Final Thesis - Msc Interior & Spatial Design by Stavros Sgouros

TIONS EMO NEO ahyperconsumerist taleina dystopian milan

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MSc Degree in Interior and Spatial Design Master Project Thesis Neo-Emotions: A hyperconsumerist tale in a dystopian Milan supervisor: Frank Clementi student: Stavros Sgouros 963200 A.A. 2021-2022

ABSTRACT english

The aim of this paper is to present a design proposal for the city of Milan, a post-industrial megalopolis, based on the thesis’ topic, which is “emotions as a consumerist product.” The research into this topic has been divided into three main subjects, dystopia, consumerism, and emotions, to facilitate the study and provide proof of the veracity of what could otherwise be considered an “imaginary” or “fantastic” endeavor. The research has examined three main questions. Could today’s hyperconsumerist society bring dystopian stories to life? Could today’s avoidance of emotions turn them into the most sought-after product in the bleak future? Could Milan’s most visited attraction be turned into a dystopian pop-up store? The literature review produced a working proof indicating that design can provide frightening images of the future and commentary on contemporary social challenges. Following the theoretical research, a design proposal follows. The thesis project aims to create temporary retail spaces selling specific emotions to people. The design is utilized to deliver results and answers, but primarily to challenge the concept of consumerism. It focuses on how an architecturally designed and conceptualized dystopia handles present problems of the society in question, with the intention of problematizing, influencing attitudes, and awakening the contemporary individual’s consciousness. These pop-up stores are imbued with the essence of the corresponding emotion and are designed to make the emotion visible. The discussion centers on a critical assessment of materialism’s dominance and the decline of genuine emotion in modern society.

ABSTRACT italian

Lo scopo di questo elaborato è presentare una proposta progettuale per la città di Milano, una megalopoli post-industriale, basata sulle “emozioni come prodotto di consumo”, tema della tesi. La ricerca su questo argomento è stata suddivisa in tre temi principali, distopia, consumismo ed emozioni, per facilitare lo studio e fornire la prova della veridicità di ciò che altrimenti potrebbe essere considerato un’impresa “immaginaria” o “fantastica”.

La ricerca ha esaminato tre questioni principali. La società iperconsumista di oggi potrebbe dare vita a storie distopiche? L’evitamento odierno delle emozioni potrebbe trasformarle nel prodotto più ricercato in un tetro futuro? L’attrazione più visitata di Milano potrebbe trasformarsi in un pop-up store distopico? La letteratura revisionata ha prodotto una prova funzionante che indica che il design può fornire immagini spaventose del futuro e commenti sulle sfide sociali contemporanee.

Alla ricerca teorica segue una proposta progettuale. Il progetto di tesi mira a creare spazi commerciali temporanei che vendono emozioni specifiche alle persone. Il design viene utilizzato per fornire risultati e risposte, ma soprattutto per sfidare il concetto di consumismo. Si concentra su come una distopia architettonicamente progettata e concettualizzata gestisce i problemi attuali della società in questione, con l’intenzione di problematizzare, influenzare gli atteggiamenti e risvegliare la coscienza dell’individuo contemporaneo. Questi negozi pop-up sono intrisi dell’essenza dell’emozione corrispondente e sono progettati per renderla visibile. La discussione è incentrata su una valutazione critica del dominio del materialismo e del declino delle emozioni autentiche nella società moderna.

A problem has been detected and emotions have been shut down to prevent damageto your self.

The end-user manually generated the crashdump.

If this is the first time you’ve seen this STOP error screen, restart your body.

If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any emotional updates you might need.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x000000E2 (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x0000000)

Beginning dump of physical memory Physical memory dump complete. Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance.

i. Scenario_12

ii. Research questions and hypothesis_14

iii. Structure_15

iv. Methodology_16

01 The Setting: Dystopia_18

1.1 Science Fiction_20

1.1.1 Three Definitions of SF_20

1.1.2 Old Futures_24

1.1.3 Few Dark Futures_24

1.2 Dystopia_26

1.2.1 Three Definitions of Utopia_26

1.2.2 Six Definitions of Dystopia_28

1.2.3 Dystopia vs. Utopia_32

1.2.4 Dystopian Society_32

1.2.5 Dystopian Classifications_34

1.3 Dystopian Motion Picture_36

The Proposal: Neo-Emotions_128

5.1 Conceptual Analysis_130

5.1.1 The Heart_130

5.1.2 A Factory of Emotions_132

5.2 Permanent Program Analysis_134

5.2.1 The Activities_134

5.2.2 The Planning_136

5.2.3 Emotional Selling Points_141

5.2.4 Fast Museum of Memories_143

03 The Product: Emotions_86

3.1 Understanding Emotions_88

3.1.1 Emotional Triggers_88

3.1.2 Three Theories of Emotion_89

3.2 The Emotions of Paul Ekman_92 3.2.1 Paul Ekman_92

5.2.5 The System_147

5.3 Ephemeral Program Analysis_148

5.3.1 “Enjoyment” Pavilion_148

5.3.2 “Fear” Pavilion_158

06 List of References_166

1.3.1 The Thematic of Consumerism_36

1.3.2 The Thematic of Emotions_46

1.4 Concluding_56

02 The Predicament: Consumerism_60

2.1 Understanding Consumerism_62

2.1.1 Defining Consumerism_62

2.1.2 From Genesis to the Present_64

2.2 Consumerism and Urbanity_68

2.2.1 The Consumer City_68

2.2.2 Delirious Coney Island_69

2.2.3 Iconic Architecture_72

2.3 Contemporary Consumerism_76

2.3.1 The Iconicity of Shopping_76

2.3.2 Social Media_80

2.4 Concluding_84

3.2.2 Basic Emotions_93 3.2.3 Classification of Emotions_93 3.3 Perception of Emotions_104 3.3.1 Facial Expressions Decoding_104 3.3.2 Conceptual Perception_105

3.4 Emotions in Social Media_108 3.4.1 Hedonism_108 3.4.2 Digital Emotional Expression_109 3.4.3 A Study on Emotional Avoidance_110 3.5 Concluding_112

04 The Location: Milan_114

4.1 The Case of Milan_116

4.1.1 Recent Political History_116

4.1.2 Milan Since the Miracle_117

4.1.3 Competitiveness_118

4.1.4 Livability_118

4.2 Internal Design Market_120

4.2.1 Evolution_120

4.2.2 Modern Consumerist Mecca_120

4.3 Il Salotto_122

4.3.1 The Early Years_122 4.3.2 The Bombing_122 4.3.3 The Restoration_123

4.4 Concluding_126

6.1 Bibliography_168

6.1.1 Books_168

6.1.2 Dissertations & Articles_171

6.1.3 Web_176

6.1.4 Movies & TV series_179

6.2 Image Sources_180

6.3 Drawings & Figures_196

00 Introduction_10

THE INTRODUCTION

Gloomy and ominous images wander daily in our minds. Reality has become unstable and liquid, often doubting its existence. Social media have created a parallel dimension, and a horrific pandemic has changed our perception of time and space. Technology took over, after all, sometimes dressed as a colorful application on a smartphone or an online meeting space with changing backdrops — real or imaginary nightmares, dressed like daydreams.

How to avoid pessimistic and perhaps horrific thoughts? How to escape the questions that cannot be answered yet? Most of us have thought of them and found a way to push them deep in our subconscious. The darkness accompany us for a lifetime and lurk if given a chance until it surfaces, and fills us with anxiety, frustration, and despair. However, this worry, fear, and insecurity are opening a new door. Sometimes imagining the worst scenario is far more interesting. As long as there is anxiety, there will be fear, and as long as there is fear, there will be room for “dystopias” to evolve.

Dystopia is not a contemporary innovation. As a recognized literary genre, derives from the proliferation of utopian writings, particularly in 19th century Britain, and is, in a way, their continuation, with Mary Shelley’s 1818 “Frankenstein” being the landmark. In the past, adversity gave rise to dystopian literature such as “Brave New World,” “1984”, and “Fahrenheit 451” rather than putting an end to them.

By reading the now-classic works of literature with dystopian themes, one can discover the characteristics of the society at the time that tried to apprehend the future. These works are evidence of human fear about what is coming next, which is inherently pessimistic, refuting these forecasts’ veracity. Some anxieties found fertile ground in social networks, privacy debates, global control, etc. Some were never foreseen. Dystopia is the present once predicted as the future.

Modern societies are suffering from an unstoppable and unending race towards perfection or, more correctly, the illusion of perfection. Highway billboards, television advertisements, prod-

i. Scenario

uct placements in movies, and, most recently, social media are all promoting a problematic way of life, full of material wealth and consumer goods, creating a strong sense of pressure on most people, who realize how difficult it is to live up to the standards of the modern world. Although consumption of material and immaterial goods is an activity that can be found in every culture and social formation, it is becoming a severe social phenomenon the moment that it is used to define people’s experience of everyday life, the shaping of their individuality, their social relationships and their “allocation” in the “social ladder.”

This emergence of consumption as a social phenomenon signifies its separation from solely biological activity, although it was always socially controlled and methodical. Simultaneously, it indicates that now it is included in the realm of social predicaments. It implies a series of changes in terms of the quantity and types of goods available for consumption, the modes of production, distribution and exchange, the temporalities and particularities of consumption, the relations of the individuals with themselves, others, and objects, as well as the imaginary social meanings that mediate, shape and orient the relations, perceptions, feelings, and actions of subjects.

We could argue that consumerism has won so much power over people that it climbed on the highest pedestal and became the new religion, a religion of ephemerality. Big cities became consumerist meccas, houses became altars full of consumerist goods, and their teachings were spread mindlessly by advertisements and new trends.

