What is Media Archaeology?

Jussi Parikka is Professor in Technological Culture & Aesthetics at the Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton).

"Provides the urgently needed map into this new field's extensive domain, but also for those already familiar the book is an excellent read."New Formations "Essential reading for anyone interested in the interdisciplinary ties between art, technology and media … Dr Parikka's cutting-edge text contextualizes media archaeology in relation to other key media studies debates while also presenting an engaging and accessible overview for students of media, film and cultural studies."Creative Boom"An exciting and excitable contribution to cultural theory."Reviews in History"A lively introduction to its subject that illuminates exciting avenues for both scholarship and aesthetic practice, and the book should be of interest to Parikka’s fellow travelers as well as anyone wanting a critical overview of this challenging approach to modern media culture."New Media and Society"What Is Media Archaeology? offers important methodological drives that direct our attention to the artistic, mathematical, and non-written ways in which this truly interdisciplinary field is developing."Literary & Linguistic Computing"Jussi Parikka offers a lucid, concise, and highly readable account of a new and exciting field - media archaeology. He demonstrates that contemporary media forms are rooted to the past by multiple threads - untangling them helps us understand the media frenzy that currently surrounds us."Erkki Huhtamo, University of California Los Angeles "A fabulous map of media archaeology that, as its subject compels, produces its territory anew."Matthew Fuller, Goldsmiths"Parrika's adroit combination of depth and brevity takes readers rapidly on wide ranging journeys into exploring contemporary media."Journal of American Studies of Turkey"A welcome fresh perspective on methodologies to carry out research on contemporary media cultures – a real antidote to the hype of new technologies that is characteristic not only of technology journalism but also of so much media studies work. A worthy read."Media, Culture & Society"The most comprehensive coverage to date of this fascinating area of study. Parikka's book offers an excellent overview of connections between the material and social aspects of media technology. He provides a thorough review of the diverse and sometimes contrasting theoretical foundations and provides a host of concrete examples of media-archaeological practice that serve to bridge the gap between heady theoretical trajectories and the concerns of practicing artists, users and other readers who take their technology seriously." Paul DeMarinis, Stanford University

• List of Images page viAcknowledgements vii1 Introduction: Cartographies of the Old and the New 12 Media Archaeology of the Senses: Audiovisual, Affective, Algorithmic 193 Imaginary Media: Mapping Weird Objects 414 Media Theory and New Materialism 635 Mapping Noise and Accidents 906 Archive Dynamics: Software Culture and Digital Heritage 1137 Practising Media Archaeology: Creative Methodologies for Remediation 136Conclusions: Media Archaeology in Digital Culture 159Notes 168Bibliography 181Index 197