Plucking Fluxes: Media Archaeology to the Metal
Matthew Kirschenbaum

This talk adopts a media archaeological framework for considering the floppy disks (the ubiquitous remnant of the first great home computer age) and their virtual simulacra, the disk image. The conceit of an “image” confers a complex epistemological status, bearing the inheritance of centuries of Western philosophical thought about the nature of mimesis and representation, with concomitant implications for archival notions of evidence, authenticity, and integrity. We will therefore descend to the ferro-magnetic surface of this unique class of media objects to examine their import and legacy from both a technical and theoretical standpoint.

Introduction by Darren Wershler

Recorded by Michael Nardone
Concordia University, 20 March 2013

Link to Matthew Kirschenbaum’s site:
mkirschenbaum.wordpress.com