In his essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin argues that even the most flawless reproduction cannot prevent the decay of aura of the artwork. This article...Show moreIn his essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin argues that even the most flawless reproduction cannot prevent the decay of aura of the artwork. This article as a comparative literary research challenges his viewpoint by proposing that VR experiences can surpass the limitation of mechanical reproduction. Moreover, it suggests that the real-life art experience is more just its original context, and that it also has a social side to it. Although this argument is supported by articles tackling the influence of visitors’ surroundings on how museum goers look at art, it concludes that the authority of an artwork’s authenticity cannot be overcome by such modes of multimedia.Show less
The ability to print objects in three-dimensions is a new form of copying that has recently entered the art world. Even though we are familiar with the replication of art, there is a rising...Show moreThe ability to print objects in three-dimensions is a new form of copying that has recently entered the art world. Even though we are familiar with the replication of art, there is a rising awareness of the existence of replicating famous artworks through 3D printing for it offers something new compared to previous replication methods (e.g. photography and film). With 3D technologies it is possible to replicate both texture and the visual qualities of art at a high resolution including every minor detail at a very fast pace. Moreover, the prints are made of polymer, a material resistant to environmental changes. With the rapid speed at which technology has been developing in the twenty-first century it will only be a matter of time before 3D prints become more accurate, cheaper to manufacture and – because of the internet and social media – accessible to almost everyone. It is inevitable that a large quantity of high quality one–to–one replications of original artworks will be introduced on the art market, in museums and in people’s homes. This thesis tries to investigate what the existence of indistinguishable prints will mean for the perception and authenticity of the original artwork and whether or not 3D printing can be used in the advantage of the original as a tool to conserve the original. Furthermore this thesis touches upon the possibility of the authentication of the replica and what this will mean for the original work of art in the present and future.Show less
In this thesis I argue that Jacques Derrida takes a mediating position in between Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt with regards to the relationship between law and reality. I do so by showing that...Show moreIn this thesis I argue that Jacques Derrida takes a mediating position in between Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt with regards to the relationship between law and reality. I do so by showing that Derrida wants to reside within the system - just like Schmitt - while he also partially argues for deconstructing the system - similar to Benjamin. The big difference with Benjamin is that Derrida wants to tear up the system from within.Show less
Literary translation is a separate field within translation studies demanding its own approaches. This argument is supported in Part I by an assessment of the "Hermeneutical approach" to...Show moreLiterary translation is a separate field within translation studies demanding its own approaches. This argument is supported in Part I by an assessment of the "Hermeneutical approach" to Translation Studies, as represented in the thought of Jakobson, Benjamin, Derrida, Ricoeur, Jiri Levy, and George Steiner, which offers a strong foundation. Their thinking falls together in considering translation and interpretation to be full equivalents, entailing never-ending processes; in appreciating the holistic quality of the literary work of art and translation's relationship to it, as well as translation's role in the Nachleben of the work of literature; and in demanding creative language use and linguistic hospitality as part of the translator's labor. Part II of the thesis places the tasks of the literary translator as editor/redactor, particularly in consideration of the use of paratexts, on this foundation as one way of limiting hermeneutical activity. The translator redactor must act as a book compiler, a scholar-annotator, and an analyst commentator, or at least consider these roles. In this way, the thesis unites theory and practice while promoting the positive utility of hermeneutics for translation and yet setting limits for the translator's interventions, particularly in helping the reader's own process of interpretation by providing paratextual guides and aids.Show less
