Digital Ocean: marine imaginary, technology and identity in Vilém Flusser

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the imaginary of the sea and its marine creatures in Vilém Flusser’s thought, especially in his most peculiar book, Vampyroteuthis Infernalis. This essay uses the ocean as a poetic metaphor to express the universe of digital technologies and its contemporary technical flows. The paper’s goal is not only to show the radical originality of Flusser’s book but also to demonstrate its actuality and almost prophetic dimension by means of a dialogue with other contemporary themes and authors in the field of cultural theory. According to the reading suggested here, Vampyroteuthis Infernalis represents a fundamental philosophical reflection on the theme of identity in connection with technological devices and digital culture.