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Alternative Ontology: topological Imagination and Topological Materialism
Mrva, Jozef ; Csefalvay,, András (referee) ; Kořínek,, David (referee) ; Cenek, Filip (advisor)
The dissertation Alternative Ontology, subtitled Topological Imagination and Topological Materialism, focuses on the analysis of spatial phenomena and space in the intentions of the mathematical discipline of topology, which is interested in spaces from the point of view of set theory. My goal is to present topology as a tool not only for contemporary philosophy, but also for artistic creation. For the purpose of the dissertation, I formulate two concepts: Topological imagination and Topological materialism. Topological imagination is a tool and method for creating and thinking with the consciousness of space as a dynamic structure, which is not bound only by fixed laws of geometry. This method originated as the name of my long-term artistic practice, which is largely based on the study of space, topology, knot theory and the search for ways of their application in artistic and theoretical work. I propose Topological materialism as a concept that combines the thinking of networks and multi-dimensional spaces with the philosophical currents of the materialist tradition, especially the New Materialism. My basic thesis is that these cannot be perceived separately. Materialism cannot be thought without its spatial dimension, and topology without anchoring in the material world becomes a mere abstraction. The second part of the dissertation is devoted to the analysis of specific spaces: the space we inhabit, which I call phenomenological, infrastructure, logistics space, information space and the space of capital. In addition to individual analyzes, I also focus on their intersections, connections and joint operation.
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Synthetic bodies
Veselá, Lenka ; Kolářová,, Kateřina (referee) ; Klodová, Lenka (referee) ; Fajnor, Richard (advisor)
In my dissertation thesis grounded in the notion of synthetic bodies, I reflect on the fact that we are not enclosed entities, but lively structures formed in relation to the environments which surround and entangle us. With a focus on industrially manufactured chemicals, which have become ubiquitous on Earth in the Anthropocene, I examine the far-reaching effects of what it means to be a synthetic body in a world permeated and transformed by man-made technologies. Through the collective publication and exhibition project Synthetic Becoming and individually developed intervention which localizes the effects of anthropogenic chemical pollution on our sadness, irritability, anxieties, inability to concentrate, and feelings of despair and hopelessness, I explore how we can live well in the context of changes caused by industrial modernity. How can we come to terms with our open and permeable, and thus also vulnerable and wounded bodies? How can we understand who we are becoming with anthropogenic chemicals? How can we accept and affirm the part of ourselves which is co-constituted through industrial production, distribution, and consumption? How can we resist, survive, and keep going — with and despite industrial chemicals?
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Alternative Ontology: topological Imagination and Topological Materialism
Mrva, Jozef ; Csefalvay,, András (referee) ; Kořínek,, David (referee) ; Cenek, Filip (advisor)
The dissertation Alternative Ontology, subtitled Topological Imagination and Topological Materialism, focuses on the analysis of spatial phenomena and space in the intentions of the mathematical discipline of topology, which is interested in spaces from the point of view of set theory. My goal is to present topology as a tool not only for contemporary philosophy, but also for artistic creation. For the purpose of the dissertation, I formulate two concepts: Topological imagination and Topological materialism. Topological imagination is a tool and method for creating and thinking with the consciousness of space as a dynamic structure, which is not bound only by fixed laws of geometry. This method originated as the name of my long-term artistic practice, which is largely based on the study of space, topology, knot theory and the search for ways of their application in artistic and theoretical work. I propose Topological materialism as a concept that combines the thinking of networks and multi-dimensional spaces with the philosophical currents of the materialist tradition, especially the New Materialism. My basic thesis is that these cannot be perceived separately. Materialism cannot be thought without its spatial dimension, and topology without anchoring in the material world becomes a mere abstraction. The second part of the dissertation is devoted to the analysis of specific spaces: the space we inhabit, which I call phenomenological, infrastructure, logistics space, information space and the space of capital. In addition to individual analyzes, I also focus on their intersections, connections and joint operation.
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Samizdat in the post-digital era
Hroch, Miloš ; Turek, Pavel (advisor) ; Kuřík, Bohuslav (referee) ; Charvát, Jan (referee)
This dissertation examines the role of material in six selected zines from subcultural, artistic and activist circles. The work deals with printed micro media with a small reach and is based on the concepts of alternative media, gives a brief overview of theoretical perspectives on zines from subcultural studies, through fan studies and participatory culture. The thesis is critical of the concepts and calls for the enrichment of existing perspectives, mostly consolidated in old (post- marxist) materialism: specifically, for a reflection on post-digital culture and new materialism, which allows us to reconsider the role of material in the production and distribution of zines. The case study combines personal interviews and content analysis with an emphasis on material and ethnography of the spaces where zines are formed and transmitted. Based on Bourdieu's field theory, the study conceptualises the zine scene as a field of zine production and seeks to radically contextualise the traffic between bodies, spaces, paper and other materials, machines, and finally capital (economic and subcultural). The theoretical apparatus allows to examine the changing role of zines in the post-digital age when information shifts from sowers to platforms of emotion and touch. The main argument of the thesis is that...
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