The thesis pursues the composing of an architectural tale taking place in the city of Milan. It is a consumerist tale set in a futuristic world, with an unexpected product as the protagonist. Every tale needs to be rooted in some form of reality. For this reason, the design proposal is introduced by a series of literary research on three main subjects; dystopia, consumerism, and emotions. These three subjects will later become the “construction tools” for creating the main design project.

NEO EMOTIONS

Topic

The topic of the thesis is “emotions as a consumerist product,” and the research into this issue has been broken down into themes to facilitate study and provide proof of the veracity of what might otherwise be considered an “imaginary” or “fantastic” endeavor.

Questions

Could the hyperconsumerist society of today bring the tales of dystopian art to life?

Could the contemporary avoidance of emotions turn them into the most sought-after product in an ominous future?

Could Milan’s most visited sight be transformed into a dystopian pop-up store with design as a tool?

Hypothesis

Two phenomena have been explored, studied, and developed as part of the literature review for the design proposal phase. This investigation has produced a working hypothesis, which will serve as the core focus of the study in pursuit of the thesis’s objectives.

The study’s principal hypothesis is as follows: Design can provide frightening images of the future and remark on contemporary social challenges. Based on this premise, the thesis will aim to create temporary retail spaces selling specific emotions to people. These pop-up stores will be imbued with the essence of the corresponding emotion and designed to make the emotion visually apparent. The focus of the discussion will be a critical evaluation of the dominance of materialism and the decline of genuine emotion in contemporary society.

ii. Research questions

hypothesis

and

The first chapter is dedicated to “the Setting,” where the design project will take place. This setting is a dystopia. Thus, the chapter attempts to answer several questions that arise when we refer to this term. First, the definition of utopia and dystopia and their relationship are examined. Are they antagonists, or are they a byproduct of each other? Are there different kinds of dystopia, and if so, which are they? This leads to an investigation of the main characteristics of a dystopian society. Finally, the chapter concludes with some case studies from the motion picture that will assist the research and design project progression.

The second chapter discusses “the Predicament,” which has “enslaved” human society and has given a chance for the design proposal to be developed. The theme of consumerism is borrowed from the dystopian examples mentioned in the previous chapter. It is brought to the present reality, and it is examined through its definition and its roots. The main focus is the evolution of the modern consumer city’s shaping and the role of architecture, shopping, and social media in this process.

The third chapter establishes the design project’s leading actor, “the Product.” This product is nothing else but emotions. As shown in the initial chapter, emotions are a recurring theme in dystopian films and tv series. How about a different approach to the way we perceive them? This chapter will begin by discussing the theoretical research done to comprehend emotions and categorize them based on the theory of the pioneering psychologist Paul Ekman. After that, it moves on to visualizing emotions and how we currently perceive them. The primary objective is to arrive at a conclusion that is crystal clear about which emotions are the most distinct and how those emotions can be visualized, as these observations will eventually serve as a tool in the primary architectural project.

The fourth chapter explores “the Location,” Milan. Altering the iconic phrase from the tv series “Sherlock”: “Every tale needs a good old-fashioned “...city. Milan is assigned the role of the “Location” in this tale. This chapter examines Milan’s transformation from an industrial hub to the post-industrial megalopolis it is now, complete with mass consumption, immaterial goods, and a culturally diverse population. How did it become an international financial and shopping center? Milan has everything necessary to be envisioned as the site of a future when materialism reigns supreme; thus, it will be determined if it is a suitable location for the project.

Finally, the fifth chapter is dedicated to the main design project, which draws upon everything that was previously discussed.

iii. Structure

NEO EMOTIONS

In Architecture and Interior Design, most methods for performing analytical research are without structure. In the professional world, research has evolved into something that no longer asks probing questions but instead serves as a means to an end or provides justification for a design process that has already been completed. This investigation of the site and context is undoubtedly a necessary first step in any design process, but it should not be categorized as a “research” inquiry. Instead, research should be an in-depth look at a topic to draw firm findings and understand it better, with a specific goal, a working hypothesis, and a methodological approach.

The methodology of the thesis is divided into three stages:

i. An examination of relevant case studies related to the research field and the design idea

ii. A review of relevant literature

iii. The presentation of two design proposals related to the central theme

The case study research was conducted mainly via a phenomenological approach. This qualitative research is typically carried out in-depth, yet it provides substantial leeway in methodological adaptability. In addition, a phenomenological approach’s analytical procedure could be highly methodical, even if the resulting data is not considered representative. Instead, the areas with less knowledge can be approached with an interpretive judgment of the study synthesis thanks to an awareness of the significance of various representations.

The chosen case studies are employed in the first phase of the research to provide an indepth analysis of the dystopian literary sector. Since it allowed for a thorough examination of the most frequently discussed dystopian social issues, the case study research methodology was the most suitable means to approach the subject initially. It allowed to zero in on meanings, seek explanations, take the big picture into account, and hone in on specifics.

iv. Methodology

The literature review is the second phase of the process employed in the theoretical portion. The literature review, at its most fundamental level, is an overview of the primary literature that was determined to be relevant to the research topics, providing a logical discussion of what research has already been done, what is acknowledged, and what is not to serve as the basis for a theoretical and practical framework. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for the topic and highlights the gaps in the present research. In other words, the design project will provide novel solutions to the “missing pieces” revealed by the literature review.

The conclusion of the research includes the presentation of two distinct design concepts. The design is utilized to deliver results and answers, but primarily to challenge the concept of dystopia. The design is neither literal nor ominous. In contrast, it focuses on how an architecturally designed and conceptualized dystopia handles present problems of the society in question, with the intention of problematizing, influencing attitudes, and awakening the contemporary individual’s consciousness.

NEO EMOTIONS

THE SETTING: DYSTOPIA

Dystopia in literature is placed under the umbrella of the Science Fiction (SF) genre. In order to understand this specific subgenre, it is essential to examine the definition of SF, its origins, and its evolution through the years.

The first problem that someone, who wants to deal with the history and development of SF faces, is its very definition. While most of us have a general, superficial understanding of what SF is, it is still challenging to narrow down the elements that distinguish this literature genre from other imaginative and fantastic ones. [1]

As Mike Ashley jokes in “The Illustrated Book of Science Fiction Lists,” “if you ask 50 avid readers of Science Fiction its definition, you are likely to get 100 different answers.” [2]

1.1.1 Three Definitions of SF

One of the most influential definitions was stated in 1972 by Darko Suvin, poet and SF critic, who claims that SF is “a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition, and whose main formal device is an imaginative framework alternative to the author’s empirical environment.”

Suvin appears to mean the pursuit of rational understanding by “cognition,” and “estrangement” as a process that allows us to recognize its subject while also making it appear unfamiliar.

The emphasis Suvin places on what he and others have called a “Novum,” a new thing, a fictional artifact, some difference between the world of fiction and the natural world outside (such as the robot, the spaceship, or every undiscovered and imaginary device) is perhaps the most critical part of his definition, and the easiest with which to agree. While few would agree with Suvin, it is challenging and has perhaps been the most useful in catalyzing debate on the subject. [3]

A more contemporary definition of what SF was given by Damien Broderick, an Australian author and critic with a Ph.D. in the semiotics of fiction, science, and SF. According to him, SF is “that species of storytelling native to a culture undergoing the epistemic changes implicated in the rise and supersession of technical-industrial modes of production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. It is marked by:

i. metaphoric strategies and metonymic tactics

ii. the foregrounding of icons and interpretative schemata from a collectively constituted generic “mega-text” and the concomitant de-emphasis of “fine writing” and characterization

iii. certain priorities more often found in scientific and postmodern texts than in literary models: specifically, attention to the object in preference to the subject.” [4]

Regarding the “metaphoric strategies and

[1] Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction – History and criticism. London: Routledge. p. 2

[2] Ashley, M. (1982). The Illustrated Book of Science Fiction Lists. New York: Simon & Schuster

[3] Clute, J., Nicholls, P. (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St Martin’s Press

[4] Broderick, D. (1995). Reading by Starlight - Postmodern Science Fiction. London: Routledge. p. 155

1.1 Science Fiction 20

metonymic tactics,” Broderick means that, while the overall drift of any given SF text will be to represent the world metaphorically, such that the entire SF imagined world encodes a part of the natural world, the actual elements in the novel itself will be metonymic rather than metaphorical. [5]

According to the encyclopedia “Britannica, ”metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of an object or concept is replaced with a word closely related to or suggested by the original, such as “crown” to mean “king” (“The power of the crown was morally weakened”).” Metonymy produces concrete and vivid images in place of generalities, as in the substitution of a specific word. [6]

The “icons” that Broderick mentions in his definition are the same nova that Suvin uses. In the 1968 novel “Blade Runner. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” androids are part of the known world. Like humans, they are entities made of organic matter, with very few difficult-to-digest differences. [7] This novum of androids is used as a commentary tool for the alienation of modern life, while it reflects all the developments in technology in the present times. [8]

To furtherly understand this “attention to the object in preference to the subject,” two literary examples are presented, and both incorporate the transformation as a central theme: Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” (1915) and John Taine’s “Seeds

of Life” (1931). In “Metamorphosis,” the protagonist, Gregor, wakes up one day and realizes he is transformed into a huge monstrous insect. Kafka does not explain the reasons for this transformation or how this occurred. However, he attempts to examine the family relationships, through this allegory, in a psychological and sociological way, using the hero’s alienation and degradation. [9] On the other hand, in the “Seeds of Life,” Neils turns from an alcoholic and failure into a “superman,” a genius prodigy after a scientific accident. In this case, Taine explains the specifics of his hero’s transformation, and he uses factual elements from his era’s scientific knowledge. [10] This rationalization, this absence of “magical,” makes the latter a SF novel and the other not.

