez (artist) email: museomf@hotmail.com

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 2, April-June, 2022, Pages  https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n2.05

First published: June 18, 2022 | Area: Aesthetic Studies | License: CC BY-NC 4.0

(This article is published under Volume 14, Number2, 2022)
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Computer Artist Manuel Felguerez: A Brief Interview on the Pioneering Origins of Geometry Painting

Abstract

This interview cum memoir of Manuel Felguerez, by the author, describes the development of two projects in the words of the Mexican artist Manuel Felguerez himself. Felguerez speaks of his experience as a Latin American artist, his encounter with digital technology in the united states and the trajectory of art that his work takes during an intense and experimental period of creativity in the seventies. Felguerez’s explorations were embodied in two books, El espacio multiple (Paz 1988) and “The Aesthetic Machine” La máquina estética (Felguerez y Sasson 1983).   The project involved the use of computers for the composition of incipient new media paintings, sculptures and engravings.  After the project was concluded, the author avoided the use of computers again, and for different reasons. The value of this interview of a pioneering artist in contemporary America lies in the insider’s view of the situation in the art world, the artist’s first-person revealings and confessions and the deep personal life of the artist as an individual.

Keywords: algorithm, computer, geometry painting, sculpture

This interview was taken in 2020, at Felguerez home in Mexico City. Felguerez is always kind enough to respond to your questions and reflect on his artwork. Felguerez started talking as he was asked about the beginnings and well-springs of his first inspiration for creating a work with computers:

“The origin of my artistic work in relation to technology is a bit casual. When I was a teacher at the School of Plastic Arts at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), I was assigned the task of teaching thirty hours of class every week.  You could call it a handful, or a plethora. I almost wasted the day at school. One day along with two other teachers I decided to ask the Technical Council for permission to give us ten hours each week, to dedicate just to research.  The Technical Council first said they agreed; however, the next day when we arrived at the school, and despite the Technical Council’s approval, we saw that other professors of the University cooked a scandal, and started demonstrating with banners and signs against this decision of the council. Someone said: “Teacher investigator, teacher aviator”.

The protesting teachers were afraid that this permission for independent research meant that it afforded an escape from teaching activity.  Because of the scale of the protest, the Technical Council retracted and finally cancelled the permit.  But the higher authorities of the University called the Coordination of Humanities and found out about the developments.  The. Committee then called us back and said: “…. look, a University organ that refuses to allow time for research is not worthy of being an organ of the University”.   Since then any teacher who joined the University with an appointment of a full-time position could do research as well.  That was like winning the lottery.

So, we had to make a formal request for the research hours. But then we were questioned, as to what we were going to investigate? I thought about a topic that was in the air; namely, one about the possibility of using the computer as a working instrument, one that is based on the layman’s grand idea that the computer is a device that calculates with a great speed.  Since I was interested in geometry, and mathematics, I set out to apply the possibility of the computer to produce or devise a project on art. I didn’t know what to call it at that time – an abstract artwork? But that was the origin. The project was based on two texts, one was called El espacio multiple (The Multiple Space) written by Octavio Paz in 1988. Following El espacio multiple, I proposed that the real plane does not exist, so that each geometric space could generate itself from a flat square or a relief to ultimately form a sculpture. This meant that if I made a half-circle and lifted it then I made a cone. This way I’m already creating a visual relief but if I grab it at the back and repeat the same or change the direction of accumulation, I could transform the whole geometrical base into other shapes and form a sculpture.

So I started working with the idea.  The first thing that I did was to analyze pictures.  I started a project with an architect friend and tried to solve a simple problem by asking ourselves the basic question of whether an abstract picture naturally has a prevenient top and bottom. We wonder how we know if it is “up” or “down”, and we started to analyze such pictures.  I do not remember if it was Rudolph Arnheim who forwarded a theory that says that in a painting there is a balance and that equilibrium implies a point at the center of the painting and hence each form that is made has a distance from the center and at the same time a relative specific weight. Turning an object into a zone of rays, and putting all the shapes in a box means that you could calculate its speed – the speed of rotation of an object.  If I let the painting move around its supposed gravitational center, it would start by turning in one direction.  As it stops it would tend to weigh more on one side than on the other. In order to find equilibrium, the painting would again start to rotate at a certain speed, oscillating between ends until it reached a kind of rest. That speed could act as a fingerprint. It could indicate my sense of a personal composition (since I initiated the balancing for a certain object in space).  I resolved this question of the speed of rotation in my paintings, and therefore, when I started doing the first experiments with a computer, I did more research to know about the visual trajectories of my personal ways of composing art.  Everything that fell off from a predictive pattern I erased; and everything that coincided I kept.  These patterns were not traces of what I had invented: only a kind of (template) form existed in my previous painting. So already, as if by chance, any random elements that the computer-generated from my interventions were then repeated in my new compositions, and hence it was not totally random.  As I kept searching, I kind of failed in my anticipations – the pre-existing patterns did not necessarily materialize into an aesthetically satisfactory shape but they gave me an idea, of new unknown compositions.  I remember for instance that drawing a circle on the computer was a very odd thing because it was like a collection of hundred lines that had a little peak on each intersection.

