Marcel René Marburger
Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
Marcel René Marburger (Prof. Dr.), is an art and media theorist, and publisher based in Cologne. He studied Art History, German Literature, and Philosophy at the University of Cologne and did his PhD about the art theoretical relevance in Vilém Flusser’s writings. He was scientific assistant at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, scientific assistant at the Cathedral of Cologne, co-curator at the Simultanhalle in Cologne, lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, lecturer and research fellow at the University of Arts Berlin as well as scientific assistant at the University of Potsdam and Interim Professor at Hochschule Hanover. From 2007 to 2010 he was the scientific supervisor of the _Vilém_Flusser_Archive. Since 2005 he has also been co-editor of the International Flusser Lectures, in 2011, he founded the independent publishing house Edition_.
He is a full professor for Design Theory at the Design Faculty of the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Articles of Marcel René Marburger
Künstliche Intelligenz(en) denken mit Vilém Flusser
In 2024, my article “Artistic Intelligence versus Artificial Intelligence” on the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence published in the Art Nodes issue no. 34 on Materiology and Variantology: invitation to dialogue – already with references to Vilém Flusser. In the following article, I will supplement the considerations presented there with topics related to AI in relation to work, education, culture, and humanity. The topics of AI and creativity, AI and culture, and AI and work point to a problematic current state of affairs, while the topics of AI and education and AI and humanity can be read as recommendations for dealing with AI in the future. Among others, Flusser's essays “Hochschulen“ (Universities), “Ästhetische Erziehung“ (Aesthetic Education), and “Rückschlag des Werkzeugs auf das Bewusstsein“ (The Backlash of the Tool on Consciousness) are cited.
From Science to Fiction. Considering Vilém Flusser as an Artist
In Flusser’s biography as well as in his writings one can easily detect an alienation from a, let’s say, traditional and conservative dealing with science in general and the academic world in particular: There is a growing rejection of scientific writing and a growing sympathizing with unacademic essayistic writing. One well known climax of this development is his collaboration with Louis Bec creating the „Vampy“ as they called it – the Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, a work that Abraham Moles called philosophy-fiction. Parallel to this, Flusser’s aim is to replace objects in art exhibitions through communicological processes. Now, being an expert in communication, could that mean allready that he is thinking of himself as the artist of the future? Last not but least, he is talking about alternative realities that could arise from „zero dimension“, from the endpoint of his media chronological model, with the help of artists and, on the other hand, he writes in several letters that he wants to translate theory into practice – maybe as one of the artists who are creating these new and unexpected realities?
Chronologie eines kuratorischen Scheiterns / Cronologia de un fracaso curatorial
This text focusing on Flusser’s conceptual commitment to the 12th Biennial of São Paulo is taken from the dissertation Flusser und die Kunst which examines the relevance of art and media theory in the work of Vilém Flusser. Between June 1972 and March 1973 Flusser tried to put into practice his ideas for an art exhibition. For this purpose he traveled through Europe and got in touch with numerous artists and theorists, such as René Berger and Abraham A. Moles. During this crucial period Flusser decided to leave Brazil. Major changes can also be identified in his thinking. Although he remained true to his communicational perspective aesthetics and art became increasingly important. In addition to this, some of his most relevant theoretical considerations about media can be traced back to this important period of his life.