A digital image is an invisible file, it’s a digital code, until we bring it to life by, for instance, a computerscreen. According to Boris Groys, the visualisation of this invisible file has the character of a religious ritual. It’s a miracle, speaking in the words of the Bible. Groys even refers to the body of Jesus that was brought back to life.
It’s just one of the many comparisons Groys makes between video, digital images and religion, during his keynote lecture Religion as Medium. According to Boris Groys, professor in arts, philosophy and media, religion mainly is about repetition of rituals “Religion often is seen as a collection of opinions, but that’s not right. It’s a collection of rituals.”
He continues: “When you record yourself, you become part of a process of repetition. It’s the technological realisation of eternity. The only example of immortality we have, is a video put in a loop.”
As an example, Groys shows a part of a film about a suicide-terrorist who speaks ‘from the grave.’ The terrorist recorded a videomessage, that was broadcasted at the time he had already killed himself. The thing that makes this example extra interesting, is the fact that the suicidebomber recorded his video three times, because he was stuttering and insecure in the first two versions. Only the third version, in which the martyr looked confident, was broadcasted.
Groys thinks video is the medium for contemporary propaganda. “When you want to get information about radical of fundamentaist groups - the avant-garde of the modern world - you get video’s sent to you. That’s the medium of self representation for different groups. Digital images multiply and spread themselves.”
Propaganda is one of the things Boris Groys is interested in.”We don´t take serious propaganda-art, we don´t like fascist art for example. I have a general interest in art produced outside of the art-market. The art-market is part of capitalism.” And Groys doesn´t seem to like capitalism. It´s a religion without spirituality. Groys: “After the enlightment that killed God, capitalism became the reigning religion. The repeated ritual in this religion is consumption. Other religious movements we often see, are mainly fundamentalistic. That’s not surprising, because after the enlightment fundamentalism is the only possible religious movement.” Fundamentalists literally repeat and reproduce the basis of their religion.
Repetition has something religious, is one of the lessons we learn form Groys‘ lecture. And be warned if you don´t commit yourself to that. “To be creative is to fall out of sacrality, it`s to be profane.” A piece of film that Boris Groys shows, fits perfectly with that thought. We see Vissarion, the leader of a Siberian sect, near the coldest place on earth. Vissarion sees himself not as a christian, but as a new Christ. The ´prophet´ looks mediterranean, even though he has never been there. The explanation is as simple as entertaining. His looks and rituals, Vissarion based on Jesus of Nazareth, a television series from 1977, by Franco Zeffirelli.
Interesting stuff? There will be more. Boris Groys‘ lecture is an introduction to an exhibition about religion and contemporary media, which will take place next year.