Isaac Asimov, one of the “Big Three” of SF, calls it “the literary genre that deals with the impact of scientific evolution and technology on human beings.” [11]

According to this view, SF has become a reasonably modern phenomenon that did not exist before the 19th century as we know it today for two reasons.

Firstly, technological developments up to that time were much slower in pace and could not be achieved in a person’s lifetime. Secondly, the Industrial Revolution impacted scientific discoveries to have more influence on the daily lives of ordinary people. Anything prior to that, therefore, falls into the realm of fantasy and not Science Fiction.

[5] Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction – History and criticism. London: Routledge. p. 12

[6] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2016). metonymy. Encyclopedia Britannica. www.britannica.com/art/metonymy

[7] Dick, P. (1968). Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? New York: Doubleday.

[8] Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction – History and criticism. London: Routledge. p. 13

[9] Kafka, F. (1915). The Metamorphosis. Leipzig: Kurt Wolff Verlag.

[10] Taine, J. (1931). Seeds of Life, in the Amazing Stories Magazine. New Jersey: Teck Publications.

[11] Patriarch. J. (1974). The Science Fiction of Isaak Asimov. London: Panther Books Ltd. p. 17

NEO EMOTIONS

In any case, it would be wise to say that SF is technology fiction, not in the simplistic sense of the use of gadgets, but in that of a philosophical point of view, where it examines the effects of this evolution to the present life. To understand why SF keeps returning to these questions and why the best SF is so eloquent about them, we must first understand its undeniably deep cultural roots and how the long span of historical change has shaped the genre’s growth. [12]

As a literary critique, SF is not a genre famous for its broad and experimental aesthetic writing criteria, and the nova that differentiates the SF world from the world of realist fiction are frequently drawn from a relatively limited range of themes, which could face the risk of repetition.

The archetypical SF themes are: i. Interstellar travel and related equipment ii. Aliens

iii. Mutants, robots, and androids

iv. Advanced technology

v. Time travel

vi. Alternative history

vii. Futuristic utopias and dystopias. [13]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Barbarella in the “Orgasm Machine.” Barbarella. Film. 1967 Dr. David Bowman in the spacecraft “Discovery One.” 2001: Space Odyssey. Film. 1968

Droid C-3PO & astromech R2-D2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Film. 1977

Flying car in the Los-Angeles cityscape. Blade Runner. Film. 1982

[12] Roberts, A. (2005). The History of Science Fiction. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 19

[13] Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction – History and criticism. London: Routledge. p. 15

Quote by Marge Piercy, progressive activist & writer

T-800 in his full robot form. Terminator. Film. 1984 22

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us. dreams are the fire in us. dreams are the fire in us. dreams are the fire in us. dreams

NEO EMOTIONS

1.1.2 Old Futures

The origins of SF can be found in ancient mythology (e.g., “voyages extraordinaire” in Homer’s “Odyssey,” 725 – 675 BCE), medieval romance (e.g., Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur,” 1485), post-Renaissance fantasies (e.g., Francis Godwin’s “The Man in the Moone,” 1638) and Victorian Gothic (e.g., Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” 1818) but in reality, it took its complete form in the 20th century. While the historical analysis and exploration of this “Fantastic” through all the years of literature have a unique interest, this dissertation is examining specifically the concept of dystopian futurity, so it is vital to study this idea of “old futures,” starting from the early 19th-century shift of SF to a systematic imagination of the future. [14]

In his book, “Metamorphoses of Science Fiction,” Darko Suvin presents the turning of SF to the concept of anticipation at the beginning of the 19th century, with the “space” losing its power over “time.” The industrial revolution affected the genre intensely, and we can observe an investigation of the future potentialities of the machine for the human world more directly. The fact that the technology of the era made such a massive change in just one lifetime allowed everyone to imagine a world in which each generation “becomes itself a turning point” and subsequently led the writers of the time to fantasize about “attainable futures.” [15]

What is particularly interesting is not just the fact that SF turned into futuristic fiction but that the theme of the works focused on apocalyptic world endings and the idea of the last man standing. [16] We could argue that these novels were the predecessor of the dystopian literature of the 20th century.

1.1.3 Few Dark Futures

One of the first, most prominent and impactful examples is Jean-Baptiste François Xavier Cousin de Grainville’s 1805 novel “Le Dernier Homme, ouvrage posthume”. The novel approaches the end of the world in both a religious and rationalistic approach, with the protagonists trying to become the last Adam and Eve in a fully technologically developed world that has reached its destruction. [17]

Another strong example of this subgenre is Lord Byron’s poem “Darkness,” where the sun dies, and the earth and its inhabitants are slowly dying.

“The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave,

The moon, their mistress, had expir’d before;

The winds were wither’d in the stagnant air,

And the clouds perish’d; Darkness had no need Of aid from them—She was the Universe.” [18]

[14] Stockwell, P. (2000). The Poetics of Science Fiction. Harlow: Longman. pp. 15-18

[15] Suvin, D. (1979). Metamorphoses of Science Fiction. London: Yale University Press. pp. 115-117

[16] Roberts, A. (2005). The History of Science Fiction. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 122

[17] Cousin de Grainville, J.P. (1806). The Last Man: or, Omegarus and Syderia: A Romance in Futurity. London: R Dutton.

[18] Lord Byron (1816). The Prisoner of Chillon. London: John Murray.

The 1846 satirical novel “Le Monde tel sera qu’ il sera” (English version: “The World as it shall be”) that was written by Émile Souvestre is the first crucial French piece of industrial dystopia. The story’s two heroes are transported by the “spirit of the age” in the year 3000, in an anti-utopian world where industrialization has conquered everything, leaving the societies apathetic, without any trace of altruism. [19]

Jules Verne is undoubtedly one of the most visionary novelists of the SF genre. Inspired by the technology of his time and the changes that the Industrial Revolution brought, he pursued the idea of excellent mobility with unique machines of transportation. As Adam Roberts smartly comments: “for mobilization has long struck me as one of the secret fetishes of SF.” [20]

What is particularly interesting in Verne’s work is this pessimistic evolution of his works over the years, as in one of these works, which was written in 1879. “Les Cinq cent millions de la Bégum” (Paris in the 20th century) is a future fantasy in two rival cities, one representing a utopian France and another a dystopian Germany. The German-inspired “Stahlstadt” is a toxic wasteland, driven by the industrial revolution, with factory workers named by numbers, like in prison. He draws a horrific picture of a city with a specific focus on the effects of industrialization on the environment and excessive pollution. [21]

These prominent selected examples from the SF genre are paving the way for the booming of the dystopian literature and cinematography field of the 20th and 21st centuries.

[19] Souvestre, E. (2004). The World as It Shall Be (Early Classics of Science Fiction). Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press.

[20] Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction – History and criticism. London: Routledge. p. 152

[21] Radu, D. L. (2016). Jules Verne Constructs America: From Utopia to Dystopia. CUNY Academic Works. www.academicworks. cuny.edu

NEO EMOTIONS

Even though this paper focuses on dystopia, it is crucial to define and clarify the boundaries between its related genres so that dystopia’s specific characteristics and range of possibilities will become more apparent. Essential is the definition of “utopia,” as it presents as a concept much sooner than dystopia, and, simplistically, it is the opposite of dystopia.

After the examination of the concept of utopia and utopian literature, it will be time to explore the inverted, mirrored concept of “dystopia.” As is expected, while utopia presents all the ideals for a perfectly organized society, dystopia is becoming the “antagonist,” referencing disturbing and negatively infused versions of the world.

1.2.1 Three Definitions of Utopia

As we have it in mind nowadays in the western world, the idea of utopia as an ideal society can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato’s “Republic.” In his work, through the famous Platonic dialogue, he communicates his ideas about justice in a perfectly organized society, separating the latter into three major classes that would represent all people most efficiently, achieving happiness throughout. [22]

The word utopia was first presented by Thomas More in 1516, written in a Latin short story now known as “Utopia.” This short, but famous work, purely fiction-

al but with many references to actual events and people of the time that give it a certain plausibility, consists of two parts. In the first, written a year after the second, the author recounts his acquaintance in Antwerp with a well-traveled and highly educated Portuguese sailor, Raphael Hythloday, who was introduced to him by his friend Peter Giles. While the three conversed, Raphael commented on the ills of their contemporary Europe: social inequality, the greed of the nobles and wealthy bourgeoisie, the weaknesses of kings, and the immorality of palace councilors. In the second part, Raphael describes the paradoxical but fair and benevolent socio-political institutions in force on the territory of an island in the southern hemisphere where he and his companions found themselves, the island of Utopia. [23]

As Adam Roberts explains, More’s Utopia is “a three-way pun suggesting ou-topos or nowhere, eu-topos or good-place, and u-topos or u-shaped land, which describes the geographical disposition of More’s imaginary island.” [24]

The combination of the two parts in these neologist portmanteau words is vital and by no means accidental, according to Tom Moylan’s theory of the “critical utopia.” “Topos” suggests the need to define Utopia in space and time, even though it is nowhere to be found. This immediately gives the possibility of the plausible over the improbable. [25]

[22] Sargent, L. T. (2010). Utopianism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 22-34

[23] More, T. (2003). Utopia. London: Penguin Classics.

