Abstract

“Echo – …so schallt es heraus.“
The title refers to an old German saying „Wie man in den Wald hinein ruft – so schallt es heraus.“ The translation would be “As you shout into the woods, so it will sound out”, or “As the question, so the answer”.

I am attempting to examine how the self is constructed, formed, and made visible in differing configurations of media technology. Nowadays we are accustomed to a very intimate relationship with several apparatus e.g. external memory, telecommunication, and locomotion. Although we are now so familiar with these techniques, we encountered a sublime feeling when a new technical futuristic horizon, like emailing, video conferencing, or mobile Internet access emerges. Do you remember the feeling when you sent or received a photo via email for the first time? Do you remember the time when you first walked through the woods, calling somebody with your mobile? In these moments we can see ourselves facing the distance, like the wanderer in a superior nature, in the romantic picture of the sublime. We are fascinated by the media landscape. After a short while the media itself becomes invisible, we see only the content and forget about the technique.

• Moritz Wehrmann (DE) studies Media Art (MFA) at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. His points of interest are the links between information, space, and human cognition. In his works he explores and uses characteristics of various media and material.
• Jasmin Meerhoff (DE) B.A. is media and cultural scholar, Bauhaus University Weimar. Her main focuses are the history of media and technology, Usability and Governmentality Studies. She is currently writing on a history and theory of user’s manuals.

Full text (PDF) p.  399-400