Mario Costa (philosopher)
Encyclopedia
Mario Costa is an Italian philosopher. He is known for his studies of the consequences of new technology
in art
and aesthetics
, which introduced a new theoretical perspective through concepts such as the "communication aesthetics", the "technological sublime", the "communication block", and the "aesthetics of flux".
, and has taught Methodology and History of Literary Criticism at the University of Naples, and Ethics and Aesthetics of Communication at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. He has authored some twenty books and numerous essays, published in Europe and America. In 1985, he founded Artmedia
, the Laboratory of the Aesthetics of Media and Communication, at the University of Salerno, Department of Philosophy. As a director of Artmedia he developed an intense activity of promotion of neo-technological art, and contributed to arrange many conferences and events in Naples, Paris, Köln, Toronto, Tel Aviv and São Paulo.
, and 2) the development of a philosophy of technique
, through the analysis of the changes introduced by new technology into art and aesthetics.
and communication
technologies whose first result was the aesthetics of communication, a theory which conceptualizes the possibility of an aesthetics of simultaneity
at a distance
. The basic principles of this theory were stated in 1985.
In the 1990s, Costa defined a more general, comprehensive, aesthetic and philosophical, theory of new media
, which he named the technological sublime
. He traced the history of the sublime and of its metamorphosis: the rhetoric sublime of the ancient philosophy, the natural sublime of the 18th century, the industrial-metropolitan sublime of modernity, and finally what he considers to be the latest form of the sublime, namely the technological sublime.
He argued that the excess from which any manifestation of the sublime comes from is presently represented by all the new electro-electronic and digital technology of image
, sound
, writing
, communication
, and spaceness. According to Costa, new technologies - which are developing as an exorbitant, self-operating technological system - imply on the one hand the weakening of the subject and the disappearance of the art and of all related categories (beauty, style, artistic personality, expression, etc.). On the other hand, new technologies are at the origin of a new aesthetic dimension, the technological sublime, which is defined by new categories: the de-subjectivation of aesthetic production, the hyper-subject, and the suppression of the symbolic and the meaning.
, from the 18th century, has become completely obsolete and useless to understand the present manifestations of art. The emerging techno-anthropological condition and its most significant aesthetic products need a new explanation and theory, in which the "form", i.e., the basic category of traditional aesthetics, is finally substituted by the category of "flux", which his analysis considers both from a philosophical point of view and in its diverse aesthetic manifestations. Costa extended his reflection from the "cinematographic flux" to the present "technological aesthetic fluxes", made possible by the advent of digital technology and networks
. He concluded that technological fluxes may also highlight essential aspects of contemporary ontology
, being closely tied to our experience of time
and existential attitude.
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
in art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, which introduced a new theoretical perspective through concepts such as the "communication aesthetics", the "technological sublime", the "communication block", and the "aesthetics of flux".
Career
Costa has had an extensive academic career. He has been Professor of Aesthetics at the University of SalernoUniversity of Salerno
The University of Salerno is a university located in Salerno, Italy. It is organized in 10 Faculties.-History:Salerno, a city in which, as Michelet said, “emperors, kings, popes, and the richest barons all had their own doctor”, developed during the Middle Ages around its prestigious School of...
, and has taught Methodology and History of Literary Criticism at the University of Naples, and Ethics and Aesthetics of Communication at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. He has authored some twenty books and numerous essays, published in Europe and America. In 1985, he founded Artmedia
Artmedia
Artmedia, Seminar and Laboratory of the Aesthetics of Media and Communication, was one of the first scientific projects concerning the relationship between art, technology, philosophy and aesthetics. It was founded in 1985 at the University of Salerno...
, the Laboratory of the Aesthetics of Media and Communication, at the University of Salerno, Department of Philosophy. As a director of Artmedia he developed an intense activity of promotion of neo-technological art, and contributed to arrange many conferences and events in Naples, Paris, Köln, Toronto, Tel Aviv and São Paulo.
Thought
His theoretical work followed two main paths of research: 1) the socio-political and philosophical interpretation of the 20th-century artistic avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
, and 2) the development of a philosophy of technique
Technique
A technique is a procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task:* Technology, the study of or a collection of techniques*Skill, the ability to perform a task* Scientific technique, any systematic method to obtain information of a scientific nature...
, through the analysis of the changes introduced by new technology into art and aesthetics.
- Following the first research path, since the 1960s, he provided philosophical and aesthetic interpretations of several avant-garde movements, in art and literature. Particularly relevant are his works on Marcel DuchampMarcel DuchampMarcel Duchamp was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Considered by some to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Duchamp's output influenced the development of post-World War I Western art...
