The technological foundations of Law:The biodigital images of sovereign power

SPT 2013ISEG, Technical University of Lisbon

Marcus Vinicius A. B. De Matosmdemat01@mail.bbk.ac.uk

BBK College (UOL) CAPES Foundation

Introduction

• Law and State of Exception• Theory of Law and Images• Concepts < Images • Role of Images Rule of Images• Problems, Hypothesis• Work in progress

Theoretical Framework

• Sociology:– Technique, Propaganda, Politics (Jaques Ellul) – Technology and De-symbolization (William H.

Vanderburg)– Technology and moral (Richard Stivers)

Theoretical Framework

• Art, Media and Cultural Studies:– Pictorial Turn, Biodigital Pictures, Visuality (W. J. T.

Mitchell; Jacques Rancière; Nicolas Mirzoeff) – War, Cinema, Surveillance (Paul Virilio; Mauricio

Lissovsky)– Ritual, Embodiment, Personification (Aby

Warburg)

Theoretical Framework

• Philosophy and Legal Theory:– State of Exception, Apparatus, Control (Giorgio

Agamben; Gilles Deleuze; Michel Foucault) – Sovereignty, Violence (Walter Benjamin; Jean-Luc

Nancy) – Subject, Aesthetics of Law, Raison d’État (Cotas

Douzinas; Juliana N. Magalhães; Pierre Legendre)

Hypothesis & Methodology

• Digital images from popular film: reveals and constitutes a media apparatus.

• network of power relations: institutions, social actors, meaning, knowledge, imaginary, government.

• Images from mainstream cinema: produced, reproduced, distributed, consumed, modified and criticized.

Diagram 1

Source: form the author

Methodology

• Images (=) or (//) Pictures• Digital Images:– Pictorial turn (W.J.T. Mitchell, 2011)– Biopolitcs (//) Biopictures– Representation Vs. Personification

• Biopictures: clone and terror.• Spectral subjects

Diagram 2

Empirical Research

• Analysis of two movies and its images. – Elite Squad (2007), José Padilha. – The Dark Knight (2008), Christopher Nollan.

• Two allegorical and juridical-political scenarios:– War on Terror (EUA, 2001-?)– Private War (Brazil, 1990s)

Empirical Research Outline

Media reception:

social actors,

authorities

Digital Images: film

/ web

Media Reception: specialized Knowledge

Film Discourse Analysis: character building

Empirical Research Outline• Media Reception:

– specialized magazines, websites, reviews, interviews, and academic journals

• Institutional research:– discourse of authorities, officers, politicians, journalists, in editorials,

documents, news, interviews and procedures

• Elite Squad (2007), José Padilha. – 21 publications analysed.

• The Dark Knight (2008), Christopher Nollan– 46 publications analysed.

List of films/images• 300 (2007), by Zack Snyder• Batman Begins (2005) and Dark Knight (2008), by

Christopher Nolan.• Elite Squad (2007) and Elite Squad: the Enemy Within

(2010), by Jose Padilha. • V for Vendetta (2005), by James McTeigue.• Star Wars new trilogy: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

(1999); Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002); and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), by George Lucas.

• The Matrix trilogy: The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003) by Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski.

Credits (Photos)

• Donkey Hotey - Occupy Wall Street protestor in Guy Fawkes mask holding poster OCCUPY WALL STREET.

• October 15, 2011. Photo by Hedonoikos• Noelle Resende – Ocupa Rio• Mariana Araujo – Dia do Basta• Dia do Basta – Facebook Page• Ralph Orlowisk – Getty Images• Craig Wherlock – Demotix• Milos Bicanski – GlobalPost

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