“Where Does This World End?” Space, Time and Image in Harun Farocki’s Parallel I-IV

Joshua Synenko

doi:10.17742/IMAGE29693

Authors

Joshua Synenko Trent University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17742/IMAGE29693

Abstract

Harun Farocki’s last completed installation film, Parallel I-IV, opens with a collection of video game landscapes grouped together by elements of earth, fire, water, and air, engaging a non-vococentric film essay style to reflect upon material transformations that occur through digital images. Farocki develops a unique curatorial approach to express both the power and the limits of digital image construction and the creative process, and emphasizes sharp historical perspectives. By challenging the dyad of realism and simulation and their associated narrative conventions, whether through film, video games, or art exhibits, Farocki’s brand of essay film provides critical insights into the affective and sociotechnical dimensions of the imaged world.

Author Biography

Joshua Synenko, Trent University

Joshua Synenko is an Assistant Professor in the Cultural Studies Department, and Coordinator of the Media Studies Program at Trent University (Canada). He is Co-Editor of Media Theory Journal, and between 2018-20 he served as President of the Canadian Comparative Literature Association (CCLA). Dr. Synenko works in the nebulous region between media and geography where he explores relationships between cities and tech, locative media and visual culture, and experimental technologies for social engagement. He has developed a studio-based pedagogy to complement this work with a bridge to collaborative and process-oriented spaces.

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