, LettrismLettrismLettrism is a French avant-garde movement, established in Paris in the mid-1940s by Romanian immigrant Isidore Isou. In a body of work totaling hundreds of volumes, Isou and the Lettrists have applied their theories to all areas of art and culture, most notably in poetry, film, painting and...
, Schématisme, and the functions of modern art criticismArt criticismArt criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art.Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty...
.
- Regarding the second path, his work was mainly concerned with a) the social and ethical consequences of technological communication, and b) the changes in the meaning of the 'aesthetic' and the 'artistic' due to the effects of new electro-electronic and digitalDigitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
technologies. This led him to suggest a radical change in this theoretical field, which was based on notions such as the "technological sublime" and the "aesthetics of flux".
The technological sublime
In the early 1980s, Costa started an investigation on mediaMedia (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
and communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
technologies whose first result was the aesthetics of communication, a theory which conceptualizes the possibility of an aesthetics of simultaneity
Simultaneity
Simultaneity is the property of two events happening at the same time in at least one frame of reference. The word derives from the Latin simul, at the same time plus the suffix -taneous, abstracted from spontaneous .The noun simult means a supernatural coincidence, two or more divinely...
at a distance
Distance
Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance...
. The basic principles of this theory were stated in 1985.
In the 1990s, Costa defined a more general, comprehensive, aesthetic and philosophical, theory of new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
, which he named the technological sublime
Sublime (philosophy)
In aesthetics, the sublime is the quality of greatness, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic, spiritual or artistic...
. He traced the history of the sublime and of its metamorphosis: the rhetoric sublime of the ancient philosophy, the natural sublime of the 18th century, the industrial-metropolitan sublime of modernity, and finally what he considers to be the latest form of the sublime, namely the technological sublime.
He argued that the excess from which any manifestation of the sublime comes from is presently represented by all the new electro-electronic and digital technology of image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
, sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
, writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
, communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, and spaceness. According to Costa, new technologies - which are developing as an exorbitant, self-operating technological system - imply on the one hand the weakening of the subject and the disappearance of the art and of all related categories (beauty, style, artistic personality, expression, etc.). On the other hand, new technologies are at the origin of a new aesthetic dimension, the technological sublime, which is defined by new categories: the de-subjectivation of aesthetic production, the hyper-subject, and the suppression of the symbolic and the meaning.
Contemporary art and the aesthetics of flux
According to Costa, the whole theoretical apparatus developed by traditional aestheticsAesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, from the 18th century, has become completely obsolete and useless to understand the present manifestations of art. The emerging techno-anthropological condition and its most significant aesthetic products need a new explanation and theory, in which the "form", i.e., the basic category of traditional aesthetics, is finally substituted by the category of "flux", which his analysis considers both from a philosophical point of view and in its diverse aesthetic manifestations. Costa extended his reflection from the "cinematographic flux" to the present "technological aesthetic fluxes", made possible by the advent of digital technology and networks
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
. He concluded that technological fluxes may also highlight essential aspects of contemporary ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
, being closely tied to our experience of time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
and existential attitude.
Selected books
- Arte come soprastruttura, Napoli, CIDED, 1972
- Teoria e Sociologia dell'arte, Napoli, Guida Editori, 1974
- Le immagini, la folla e il resto. Il dominio dell'immagine nella società contemporanea, Napoli, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, 1982
- Il sublime tecnologico, Salerno, Edisud, 1990
- L'estetica dei media. Tecnologie e produzione artistica, Lecce, Capone Editore, 1990
- Sentimento del sublime e strategie del simbolico, Salerno, Edisud, 1996
- Della fotografia senza soggetto. Per una teoria dell'oggetto tecnologico, Genova/Milano, Costa & Nolan, 1997
- Le sublime technologique, Lausanne, IDERIVE, 1994 / O sublime tecnológico, São Paulo, Editora Experimento, 1995 / Il sublime tecnologico. Piccolo trattato di estetica della tecnologia, Roma, Castelvecchi, 1998
- L'estetica dei media. Avanguardie e tecnologia, Roma, Castelvecchi, 1999
- L'estetica della comunicazione, Roma, Castelvecchi, 1999
- Dall'estetica dell'ornamento alla computerart, Napoli, Tempo Lungo, 2000
- Internet et globalisation esthétique. L'avenir de l'art et de la philosophie à l'époque des réseaux, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2003
- Dimenticare l'arte. Nuovi orientamenti nella teoria e nella sperimentazione estetica, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2005
- La disumanizzazione tecnologica. Il destino dell'arte nell'epoca delle nuove tecnologie, Milano, Costa & Nolan, 2007
- Della fotografia senza soggetto. Per una teoria dell'oggetto estetico tecnologico, Milano, Costa & Nolan, 2008
- Arte contemporanea ed estetica del flusso, Vercelli, Mercurio Edizioni, 2010