Modern Mythologies, the Media and the Social Presence of Technology

Authors

  • Peppino Ortoleva Università di Torino and Mediasfera

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS312009163

Abstract

Modern myth-making, different from that of classic polytheism in that it continuously create “new” stories along old patterns, instead of re-narrating more of the same, has invention, inventors and technologies among its major subjects. This may seem paradoxical, since in our society technology is generally associated with cold and even impersonal rationality, whereas myths seem to deal more with dreams and emotional needs. But in a society characterised by an overwhelming presence of technology and at the same time by a largely spread unfamiliarity with the hows and whys of its working, myth is one of the shortest ways to bridge the gap, to create an impression of personal acquaintance: with the inventors if not with their mental processes, with the familiar and ever-repeating tòpoi of their heroic achievements if not with the scientific backgrounds of their projects. In time myths have become less and less simple narrations, and have been progressively incorporated into the machines themselves, and the interfaces they exhibit. This is particularly true of some objects, from radio receivers to computers, that are the most visible part of our media environment.

Author Biography

Peppino Ortoleva, Università di Torino and Mediasfera

Full professor, History and theory of media, Università di Torino. President of Mediasfera. Docente universitario. È presidente di Mediasfera, società di ricerca e progettazione culturale. Ha pubblicato oltre un centinaio di lavori scientifici (libri, saggi su riviste, pubblicazioni in volumi collettivi) su media, storia, società; in particolare, si è occupato, con saggi, interventi a convegni, attività professionali, dell'uso dei media nella ricerca storica e nella trasmissione della conoscenza sul passato, e delle conseguenze sociali e culturali dell'innovazione nel campo dei media. Tra questi lavori, il volume Cinema e storia, Torino, Loescher, 1991; numerose mostre storiche in diverse città; lezioni di storia in web; alcuni cd rom di storia. Tra i suoi volumi più recenti ricordiamo: I movimenti del '68 in Europa e in America, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1998; Mediastoria, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 2002; Lavorare nei media, produrre cultura, (con Valentina Solari), Milano, Franco Angeli, 2003. Ha inoltre curato, con Barbara Scaramucci, l'Enciclopedia della radio, Milano, Garzanti, 2003. Fondatore nel 1986 di "Cliomedia", poi "Cliomedia Officina", società specializzata in ricerche e produzioni su comunicazioni, storia e società, che ha condotto - oltre a mostre e prodotti multimediali - numerose ricerche su temi di storia e comunicazione. Oggi "Cliomedia" ha suddiviso la sua attività in due diverse società: "Mnemosine", attiva soprattutto nelle ricerche, consulenze, realizzazioni multimediali relative a musei, mostre, beni culturali, e "Cliomedia srl", attiva nelle ricerche e produzioni dedicate al sistema dei media e alla produzione culturale. Nell'ambito delle attività di "Cliomedia" Ortoleva ha prestato la sua consulenza a enti locali e grandi imprese: fra queste Telecom Italia, Rai, Mediaset, Fiat, e ha diretto, con Chiara Ottaviano, la collana editoriale "Mediamorfosi" dedicata alle trasformazioni nella comunicazione, edita da Utet. Dal 1992 al 1997 ha insegnato Comunicazioni di massa all'Università di Torino; successivamente ha insegnato Nuovi media e Comunicazioni di massa all'Università di Siena. Attualmente insegna Storia dei media all'Università di Torino.

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Published

2009-03-19

How to Cite

Ortoleva, P. (2009). Modern Mythologies, the Media and the Social Presence of Technology. Observatorio (OBS*), 3(1). https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS312009163

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Articles

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