[24] Roberts, A. (2005). The History of Science Fiction. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 41

[25] Roemer, K. M. (2001). Review of Scraps of the Untainted Sky: Science Fiction, Utopia, Dystopia, by T. Moylan. Utopian Studies. 12(2). pp. 347-350. www.psupress.org

1.2 Dystopia

Darko Suvin shares in his essays that “a definition of utopia as a literary form should retain the crucial element of an alternative location radically different in respect of sociopolitical conditions from the author’s historic environment.”

It alludes to creating a community in which sociopolitical teachings, standards, and interpersonal connections are organized, agreeing to a drastically distinctive rule than the one within the author’s community. [26]

Literary critic, philosopher, and Marxist political theorist Fredric Jameson dives into more complex realizations regarding utopia. He perceives utopias as “daydreams,” in which entire cities are imagined, constitutions are fanatically drafted, and legal systems are endlessly amended, making them suitable for attention rather than just romantic fantasies. They are societies that have managed to separate the political from the private triumphantly and uniquely. They are paralleled with the modern inventors, as they also try to find an inventive solution to an identified problem. They present themselves as the only cure to complex societies and possess the “single-shot solution to all our ills.” [27]

These “utopias as daydreams” concept is met in Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel, “The Invisible Cities.” The plot of this work is built around Marco Polo’s correspondence with the Tatar Emperor Kublai Kan, who tasked Marco with visiting all of his em-

pire’s strange, “alien” cities and reporting on what he found.

To introduce these subjects and concepts, Calvino uses an allegory that often resembles a children’s story. Dreams, fantasies, and the ability to imagine previously unimaginable worlds inform his artistic practice. Thomas More’s “Utopia” has a strong influence on this piece. However, the novel’s proper focus is a happy world and a place that can accommodate human beings.

The cities described by Calvino are initially invisible to Kublai Khan because he cannot see them. He turns his attention to the traveler. There are many places in the world that Kublai Khan does not travel to. In addition to reading reality, Marco Polo also deciphers and creates it. He is the one who recognizes the distinct characteristics of each city by separating its constituent parts and analyzing them. He travels, finds, identifies, reports, and informs about the location as it is safe to put his faith in Kublai Khan. The reader is in the same boat.

Despite this, cities are largely invisible because of their rarity. A strong sense of visual presence is elicited by the author’s use of museum cities, underground or aerial cities, and both empty and crowded cities. It is true, however, that the utopian current can be found in the city’s structure, architecture, and symbolic landscape. As a result, we have city structures that are only conceivable through imagi-

[26] Suvin, D. (2010). Defined by a Hollow. Essays on Utopia, Science Fiction and Political Epistemology. Bern: Peter Lang. pp. 17-22

[27] Jameson, F. (2005). Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions. London: Verso Books. pp. 10-12

NEO EMOTIONS

nation and transcendental thought. [28]

In addition to the unconventional approach and the peculiar nature of the proposed cities, the work’s atmosphere is unusual. The literary structure is just as complex. The reader is never in the expected location as these descriptions follow one another in an extraordinarily complex sequence. Although Calvino gives utopia a realistic dimension, that of creating a better world, it is still a fantasy. Fantastic elements serve as a lens through which the city, as a microcosm and projection of modern man’s frequently grim reality, can be viewed, illustrating the duality of utopia and dystopia in human existence.

case of utopia, was born long before the emergence of the word, describing it as “a future worse than the present.” As we have analyzed in the first part of the chapter, the aggravating images of the end of the world and the apocalypse have been the theme of many SF works, but we could say that these images go even further back in time, with Christianity, the End of the World and the Judgment Day. Deserted cities, submerged landmarks, war, death, and the rubble of civilizations, are all concepts that precede the 20th-century “dystopia.” [29]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

The island of Utopia. Utopia. Thomas More. Novel. 1516 Punishments from monstrous creatures of Hell. Last Judgment. Hieronymus Bosch. Painting. c. 1482

Calvino’s city of Zobeida. Cities and Memories. Karina Puente. Illustration. 2016

1.2.2 Six Definitions of Dystopia

The etymology of the word “dystopia” originates from the Ancient Greek prefix “dus-,” which indicates something terrible or difficult, and the word “tópos,” which translates into place. The term appeared in 1747 and was spelled as “dustopia.” In 1748, “dystopia” was defined properly as “an unhappy country.”

The use of the term, with the contemporary meaning, is relatively new (late 20th century), and as Gregory Claeys mentions, “the word functions as the opposite of utopia, the bad place versus what we imagine to be the good place, the secular version of paradise.”

Although, dystopian thinking, as in the

In “The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction,” George Mann defines dystopia as: “a community or society gone wrong. Dystopias are often portrayed as social structures that have collapsed under an environmental burden or political regime. Due to their very nature, they are often set at some indefinite point in the future; societies do not decay over the years, but over decades.” [30] Emeritus Professor, Ruth Levitas, indicates that “dystopias are not necessarily fictional in form; neither predictions of the nuclear winter nor fears of the consequences of the destruction of the rain forests, the holes in the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect and the potential melting of the polar ice caps are primarily the material of fiction.” [31]

In one of his essays, Lyman Tower Sargent gives a clear and completed definition “a non-existent society described in con-

[28] Calvino, I. (1978). Invisible Cities. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

[29] Claeys, G. (2017). Dystopia: A Natural History. A Study of Modern Despotism, Its Antecedents, and Its Literary Diffractions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 4-273

[30] Mann, G. (2001). The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, London: Constable and Robinson Ltd. p. 477

[31] Levitas, R. (1990). The Concept of Utopia. New York: Syracuse University Press p. 195

Quote by Yevgeny Zamyatin in his novel “We.”

The city of Zion. The Matrix Revolutions. Film. 2003 28

Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. 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We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil. We comes from God, I from the Devil.

NEO EMOTIONS

siderable detail and normally located in time and space that the author intended a contemporaneous reader to view as considerably worse than the society in which that reader lived.” [32]

The vast majority of dystopias are set in the real world, but often in an imagined invariable future or alternate history, pointing fearfully at the alleged direction of the world in order to provide urgent propaganda for a change in that direction. They are caused by human action or inaction, whether motivated by evil or stupidity. The only thing that all dystopias have in common is that they are harmful and undesirable societies. Many dystopias are utopian societies with at least one fatal flaw. As hope for a better future grows, so does the fear of disappointment, and when any vision of a future utopia incorporates a manifesto for political action or belief, opponents of that action or belief will inevitably attempt to demonstrate that its consequences are not utopian, but horrifying. Dystopian societies are based on instilling fear of the consequences of current behavior. [33]

Dystopias tend to become prophecies that accuse people of taking the wrong path, detailing the errors they have fallen into, resulting in their imminent punishment. A common thread is a message that there is a way to avoid a dystopian future, and it is none other than changing people’s behavior. Dystopian narratives are, after all, directly linked to the social

present and the past from which they emerged. Thus, contemporary society is put under the microscope of dystopian critique to highlight those social foundations that may undermine its future well-being.

If we were to define the form of the main characteristics of dystopian fiction, then they would be:

i. A hierarchical society where the distinctions between the upper, middle and lower classes are clear and unbreakable (Caste system).

ii. The propaganda and educational system are designed to keep the caste system in place.

iii. Individuality is being canceled.

iv. The presence of symbols presented as commandments of religious faith summarizes and conceals the state’s goals.

v. Constant police surveillance by state agencies.

vi. The origin story of a disaster that justifies dramatic social changes.

vii. A protagonist who has doubts about society.

viii. Technological advancements. [34]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Quote by George Orwell in his novel “1984.”

The Big Brother. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Film. 1956

The burning of books by the police. Fahrenheit 451. Film. 1966

Truman Burbank being filmed 24/7 a reality tv program. The Truman Show. Film. 1998

Police control in the authoritarian police state of United Kingdom. Children of Men. Film. 2006

[32] Sargent, L.T. (1994). The Three Faces of Utopianism Revisited. Utopian Studies. 5(1). p. 9

[33] Clute, J., Nicholls, P. (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St Martin’s Press.

[34] Chintan, M. (2011). Dystopian Future in Contemporary Science Fiction. Golden Research Thought (GRT). 1(1). pp. 1-4. www. oldgrt.lbp.world

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

NEO EMOTIONS

1.2.3 Dystopia vs Utopia

The above definitions also make it reasonable to compare dystopia with utopia. The two terms could simplistically be described as opposites. The etymological interpretation of the word dystopia suggests opposition to utopia. This, however, is far from reality. Dystopia, as a general idea, may have been developed in opposition to utopia, but the purpose of the two concepts does not differ.

Both utopia and dystopia present alternative images of our society. In the case of utopia, these alternatives are desirable, whereas, in the case of dystopia, they are not. Dystopia functions as rhetoric based on the misguided abduction of utopian philosophy and push utopia to its extremes to draw attention to destructive policies. [35]

Both strongly argue that the future is based on people’s choices. Even the most pessimistic dystopia contains the notion of warning, which hints at the hope generated by choice to avert a pessimistic future. Krishan Kumar highlights the difference between a prophecy’s inexorability versus the dystopias’ warning power. [36] Even in the complete failure of a society, hope is inherent, which emerges by turning away from the dystopian pages back to our present, where change is still possible. In light of the above, dystopias are “a living snapshot of contemporary cultural anxieties” [37] that explore those parts of society that each individual should fear for the

future. However, Fredric Jameson argues that dystopian thinking attacks positive visions of the future. [38]

The relationship between utopia and dystopia remains highly complex. After rejecting the opposite notion, it can be argued that the two concepts are part of a symbiotic relationship. Dystopia constantly challenges utopia’s ability to transcend existing reality and draws it back to a more grounded sense of its radicality based on history and individual biography. [39]

Indeed, Ana Claudia Ribeiro Romano claims that “every utopia contains a dystopia.” [40] The initial assertion raises the plausible question of how easily the extreme ideals of a utopia can become dystopian conformity. However, Utopia and dystopia are points on a spectrum, not diametrically opposed concepts. What they describe may differ, but their intent and purpose are common.

