New media art and the possibilities of discourses on reality: a reflection on the synthetic image

Abstract

This paper proposes an investigation into the potential of the purely electronic or synthetic image to produce discourses on the real - that is, on the world in its materiality. The focus of the investigation lies on the considerations raised by image thinkers, especially Philippe Dubois, which touch on the issue of the repre- sentational ability (or inability) of the electronic image, and also on contemporary documentary artistic production based on images of this nature. Thus, we aim to update and advance the issues developed by the authors who have guided the electronic image and its relationship with the concrete, as well as comment on works that explore the articulation between the virtual and the material in a sig- nificant way. Finally, we devote special attention to the work SocialSim (2020) by Hito Steyerl, in which police violence is addressed through a video installation that simulates a video game.