When I was doing all those experiments, I also decided to continue to write a book to justify three years of my work.  In the book titled The Aesthetic Machine (1983), on which I worked with Mayer Sasson who was studying distribution grids of electricity for New York City, working as an expert in the American Electric Power company.  He was a director and an expert in programming. And he was the one who gave me the idea of trying to see what happened while applying systems identification, for predictions. Systems analysis consists mostly of reiterations – like if I tried explaining with the example of a comet which approaches earth. Astronomers may observe it for 15 or 20 days, as it could be possible to identify what its behavior will be like in space in the next three hundred years or three thousand years, or even three million years. By extrapolating predictive analysis to my work, I wondered if I could discover what the fate of my artwork would be after 25 years from a given moment. The analysis would allow guessing what would happen to it in the future.  It’s like science fiction.  If I continued designing along that path, I could guess how my paintings would look like in the future. Well, we started to apply the computer’s results. I sent all my proposals from my Harvard computer to Mayer, who received them in New York and processed them and returned the results. One day he finally told me he had already completed writing the program. With my wife, I ??went to number one Broadway, where the offices had a large window of about 30 meters, and was a space full of machines with some people dressed in sky blue. These guys in blue operated the computers: they connected the results of the computer analysis on a plotter, and I began to see drawings like my own, though not exactly as if what I would consciously draw. The images flitted across at a speed of one per second. It produced a brutal emotion that showed that the experiment had somehow been successful. We continued working on that project for a while but we thought that the program had to be optimized. I mean that aesthetically my sensitivity led me to evaluate a drawing each time I ran the computer.  I had the drawings and every day I also corrected, I watched them and graded them for the best options.  I gave the highest grade of ten, then nine, eight and so to break down to zero. The next day I did the same with the options produced by the computer.

Well, since I had all that stuff, I asked myself, now what do I do with this? There I have them, I’m not sure what they meant: more than 4000 possibilities of my paintings in an imaginary parallel universe. If I were a merchant I would have set up something like an original cigar factory. But I was an artist. Well first I said, I have to pass this on as something that genuinely looks like art. As they were geometric drawings I called them ideograms but they were really ideas, but they were ideas for painting or sculpture.  I had to make paintings or sculptures with them.  Right there in Boston I made a ball of squares already with colors and everything, that along with some sculptures and models were going to end up in an exhibition at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, in a building designed by Le Corbusier in Harvard. It seemed like the cycle was closed and I had already exhausted a mechanism that was like a puzzle: it was a mechanism with which I could change a square or a circle, or what could also produce infinite possibilities of harmonic color according to my creative prototype of colors.  All I did was use that kind of color that was already mechanized; once the first one was done, it needed nothing more than moving it so the computer could have done it too. But I didn’t get into that anymore. I said, if I grab and throw a 100-meter line by hand and make that the guiding line of my drawing, what will come out of the computer is something with lines like when you make a signature that is only yours, a personal line. Then embracing the options of color, and forms of the compositions produced with lines, I started thinking about musicalizing it. So, I wrote the book and took a decision, I do not know if it was good or bad at the time. I closed the computer and never opened it again. I have not opened it again, because it absorbed me – it was very exciting, it was everything I could hope for, but the beauty of the painting was in the accident. I said to myself that I either go down a path of subjectivity or I stay with the computer. If I keep the computer, then I may become a very famous technician in the field of artistic management of the computer, but life is going to fall away.

To recap, I received the Guggenheim Scholarship for Harvard in 1975. In Mexico I already began the exploration for El Espacio Multiple three years before, in 1971, 1972. I remember that computers were like wardrobes. There was IBM. They had black robes with a little slit to pass punched cards. At that time I learned Fortran 4. It was my language. All that was what I started with. During the seventies, my work was totally geometric. The computer was very much present in that period but from the eighties, I went in another direction. The drawings of that period are in my drawers now. Some of the paintings in my studio are from the seventies, some were converted to sculpture, and some other artworks were exhibited elsewhere in the world, in museums and private collections. I made paintings based on the compositions predicted by the computer, but they were, in a sense, also real paintings. The drawings came out of the computer, but after that, the full modificatory process the computer-generated compositions and artworks emerged like any normal painting.  But this was an era of my works in which little by little I also started changing. It began very simply but I was filling my works with pictorial elements until they no longer knew where they came from.

So here I recount my days in Boston with Mayer Sasson. I gave several interviews in American magazines and my work became very popular at that time.  Here in Mexico, in the Centro Multimedia there is a room that bears my name for this research.  Sometimes some researchers come from other places and countries to ask me about the project. This might mean something was left out, but from my side, it seems that going back to such work meant it was like being resigned to the computer once again. Yet I think of moving forward.

References

Felguérez, M., & Sasson, M. (1983). La máquina estética (Vol. 4). Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

Paz, O. (1998). El espacio múltiple.

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