1.2.4 Dystopian Society

The adjective “dystopian” does not have non-literary, empirical applications, as it connotes dreadful chaotic futures. From both literary and historical perspectives, dystopia is occasionally associated with the “failed utopia” of 20th-century totalitarianism, a governmental centralized and dictatorial system with regimes characterized by inequality, oppression, and slavery. [41]

[35] Hintz, C., Ostry, E. (2013). Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. p. 2

[36] Kumar, K. (2013). Utopia’s Shadow. In Vieira, F. (Ed.), Dystopia(N) Matters: On the Page, On Screen, On Stage. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 19-22

[37] Hintz, C., Ostry, E. (2013). Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. p. 13

[38] Jameson, F. (2005). Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions. London: Verso Books. p. 381

[39] Davis, L. (2013). Dystopia, Utopia and Sancho Panza. In Vieira, F. (Ed.), Dystopia(N) Matters: On the Page, On Screen, On Stage. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 23

[40] Romano, A. C. R. (2013) Utopia, Dystopia and Satire: Ambiguity and Paradox. In Vieira, F. (Ed.), Dystopia(N) Matters: On the Page, On Screen, On Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 64-68

[41] Claeys, G. (2017). Dystopia: A Natural History. A Study of Modern Despotism, Its Antecedents, and Its Literary Diffractions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 5

These utopias-gone-wrong are formed with the “seeds of a utopian dream” that was “articulated by the ruling elite’s original promise when its new system was implemented, a promise that then miscarried; was betrayed, or was fulfilled in ways that show up the unexpected shortcomings of the dream.”[42]

A dystopian society tends to present itself in a utopian manner, full of happiness, health, peace, and wealth. The true terror is unveiled as soon as this façade is dropped. Social limitations restrict the freedom in society throughout and often occur through the enforced classification of people into different classes and the “strict conformity among citizens, with a general assumption that individuality is bad.”[43]

SF critic and professor Mark R. Hillegas identifies and summarizes the main characteristics of the dystopian society. It is accurate to say that one of the most revealing indicators of the concerns of our time is the excellent product of such works as Zamyatin’s “We,” Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Orwell’s “1984.” They describe nightmares where people’s survival depends on obedience, freedom has been eliminated, and individuality is crushed. In these dystopian societies, the past is systematically destroyed, and people are isolated from nature. Science and technology are used not to enrich human life but to maintain state surveillance and control over the citizens of society, who

are, literally or metaphorically, enslaved. [44]

This absence of fairness, justice, and inequality creates depressing and desolate societies, characterized by “the danger of removal from historical process, wide dehumanization and an uprising consumer society.” The suppressed individuality and the all-pervasive state control are often achieved by the control of advanced technologies that allow the very existence of the totalitarian state. [45]

The most common narrative structure of a dystopian novel is the description of a character who rejects the way the society in which she/he lives operates. The description of the central character’s conflicts facilitates the reader’s reflection on the modern system and its functioning. Presenting the story through the eyes of an alienated protagonist contributes to the reader’s critique of societies as far worse than the one she lives in but uncomfortably close to it. And, despite the different years or decades in which the various works were written and the different political aims of the authors, each dystopian society trains the readers to focus their anger while offering a view of the present as uncomfortable and historical, and a radical hope for better ways of living. [46]

[42] Gottlieb, E. (2001). Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and Trial, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s Press. pp. 5-8

[43] Nithya, K. (2016). Science Fiction and Dystopia. IJELLH. 4(8). pp. 206-220. www. ijellh.com

[44] Hillegas, M. R. (1967). The future as nightmare: H. G. Wells and the anti-utopians. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 3

[45] Zhurkova, M. S., & Khomutnikova, E. (2019). The Genesis of Dystopian Meaning Structure and its Relation to Utopian Literary Tradition. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Education Science and Social Development (ESSD). www.doi. org/10.2991/essd-19.2019.42

[46] Donawerth, J. (2003). Genre blending and the critical dystopia. In Moylan, T., & Baccolini, R. (Eds.), Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination. London: Routledge. p. 30

NEO EMOTIONS

1.2.5 Dystopian Classifications

Fátima Vieira, in her book “Dystopia(n) Matters,” shares Gregory Claeys’, Professor Emeritus of History, description of the “three variants of dystopianism”: “i. The first variant perceives pursuing the secular millennium as modernity’s greatest tragedy.

ii. The second variant somehow perverts the idea of the first, as it aims to implicitly contradict the overhasty association of utopianism with totalitarianism and thus preserves some form of the concept of utopia for positive contemporary applications.

iii. The third variant may best be described as a function of the way it presents negative visions of humanity generally, and secular variations on the Apocalypse.”[47]

In his book, “Dystopia: A Natural History,” Claeys proceeds to explain three conceptual forms of dystopia:

i. The “totalitarian political dystopia”

ii. The “environmental dystopia”

iii. The “technological dystopia.” [48]

Dystopias are also categorized into four groups based on what type of group controls society.

i. Corporate control: Through products, advertising, and/or the media, one or more large corporations exert control over society. The films “Minority Report” and “Running Man” are two examples.

ii. Bureaucratic control: A mindless bureaucracy controls society through a tangle of red tape, strict regulations, and incompetent government officials. The film “Brazil” is an example.

iii. Technological control: Technology controls society through computers, robots, and/or scientific means. The films “The Matrix” and “I, Robot” are a few examples.

iv. Philosophical/religious control: Philosophical or religious ideology controls society, often enforced through a dictatorship or theocratic government. The book “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a typical example. [49]

This paper focuses on the technological dystopia, which is the most current, with human development striving for perfecting technological knowledge, and the plausibly traumatic future will be synonymous with its abuse.

It is particularly interesting to gain an understanding of the dystopian genre through case studies borrowed from the film and television industry, as it is a genre with extreme and intense visuals,with whole universes that while absurd, they always have a touch of “What if?”. The two thematics that are chosen and presented next are “consumerism” and “emotions,” because they seem to torture endlessly through the years the creators.

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Quote by Aldous Huxley in his novel “Brave New World.”

Ben Richards in the TV show “The Running Man.” Running man. Film. 1987

Precogs, the three clairvoyant humans. Minority Report. Film. 2002

The Commander, his wife and their Handmaid in the totalitarian Republic of Gilead. The Handmaid’s Tale. TV series. 2017

Humanoid Robots. I, Robot. Film. 2004

[47] Vieira, F. (2013). Dystopia(n) Matters: On the Page, on Screen, on Stage. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 3

[48] Claeys, G. (2017). Dystopia: A Natural History. A Study of Modern Despotism, Its Antecedents, and Its Literary Diffractions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 5

[49] Atasoy, E. (2021). Oppression and Control in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction. The Journal of Academic Social Sciences. 115(115). pp. 64-73. www.doi.org/10.29228/ asos.49381

The world in the Matrix. Matrix Resurrections. Film. 2022 34

wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. I am I, and I wish I weren't. 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NEO EMOTIONS

1.3.1 The Thematic of Consumerism

“Brazil” [50] is a 1985 dystopian science fiction movie directed by Terry Gilliam with elements of black comedy. The story is set in a distant and peculiar dystopian future, where the authority that defines and handles everything is the bureaucracy. Applications and approvals are required for the slightest movement, such as changing the bathroom flush. Millions of pieces of paper are transported daily within the massive ducts hanging above everyone’s heads in every bedroom, restaurant, and hallway.

Sam Lowry is a lowly law-abiding clerk in the central archives of the all-powerful “Ministry of Information” who dreams of soaring above the clouds and fighting a Samurai warrior. Sam is involved in a conspiracy. He accidentally meets the wanted terrorist “Tuttle,” a radiator mechanic. One day there is a computer error, and instead of the wanted Tuttle, the police arrest the innocent “Buttle.” This administrative error leads Sam to eventually meet the girl of his dreams, Jill. Jill discovers the system’s fault and the wrongful death of an innocent man, and she is named a terrorist by the government. Sam decides to intervene and save his beloved. However, he will fall victim to the bureaucracy, and the torture will cause him to lose his mind.

This dystopian but often humoristic film includes all the typical characteristics of its genre. The human, as an independent entity, is something forbidden. The state guardian watches everyone and everything, and freedom of will is nothing but

an unknown and lost value. Those in the power of any kind often use fear as a lever of pressure but also as a product of exploitation and manipulation of people, with the usual justification of order and security of the system. The citizen is now only of value to the state as part of a unified and unintelligent whole. [51]

The effects of mass consumerism in society are not particularly apparent in the movie, but it is a very strong sub-message. Throughout the story, set around Christmas, the characters share superficial, mass-produced gifts provided by the government and hopes of having their credit scores upgraded. Even when Santa asks one little girl what she wants for Christmas, she replies, “my credit card!.”

Another crucial visual element of the film is entertainment, with televisions in every room, both at home and at work, and banal toys occupying workers’ free time. America bombards people with dreams and deprives them of their own. The film is about the mass-consuming of the “American dream,” all these tremendous mass-produced fantasies of eternal youth, material wealth, and power. [52]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Guard character in the film “Brazil.”

Magnifying glass over tiny TV screens in every employee seat.

Santa Claus representing the most consumerist celebration.

