{"id":2715,"date":"2024-09-23T22:07:15","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T16:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/?page_id=2715"},"modified":"2024-09-23T22:07:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T16:37:15","slug":"curating-techno-deja-vu-a-tussle-between-memory-forgetting-and-simulacra","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/curating-techno-deja-vu-a-tussle-between-memory-forgetting-and-simulacra\/","title":{"rendered":"Curating Techno- D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu: A Tussle between Memory, Forgetting and Simulacra"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Illustration 1: The studio apartment of Aadhithya. Source: artwork by Surendra Pratapsingh\u00a0Rajwat (pinterest)<\/p>\n

Aadhithya 1, a young man in his twenties, works as a business reporter for a news\u00a0organization. After a demanding week, he finds himself relaxing on his living room couch, with\u00a0the television broadcasting news flashes in the background. As he dozes off, he is abruptly\u00a0awakened by the heated exchange of baseless arguments between two politicians on the screen.\u00a0Seeking a break, he strolls towards the kitchen in his compact studio apartment, casually\u00a0spreading butter on his toast. Turning his attention to the television placed at the farthest corner\u00a0of the room, he notices the stock market information \u201cFY1-FY2\u201d. In that moment, he pauses,\u00a0takes a deep breath, and says to himself, “I’ve been here before!” It’s almost as if he is recalling a\u00a0future memory.<\/p>\n

You may already be thinking, “Oh, that’s just d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,” but consider this:
\nWhat if I told you it’s not merely d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, but a techno-d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/strong> crafted by technology\u00a0itself? Aadhithya isn’t alone in this; it could have happened to you as well. So, what if the\u00a0distinction between the real and the unreal begins to fade?<\/p>\n

A Sneak-peek into D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/strong><\/p>\n

Expressions such as “Oh, I’ve been here before,” or “I knew this all along,” or “it feels like I’ve\u00a0met you before” are typically the cues that lead an individual to recognize the phenomenon of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, positioning them in the liminality of the real and the unreal. It immerses individuals in a\u00a0mixture of familiarity and confusion. This eerie sense of recognition has led both scholars and\u00a0the general populace to link d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu with memory, specifically a memory of an event that is yet\u00a0to happen. While the association is understandable, given this connection finds its roots in two intriguing facets: firstly, the feeling of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu intertwines the past with the present, creating a\u00a0subtlety of familiarity. Secondly, its occurrence, devoid of any predetermined conditions,\u00a0unfolds as a deeply personal, almost whimsical experience. Notably, there are scarce documented\u00a0instances of two people experiencing d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu in precisely the same manner. Although what\u00a0seems to be prone to contestation is the very aspect of \u201c memory<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>From left to right: (2) an ongoing party, where the lady feels like she already knew this had to\u00a0come. (3) A women in a substation encountering an experience of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu.\u00a0Source: Pinterest<\/p>\n

The question is, how far can a memory be personal? Especially in the times of large scale\u00a0mobilization of information all over the world transcending through different bodies via screens.\u00a0Our existence unfolds in a realm saturated with a myriad of images, videos, scripts, and audio,\u00a0some pertinent, others inconsequential to our individual narratives. In such a landscape, it\u00a0becomes pertinent to ponder: do we inhabit a sphere where the concept of “personal memory”\u00a0still holds weight? Our reality isn’t merely social; it’s profoundly mediated, fostering a cultural\u00a0memory that extends beyond the confines of subjective recollections. As we have substantially\u00a0argued why memories could not be subjective, we dismantle the belief of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu\u2019s association\u00a0with memory. It is Peter Krapp who unfolds a whole new perspective and emphasizes on\u00a0forgetting more than recollecting. Though mnemotechnics in this computerized world would\u00a0advocate that nothing really gets lost and that everything is stored, Krapp is skeptical about this\u00a0and expresses \u201cwhether such a superarchive would assist in remembering\u201d because, it is simpler\u00a0to forget something when one has a lot of information at their disposal since it is easy to become
\nlost in its sheer volume. Let us attempt to understand the redefining of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu\u2019s link from\u00a0memory to the event of forgetting.<\/p>\n

Krapp does not see memory and forgetting as oppositions, rather takes a unique angle to\u00a0the whole story by presenting the concept of past, present and future against the chronological\u00a0understanding of the themes with the help of Benjamin\u2019s idea of dialectical images. You need not\u00a0worry, it is simply the looping of time and past events which does not have a linear occurrence as\u00a0conceived rather it interferes into each other through images (in our case visuals in screens that\u00a0we see). Thus d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu becomes \u201c an experience of the present inextricably linked to the past, but\u00a0which has a stake in the future\u201d, this dialectical understanding gives way for further cultural\u00a0investigation. Since human memory is not a superarchive, it will decide to forget certain\u00a0fragments of information. These forgotten bits of information have a familiarity attached to it\u00a0that cannot recur once forgotten. Now, imagine a desire coupled with a particular information is\u00a0forgotten and the desire rises to the surface coupled with other sets of information, what would\u00a0this form? A familiar, irrecurrible, unrepeated, repetition of a feeling at the present moment,\u00a0which already had a stake in the future. Such can be the formation of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, but how can it be\u00a0techno- d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu you might wonder!<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Age of Simulacra<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIllustration 4: Facsimiles of simulacra\/ Baudrillard\u2019s ghosts.\u00a0Source:\u00a0https:\/\/grumpusart.wordpress.com\/2015\/03\/22\/new-painting-facsimiles-of-the-simulacra-or-baudrillards-ghosts\/<\/p>\n

