Richard Vickers

Thesis

Thesis

Curating the Self: Augmented Capitalism and the Ghost in Machine Intelligence.

Supervisors: Nick Jones, Jenna Ng

In contemporary society where conditions of platform culture prevail, life is presented as images of the self, distributed across networks. By curating our lives via social media, we contribute to a commodified presence endlessly remediated without a sense of purpose. We are both spectator and spectacle, simultaneously producers and consumers of the commodified mediated presence of the self. The condition of late capitalism I have called augmented capitalism. The research focuses on two questions: What are the defining features of augmented capitalism? What are the critiques of augmented capitalism? The creative practice aims to answer the second question by exploring the application of Artificial Intelligence, the latest component of augmented capitalism, in reconsidering present-day notions of consumerism and the spectacle. A machine-learning curated, computer (re)mediated and algorithmically edited critical commentary on contemporary consumer culture. The ultimate Marxist hack: capitalism will critique itself, the ghost in machine intelligence.

Biography

Biography

Richard became interested in the possibilities of interactive media in 1994, gaining industry practice as a digital media producer on a range of projects for commercial and arts organisations, before entering academe in 2000. His work has been featured in National Geographic, exhibited around the world, shortlisted for the SXSW Interactive Awards (USA) and won the Flashforward Film Festival (USA). He is exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be deployed in the creation of computer-mediated artefacts, examining post-human to non-human modes of production.

The Royal Anthological Institute – Fellow.
New Centre for Research & Practice.
European Network for Cinema & Media Studies (NECS).
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) – Fellow.

Research

Research

Richard’s research is at the intersection of media, culture and technology, exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be deployed in the creation of computer-mediated artefacts, examining post-human to non-human modes of production.

Publications

Publications

Vickers, R. (2022) ‘The Society of the Spectacle REDUX #1: Augmented Capitalism’, Stockholm City Film Festival, Stockholm, Sweden, August 2022.
Vickers, R. (2022) ‘The Society of the Spectacle REDUX #1: Augmented Capitalism’, Videomedeja 26th International New Media Art Festival, Svilara Cultural Station, Novi Sad, Serbia, 7-9 October 2022.
Vickers, R. (2022) ‘The Society of the Spectacle REDUX #1: Augmented Capitalism’, XVIII International
Academic Forum on Design and Creation, 21st International Image Festival, University of Caldas,
Manizales and, the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano – Bogota., Colombia, 17-21 October.
Vickers, R. (2022) ‘The Society of the Spectacle in the age of Augmented Capitalism’, AMPS (Architecture Media Politics Society), Representing Pasts – Visioning Futures, Queen’s University Belfast, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, National University of Singapore, 1-3 December.
Vickers, R. (2023) ‘The Society of the Spectacle REDUX #1: Augmented Capitalism’, Special Mention, 01 NFT | New Media | Experimental | Digital Arts Film Festival, UK, 2023.
Vickers, R. (2023) ‘Reimagining The Society of the Spectacle: Marxism, montage and détournement in the age of social media.’ Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival Conference. Collage Worlds, Imaginary Futures and Collaborative Identity: Collage as a visual/multimodal anthropology medium and method. Royal Anthropological Institute, London, 6-10 March, 2023.
Vickers, R. (2023) ‘The Society of the Spectacle REDUX #2: Unified Division’, Currents New Media Arts & Technology Festival, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, 16 – 25 June 2023.