Ida obsessing over plastic surgery. The water fountain of the luxurious restaurant is fed by enormous ducts.

[50] Gilliam, T. (Director). (1985). Brazil. Universal Pictures.

[51] Wheeler, B. (2005). Reality is What You Can Get Away With: Fantastic Imaginings, Rebellion and Control in Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” Critical Survey. 17(1). pp. 95-108. www.jstor. org/stable/41556096

[52] Staff, T. (2020). Madness and the Search for Meaning in Terry Gilliam’s ‘Brazil.’ Tilt Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2022. www.tilt. goombastomp.com/film/madness-and-thesearch-for-meaning-in-terry-Williams-brazil

1.3 Dystopian Motion Picture

Brazil (1985)

If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating.

Don t fight it son. Confess quickly!

NEO EMOTIONS

WALL-E (2008)

“WALL-E” [53] is the 9th CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) movie by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton in 2008.

“WALL-E” is set in the distant dystopian future where humans have left Earth in the giant ship called “Axiom” because of all the garbage. The only known inhabitants are an adorable robot called WALL-E, who must maintain the chaos, and his cockroach friend, Hal.

The year is 2805 AD. Earth is a barren wasteland covered in literal mountains of garbage, suffering from numerous sandstorms and torrential rains. Over 700 years ago, the mega-corporation “Buy-NLarge” (BNL) took control of the planet’s entire economy, and humanity went into a state of mass consumerism, quickly covering the planet in building-sized amounts of waste. In the year 2105, BNL sponsored a five-year exodus from Earth into space aboard a fleet of starships, the most important of which is “Axiom.” It takes a luxury cruise while countless “WALL-E” units (Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-Class) were left behind to compact garbage into small cubes. This plan failed, Earth was deemed too toxic to re-inhabit, and BNL shut down all WALL-E units but failed to deactivate one.

Seven hundred years after his creation, the only standing WALL-E continues his lonely mission to clean up the planet and has developed a conscience and a sensitive personality. The little robot craves

companionship, is curious, and guards anything he finds attractive. So when he meets EVA, a mission-oriented robot sent to check the possibility of re-inhabiting Earth, he falls in love with her and, with his friendly nature, manages to reach out to her and contribute to her development.

After centuries of reliance on an automated and artificial lifestyle, the spaceship’s population is obese, unable to walk, and mentally numb. Humans are the embodiment of consumers, and they exist solely to consume what BNL creates for them. They sit in chairs, and the robots do everything for them. They are constantly staring at a screen directly in front of their faces, bombarded with advertisements.

WALL-E, the only character on board with genuine free will, influences humans and robots, pulling them out of their routine and sedentary lives.

The film “WALL-E” criticizes consumerism and demonstrates its devastating power. Humans allow corporations to control their lives in consumerist societies and are unconcerned about the waste their consumption generates. In the film, humans lack initiative or social sensibility and are unconcerned about the outcomes of their actions. The overconsumption ideology has not only caused environmental devastation but has also prompted humans to lose their humanity. [54]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Captain character in the film “WALL-E.”

WALL-E packing Earth’s leftover trash.

A plant found as a piece of hope.

View of abandoned earth and trash “towers”.

Obese people sitting in front of a screen.

[53] Stanton, A. (Director). (2008). WALL-E. Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures.

[54] Treadaway, A. (2019). The Loss of Humanity through Consumerism in WALL-E. Coastlines. 1(6). pp. 6–13. www.aquila.usm. edu

I don't want to survive. I want don't want to survive. I want to live. I don't want to survive. I wa nt to live. I don't want to survive. I want to live.

NEO EMOTIONS

Fifteen Million Merits (2011)

“Fifteen Million Merits” [55], directed by Euros Lyn in 2011, is one of the episodes of the British science fiction anthology series

“Black Mirror,” originally aired on Britain’s Channel 4 and then bought by the most popular streaming platform, Netflix.

The episode Fifteen Million Merits functions as a contemporary and frenzied version of capitalist realism, as it manifests itself in the dystopian technological universe. The first scene introduces the main character, Bing, who wakes up and prepares to begin his daily routine. Bing’s world is presented as a world of the most extreme individualism, a world of singularity and alienation. His living space, a minimally square claustrophobic black box, is capable of individualized and variable digital “decoration.” All activities are carried out through a network of embedded technologies. A continuous news timeline and pop-up ads invade Bing’s privacy while he conducts real-time online transactions to meet his basic daily needs. The next scene introduces the site of the production of “merits”, the general unit of value. Multiple identical spaces with static bicycles power the whole system — a workplace or factory space in the form of a gym. A small mechanical-systemic error becomes the reason for Bing’s first contact with Abi. Throughout the short film, Bing hears Abi’s singing voice and persuades her to join the competition show “Hot Shots” as a way for her to escape their dull reality. Fifteen million

merits are required for the right to participate in the show, the result of many years of laborious work. Unfortunately, Abi does not make it as a singer, but she gets convinced by one of the judges to leave the “world of the bike” and join his pornographic movies.

Bing gets frustrated and depressed, while he watches Abi on TV ads of pornographic content and until the film’s end, he tries to get revenge on the system by threatening it, but he hits a dead end, as there is no real escape.

The terrifying reality of consumerism and spectacle is unfolding in this episode. In all its forms, as information or propaganda, advertising, or direct consumption of amusements, the spectacle constitutes the present pattern of dominant social life. Even an act of resistance can easily be transformed into a commodity, and this is felt by all the spectators and even more so by the Judges who, in the act of strategic vigilance, address to Bing a proposal of integration that he cannot refuse. [56]

A dictatorship of image and consumerism governs this dystopic but not unreal world that achieves to provide the fake possibility of personal choice. A society in which modern conditions of production dominate and, therefore, all of life appears as a vast heap of spectacles, ready to be consumed.

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Bing character in the film “Fifteen Million Merits.”

The fake landscape around Bing’s room.

Bing unable to mute the advertisements.

The exercise bikes that produce “merits.”

[55] Brooker, C., Huq, K. (Writers), & Lyn, E. (Director). (2011, December 11). Fifteen Million Merits (Season 1, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In A. Jones, C. Brooker (Executive Producers), Black Mirror. Channel 4, Zeppotron, House of Tomorrow.

[56] McKenna, T. (2019). Behind the Black Mirror: The Limits of Orwellian Dystopia. Critique. Journal of Socialist Theory. 47(2). pp. 365–376. www.doi.org/10.1080/0301760 5.2019.1601887

Bing’s avatar in Abi’s room, as he gifts her the “Hot Shots” ticket. 40

NEO EMOTIONS

Westworld (2016-Present)

“Westworld” [57], directed by Jonathan Noland and Lisa Joy, is an American science fiction and neo-Western television series produced by HBO. The inspiration for the series comes from Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name.

“Westworld” is a theme park that simulates the Wild West, the true heart of the American experience. People pay their tickets to visit this artificial environment and live out their fantasies, whether they involve wild gunfights or have more sexual content. In this massive amusement park, the hosts are the robots, who, thanks to extreme perfection in technology, can now simulate humans to the point where the only difference is their programming. Hosts are cowboys, prostitutes, and stereotypical outlaws, and they are everything people have seen in random westerns or issues of “Lucky Luke.” The visitors can manipulate the robots any way they want, have sex with them, or even kill them. Unfortunately, the robots cannot defend themselves as they are programmed not to hurt a fly. The guests arriving at the park fall into many categories, though they are predominantly white males. This clientele is the most likely group of audiences that would give in with complete ease to any kind of guilty fantasy, according to the contemporary views on white suprematism. The main character, the robot Dolores, seems to be there practically to be raped. The various cliques of out-

laws create jerks, but no host can harm a customer. When a programmer wonders if they should intervene during a massacre, the boss replies that “the gentleman must be satisfied.”

Through the course of the series, the robot-hosts begin to react. Finally, the voice that echoes inside their heads like code is the voice of their creator, and it seems that the time has come for them to leave the Garden of Eden. Another lead character, Maeve, wakes up at the time of her repair in the lab and sees the world behind the curtain.

In the dystopia of “Westworld,” capitalism is the ultimate force that has shaped society. A whole world has been artificially created to “accommodate the elite’s fetishes.” The entire series depicts the true pervasiveness of consumerism and the underlying violence that it entails. Customers “consume” the Western frontier atmosphere through the submission of humanoids and objectified women, who “as the ultimate subjects of production were created to be objectified and consumed by the paying customer, human men.” As a society, we brutally consume the objects of production, and the phenomenon of consumerism grows in power and violence. Westworld is an allegory of this situation or even a warning that consumption will increase until we are savagely feasting on anthropomorphic commodities.”[58]

left-to-right, top-to-bottom

Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Dolores character in the series “Westworld.”

A robot-host ready to die by a client in the theme park.

A humanoid in the lab. The robot lab. Robot killing a creator.