Remember how a memory cannot be subjective? Let us ponder upon that. On an average\u00a0day the consumption of data comes from various sources, predominantly from the Internet. What\u00a0seems like a simple leisurely walk becomes a less-than-relaxing affair. Everywhere you turn,
\nbillboards assault you with advertisements, and whether you’re listening to the radio or scrolling\u00a0through social media, you’re bombarded with details on everything under the sun. You might find\u00a0yourself knowing more about your next-door\u00a0neighbor through Instagram than through a\u00a0face-to-face conversation \u2013 from their\u00a0appearance and profession to the details of\u00a0their pet dog. What we are consuming is
\nreality produced over and over to the\u00a0culmination of hyperreality \u201cthis is what\u00a0Baudrillard means by \u2018the precession of\u00a0simulacra\u2019: the representation of the real\u00a0comes before the real, so that it becomes the\u00a0real\u201d. Simulations are not of the real objects or the subject it is intended to, rather it is produced\u00a0for the sake of itself. Baudrillard goes on to modify Marshall McLuhan\u2019s \u201cmedium is the\u00a0message\u201d to \u201cmedium is the model\u201d, that is continuously modeling us on what to think.\u00a0Communication is highly becoming isolated from the meaning\/ intention it is to produce; it is as\u00a0though communication produces communication. This does not mean that reality has ceased to\u00a0exist, rather simulation has hijacked reality. Information is becoming more and more obscene\u00a0without its relevance. In a world steadily retreating into isolation, the overflow of information\u00a0has morphed into a sprawling dumpyard of data. Take Aadhithya, as mentioned earlier; he,\u00a0nearly disconnected from the social fabric, thrives within a media-saturated realm, deciphering vast amounts of information. It’s essential to note that Aadhithya isn’t an exception \u2013 you, too,\u00a0are part of this interconnected system, at this point the d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu he experienced can steadily be our\u00a0personal d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu too.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Illustration 5: Bombarded with simulations, reality produced over and over creating hyperreality. Source: Pinterest<\/p>\n

Techno-D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/strong><\/p>\n

We live in a world where our friends are beyond our physical proximities, they are\u00a0connected through the internet. This digital connection introduces us to a diverse array of\u00a0individuals, traditionally unknown yet intimately familiar through the narratives they share.\u00a0From ideologies to favorite stars, TV shows, and even glimpses into their family life, we’re\u00a0intertwined with intricate details without the need for a physically intimate setting. Our\u00a0memories, once tied to physical places, now draw inspiration from the visuals presented in the\u00a0latest YouTube video. When we visit these locations, it’s not uncommon to replicate the\u00a0experiences shared by influencers, inadvertently contributing to the perpetuation of a singular\u00a0narrative in the vast realm of digital data. Over time, these threads interweave to such an extent
\nthat the boundary between the real and the unreal becomes increasingly blurred. In this narrative\u00a0landscape, it’s not just the events that come into focus, but also the desires that shape our\u00a0collective experience.<\/p>\n

Let us now recreate a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu for Aadthiya (you could take it as yours if you are\u00a0convinced enough):<\/p>\n

Aadhithya decides to break free from his routine, opting for a day off, with a cafe just a mere 100\u00a0meters away from his workplace calling out to him. This haven, known to him through a friend’s\u00a0Instagram story, holds the echoes of shared moments enjoyed by a couple. Longing for social\u00a0interaction, Aadhithya embarks on the short journey, immersed in the perpetual scroll of\u00a0Instagram. Upon reaching the cafe, he deliberately selects the very table where the couple once\u00a0shared their joy. As he signals the waiter and peruses the menu, he gazes toward the opposite\u00a0table. At this moment, he pauses, takes a deep breath, and says to himself, “I’ve been here\u00a0before!”<\/p>\n

Introspecting into this d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, if we could ask a few questions to ourselves we would more or\u00a0less realize, what is curating a techno- d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. How did he know about the cafe? How did he\u00a0choose the table? What desire motivated him to go to that particular cafe? More precise would be\u00a0the question of who\/what created the desire? If not for the constant influx of information,\u00a0networked simulations echoing through screens, would this event even unfold? It beckons us to\u00a0ponder whether technology is, indeed, the master curator of our d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu experiences.<\/p>\n

1. Aadhithya is a fictional character used for the assignment.<\/p>\n

Bibliography<\/strong>
\n(2017, November 9). YouTube: Home. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from\u00a0https:\/\/medium.com\/@iammarzzz\/nostalgia-and-deja-vu-994dd70d6829<\/p>\n

Murphie, A., & Potts, J. (2003). Baudrillard and the Technologies of Simulacra. In Culture and\u00a0Technology<\/em>. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN.<\/p>\n

SHAH, N. (2022). THE INSIDIOUSNESS OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD. In OVERLOAD,\u00a0CREEP, EXCESS AN INTERNET FROM INDIA<\/em>. Institute of Network Cultures.<\/p>\n

Vardoulakis, D. (2004). Peter Krapp, D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu: Aberrations of Cultural Memory<\/em>. Minneapolis:\u00a0University of Minnesota Press, 2004.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Illustration 1: The studio apartment of Aadhithya. Source: artwork by Surendra Pratapsingh\u00a0Rajwat (pinterest) Aadhithya 1, a young man in his twenties, works as a business reporter for a news\u00a0organization. After a demanding week, he finds himself relaxing on his living room couch, with\u00a0the television broadcasting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2715","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2715"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2715"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2721,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2715\/revisions\/2721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}