[57] Nolan, J. (Executive Producer). (2016-present). Westworld [TV series]. HBO Entertainment

[58] Keefe, S. (2018). We Ate Them: A Tale of Rampant Consumerism. Kino: The Western Undergraduate Journal of Film Studies. 7(1). www.ir.lib.uwo.ca/kino

Strange new light can be as frightening as the dark.

t can be as frightening as the dark. Strange new ligh t can be as frightening as the dark. NEO EMOTIONS

Squid game (2021-Present)

“Squid Game” [59] is a 2021 South Korean survival television series by Hwang Dong-hyuk, created for Netflix, becoming its most-watched series ever. While the series does not have any science fiction elements, it takes place in an alternate setting that has all the elements of a modern dystopia. [60] The recent boom of “Korean Pop” (K-pop) was a factor that led to the show’s massive success. The K-Pop phenomenon has grown significantly, reaching a diverse range of audiences in countries, and led to many popular trends on social media platforms. [61]

“Squid Game” investigates (post)modern man’s neurosis and the concept of self-imposed dystopia against a backdrop of deception, control, and distorted visions. They both explore severe alienation and a subversive interplay between captivity and absolute freedom, as well as the changing definition of happiness. [62]

In the series, our protagonist, Seong Gihun, is a desperate man, unemployed, a gambler, and with countless debts to loan sharks. That is, until a strange man appears in front of him at the subway station, suggesting they play a game. Each player wins 100 thousand Korean won with each win, and if they lose, they get a slap in return. Along with the money, he receives a card with a phone number. As soon as he calls the number on the card, Seong is targeted by a member of an unknown group that recruits people for survival games.

456 players, all with the same background as the protagonist, are invited to play games with the prize of a massive sum of money of 45.6 billion Korean won, which will solve all their problems. Unfortunately, they are destined for a race to the bottom in the Squid Game. They participate in six events, with the last man standing winning. The games are based on Korean children’s games from the 70s and 80s. The winner may have an exorbitant sum of money waiting for him, but he puts himself in immediate danger to reach the goal. Those who fail to complete all the missions either die during the games or are executed. Either they will play and come out victorious in the six games or leave their last breath in one of the rounds.

This was the purpose of the creator, an allegory for modern capitalist society and the extreme competition that is all around. The series characters could be caricatures of ordinary South Korean credit card users, who famously own more credit cards on average than any other country’s citizens.[63]

Ultimately, Squid Game serves up a mentally ill portrait of the human psyche through the “childish” and transparent prism of a game in a “pastel-ized,” “K-pop” setting. However, how low can a person who has lost everything, both materially and emotionally, fall if only given a chance to recover?

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Deok-Su character in the series “Squid Game.”

Whoever is seen moving by the massive child doll is being instantly killed.

A real-fake glass game with no mistakes allowed.

Pastel maze-like stairs full of killing guards.

[59] Dong-hyuk, H. (Executive Producer). (2021-present). Squid Game [TV series]. Siren Pictures Inc.

[60] Wang, E. K., & Zhu, E. (2021). ‘Squid Game’ is a fresh dystopian take on the horrors of capitalism. The Stanford Daily. Retrieved July 17, 2022. www.stanforddaily. com/2021/11/01/squid-game-is-a-fresh-dystopian-take-on-the-horrors-of-capitalism

[61] Siregar, N., Perangin-Angin, A., & Mono, U. (2021). The Cultural Effect of Popular Korean Drama: Squid Game. IDEAS. Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature. 9(2). pp. 445-451. www. ejournal.iainpalopo.ac.id

[62] Athes, H. (2021). The Postmodern Neurosis of Self-Imposed Dystopia: From K-Drama to Swedish Extreme Metal. META: Research in Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, and Practical Philosophy. 13(2). pp. 657-668. www. metajournal.org

[63] Riggs, M. (2021). Squid Game Is a Bloody Commentary on Consumer Debt. Reason. Retrieved July 17, 2022. www.reason. com/2021/10/09/squid-game-is-a-bloodycommentary-on-consumer-debt

Dead bodies placed in gift wrapped coffins. 44

This is Hell. What are the rules In Hell?

NEO EMOTIONS

1.3.2 The Thematic of Emotions

Alphaville (1965)

“Alphaville: une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution” [64] is a 1965 French New Wave sci-fi movie with neo-noir characteristics by Jean-Luc Godard. The opening scene is an introduction to the dystopian world of the movie. The totalitarian machine responsible for the bureaucracy, “Alpha 60,” states that “sometimes reality is too complex for oral communication. But legend embodies it in a form that enables it to spread worldwide.” As the protagonist, Lemmy Caution, approaches the city, he observes a giant billboard with the words “silence, logic, security, prudence” written on it, as these are the main principles that define the behavior of the city’s citizens.

Lemmy Caution travels to the world of Alphaville, which reflects Godard’s city of Paris. While pretending to be a journalist from the “Outlands,” representing any place that does not adhere to Alphaville’s technological laws and principles, he aims to stop the city’s ruler, Professor von Braun, and eliminate the Alpha 60, the ultimate representative of systemic logic. Individualism has all but vanished in Alphaville’s logical world. Thus, emotion is explicitly banned, and anyone who exhibits emotional reactions, such as weeping, is detained and executed in public. [65] One of the strongest scenes is the swimming pool execution ceremony, where one of the prisoners makes a short speech before his death, in which he proclaims that “we see the truth you no longer see. The

truth is that the essence of man is love and faith, courage, tenderness, generosity, and sacrifice ... the rest is the obstacle created by the progress of your blind ignorance!” [66]

The journey of Natasha von Braun, the ruler’s daughter, is fascinating, as she presents herself unable to understand the feeling of love or the idea of conscience, but, after befriending Caution, her story ends in a triumph with her acknowledging the difference between “I” and “You,” by saying “I love you” and signifying the end of the movie.

The film’s resemblance to the current world’s commodified image is striking as if Godard wants us to see the present as more terrifying than the future. On a conceptual level, the city itself enforces specific policies and regulations that must be followed, wields political power and control over its citizens via artificial intelligence. Even after the destruction of Alpha 60, the citizens are unable to function of their own free will, and they collapse as being inseparable from their virtual ruler. The abolition of emotion is another vital commentary on what place love and conscience have in a technological world.

[67]

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Natasha Von Braun character in the film “Alphaville.”

The four principles of the city of Alphaville. Silence. Security. Logic. Prudence.

The city neon signs are just equations symbolizing logic.

“Dissidents” that cry when their spouse die, are put to death.

Natasha and Lemmy feeling love.

[64] Godard, J.-L. (Director). (1965). Alphaville: une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution. André Michelin Productions.

[65] Grant, B. K. (2015). Jean-Luc Godard’s dystopian sci-fi classic Alphaville turns 50. BFI. Retrieved July 16, 2022. www.bfi.org.uk

[66] Yoshioka, M. (2014). Technocratic Totalitarianism: One-Dimensional Thought in Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville. Retrieved July 16, 2022. www.brightlightsfilm.com

[67] Abdel-Ghani, T. (2018). The Conspicuous Past-Present Similitude in Godard’s Alphaville. International Journal of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (IJSSIS). 3(2). pp. 4560. www.dakam.org

You'r e waiting for me to say something to you. You're waiting fo You're waiting for me to say something to you.

ou'reY waiting for me to say something to you.

NEO EMOTIONS

THX 1138 (1971)

“THX 1138” [68] is George Lucas’ first feature film, and he gives us his version of the future of humanity. In a dystopian society of the future, people are controlled by a faceless electronic government and are forced to consume drugs as pills to keep their minds suppressed, words are entirely controlled, individual freedom is non-existent, and love is treated as a crime.

The film begins with reference to the legendary 1939 film series, “Buck Rogers.”

In the movie episodes, Buck, a pilot who wakes up 500 years in the future, learns that the world is ruled by evil, and he joins the resistance and tries to save the world, but our protagonist, THX, on the other hand, never had that opportunity. He is one with the manipulated masses, and his chances of breaking out are slim.

Humans live underground in blinding artificial light. Even the very construction of society is based on the uniformity of citizens - white uniforms and shaved heads - and their subsequent social separation - ordinary citizens, priests, and police officers.

Imagine a world where uniformity and lack of empathy are the norms. A parallel reality, if you will, where you are not allowed to express emotions and think freely.

In the fictional, Orwellian society of THX 1138, a pattern of control, over-consumption, and uniformity is observed. The state enforces the administration of drugs to its citizens for their emotional control and compliance and checks to see if they took them with cameras inside their homes

while they watch chilling erotic scenes. In this society, sexual intercourse and family formation are taboo. Humans are puppets of the surveillance system that has established yet another invisible machine.

The human “slaves” confess to a “state” deity in the form of “Christ.” But unfortunately, the divine figure they can address is a pre-recorded message, with the citizens feeling like they are at a dead end even in their moments of weakness.

Whiteness suggests a sterile environment, and this, in turn, reaches the final signifier, which is none other than morbidity. In a world made of fluorescent lamps and a lack of color, one must assert oneself with a human-centered view. By balancing the vast white of a wall-less prison with the very prison they call everyday life, people inside and outside the film are getting something to consider regarding free will. [69]

From a social perspective, THX 1138 functions as a form of social experiment. It explores the human condition when it lacks all that defines it. It collects its reactions after consecutive years of enslavement and control. It raises ethical questions and is an exciting topic for discussion, being a potential evolution of our society. [70]

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by OMM 0000 character in the film “THX 1138.”

The lack of color in the space and clothes highlights the absence of individuality.

A hologram appearing during a masturbation scene. THX 1138 and LUH choosing to love each other.

Torture in the white void.

[68] Lucas, G. (Director). (1971). THX 1138. Warner Bros. Pictures

[69] Gordon, A. (2005). THX 1138 Portrait of the Artist as an Angry Young Man. Film International. 3(3). pp. 12-21. www.doi.org/10.1386/ fiin.3.3.12

[70] Telotte, J. (2001). The Science Fiction Film as Fantastic Text: THX 1138. In Science Fiction Film (Genres in American Cinema). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 123-141

Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy. And be happy.

be happy. Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy re.mo Buy more now. Buy. And be happy. NEO EMOTIONS

Equilibrium (2002)

“Equilibrium” [71] is a science fiction action film directed by Kurt Wimmer in 2002. The setting is in the near future, in the early 21st century. It was preceded by the third world war that has shaken humanity and changed it radically.

In the fictional city of “Libria,” a high council has concluded that the root of evil lies in human emotions, so it has created a drug, “Prozium,” which with daily use completely suppresses emotions and results in complete apathy and submission. As a result, people are becoming some form of cyborgs, not in the sense of a mechanical body, but in the sense that they refuse any human attribute in them. [72]. Except for the compulsory daily injection of the drug, the attempt to prevent a new war was achieved by absolute and strict policing of everything.

In this dystopia, any personal object, artwork, pet, or anything that can stimulate emotions is to be immediately destroyed and its owner executed. The regime is run by the “Father,” a figure who never appears himself but is omnipresent through screens throughout the city and does propaganda. The immediate head of the security forces is the vice-president, DuPont. The story’s central character is John Preston, a high-ranking “cleric” of the system and an “emotional law enforcement officer” who accidentally misses his daily dose of Prozium and, as a result, not only tries to avoid being exposed but also starts to feel. Through the remorse

of his former life, he will become a secret champion of the resistance, known as the “Underground,” to bring down this authoritarian regime from within.

Towards the end of the movie Preston, after the resistance was captured, goes to meet officially with the Father, with the ultimate goal of killing him. Father reveals that he knew of Preston’s actions and deliberately let him act to deliver the resistance to him. It is also revealed that the real boss is DuPont, whose personal space is decorated with luxurious items, curtains, and artwork, and he does not take Prozium. Preston kills the hypocritical DuPont, and finally, after destroying the place where Father’s propaganda image is made and erasing it from the city’s screens.

The fulfillment of the demands of happiness and a man’s passion for experiencing personal freedom turn against him, imprison him, isolate him, and lead him to the inhumanly illiberal. Human freedom is defined only by conditional “freedoms,” which have concrete and tangible constants and inevitably become fetters and self-contradictory. By studying people, one realizes that the common sense of freedom focuses on the freedom to consume, the freedom to fulfill one’s personal will at any time, and the freedom of personal security. [73]

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Vice-Counsel DuPont character in the film “Equilibrium.”

The drug “Prozium” is advertised to the citizens.

Clothing uniformity and constant police presence.

John Preston feeling the sunlight.

John Preston fighting authority.

[71] Wimmer, K. (Director). (2002). Equilibrium. Dimension Films.

[72] Coelsch-Foisner, S. (2009). What Constitutes the Fantastic? Papers in English & American Studies XVII. Szeged: JATEPress. pp. 137-147

[73] Virtue, G. (2021). Hear me out: why Equilibrium isn’t a bad movie. Retrieved July 16, 2022. www.theguardian.com/film/2021/ may/24/equilibrium-hear-me-out-Christianbale

Be careful. You're treading on my dreams

ou're treading on my dreams

NEO EMOTIONS

Equals (2015)

“Equals” [74] is a 2015 science fiction romantic drama directed by Drake Doremus. Many science fiction productions are overwhelmed by modern facilities, flawless mechanical protagonists, and a touch of perfection hovering in the atmosphere, and “Equals” clearly fall into this category. Its dystopian world is characterized by geometrically modernized buildings, open spaces and large computer screens, strict characters with similar uniforms and attitudes, and a calm that seems impossible to disturb. The inhabitants of the universe of Drake Doremus’ film are all dressed in white, living alone in identical apartments, working, eating, and sleeping without actual contact.

It does not place itself precisely chronologically nor gives answers about what came before. In 50, 60, or even 100 years from now, humanity, after a war or a major disaster, is organized into strict societies where to avoid any danger or disruption of security, and any existence of emotion is forbidden. Compassion, anxiety, and anger are unknown words, and they do not even cross the minds of the members of this future society, whereas anyone with the corresponding signs is stigmatized and treated as a sick person. If they show even the slightest sign of emotion, they should consult a doctor, as it could mean that they are suffering from a disease called “SOS” (“Switched-On Syndrome”), which has no cure and, in its final stages, leads to isolation and suicide. The supreme of all emotions, erotic attraction,

corresponds to death. [75]

The two movie heroes, Silas and Nia, colleagues in the same company, on the occasion of the suicide of a member of their society, start to experience the worst disease, and they fall in love. The “emotional awakening” they both mutually feel, and their need for closeness and love is something their society cannot accept and consequently means that they both suffer from the mysterious SOS. However, they are ready to support their choices and defend the “crime” they have committed regardless of the consequences. Their mutual attraction defies the logic that requires them to stay away from each other, so they decide to escape.

The film, inspired by movies like “THX 1138” or even “Equilibrium,” takes its chance to leave a commentary on the romantic films of recent years. It is a new take on the recurring theme of the forbidden attraction. The film industry has chiefly overcome race, class, and religion as “barriers to true love,” but “Equals,” through this dystopic demonization of emotions, achieves a new perspective on the theme. [76]

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Nia character in the film “Equals.”

Uniformity of architecture and clothing among the humans. Total suppression of the society. Infographic about the “SOS” decease.

Emotions among Nia and Silas.

[74] Doremus, D. (Director). (2015). Equals. Scott Free Productions.

[75] Holden, S. (2016). Review: ‘Equals,’ a Futuristic Tale of Defying Deadly Conformity. The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2022. www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/movies/ equals-review-Kristen-Stewart-Nicholas-hoult.html

[76] Seitz, M. Z. (2016). Equals movie review & film summary. Roger Ebert. Retrieved July 16, 2022. www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ equals-2016

Do you still love me? I remember I loved you

NEO EMOTIONS

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

The cyberpunk television series “Altered Carbon” [77], created by Laeta Kalogridis and based on a 2002 novel by Richard K. Morgan, is an intriguing example of a technological dystopia. In this cyberpunk universe, the viewer observes the polarity between the virtual and the real, the relationship between the human body and the cyborgs, and the effect of biotechnological advances on identity, personality, emotional consciousness, and physical body.

The series takes place in the 25th century, where the discovery of ancient alien technology and its implementation in the human world have managed to redefine the idea of life and death. The central setting theme is that humans have achieved the digitization of the human mind through a “cortical stack” inserted in each human after birth. These stacks include the totality of what we call “consciousness”: unique thoughts, emotions, memories, environments, and sensations. The cortical stacks can be transferred from a dead body to a new “sleeve” that can be cloned, artificially created, or engineered to be more enhanced. This process of “re-sleeving” plays a substantial part in the socio-economic differences occurring in the dystopian world of “Altered Carbon.” While the rich and robust classes can select and pay for the best sleeves, the poorer and lower classes are often struggling to pay for this procedure, or they are getting re-sleeved in bodies

of random ages and genders, without the option to select. We watch a particularly heartbreaking moment of two parents meeting their young child who is resleeved in an older woman’s body due to the lack of available sleeves. [78]

In most of the examples in this chapter, we observe emotions having a different dynamic in the plot, either being controlled by the government or completely absent. However, at the same time, we observe our protagonist, Takeshi Kovaks, purchasing a ton of drugs designed to intensify feelings not far from their true purpose. Thus, on one side, we understand the illegality of drugs and, as a result, the criminalization of emotions, and on the other side, we watch a scene where he wanders in a colorful, visually enhanced, dreamy city.

In this dystopia, emotions are becoming a vital element of the identity and are included in the only tool (cortical stack) that allows immortality. We discover that characters, like Kovaks, never doubt themselves inside this corporational and oligarchic society, but “they are simply the personalities recorded in the cortical stack – the sum of their feelings, emotions, and past experiences. Bodies can be lost, switched, or replaced, but the personality – as well as what is interesting, the relationships between people – remain.”[79]

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Glitch title in “Zalgo”. A digital text modified with Unicode symbols.

Quote by Takeshi Kovacs character in the series “Altered Carbon.”

Lab body “sleeve” storage.

The placement of the “cordical stack” that carries whatever is perceived as human.

Takeshi Kovacs after consuming emotion inducing drugs.

A view of the cyberpunk city.

[77] Lenic, J. G. (Executive Producer). (20182020). Altered Carbon. Mythology Entertainment, Skydance Television.

[78] Ferreira, A. (2020). New (Cloned) Bodies for Old: Biopolitics in Altered Carbon. A. Kobus and Ł. Muniowski (Eds.), Sex, Death and Resurrection in Altered Carbon: Essays on the Netflix Series. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

[79] Trębicki, G. (2011). Human Identity in the World of Altered Carbon. The Projected and Prophetic: Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberspace and Science Fiction. Red. Jordan J. Copeland. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press. pp. 119-126

Technology has conquered death, but with endless future comes endless past.

Technology has conquered death, but with endless efutur comes endless past.

NEO EMOTIONS

Understanding the dystopia genre is probably the most critical chapter of this paper, as it will function as the “setting” for the design project. The literary subgenre “dystopia” is classified as Science Fiction (SF). SF generally investigates how humans adapt to and profit from new technologies. It is referred to as the literary form that tackles this topic philosophically as “fantasy fiction.” Ancient mythology, medieval romance, and post-Renaissance fantasy laid the foundation for science fiction, but the genre did not wholly form until the 20th century.

This dissertation investigates the literature and ideas of dystopia with a small reference to its antithesis, utopia. Utopias are “daydreams” in which entire cities are envisioned, constitutions are meticulously drafted, and legal systems are continually changed. On the other hand, most dystopian fiction is set in our current world but in a dismal future or alternate past. Fear of future consequences is crucial to dystopian societies. There is a symbiotic relationship between dystopia and utopia, as opposed to binary antagonism. Dystopias provide “a living portrait of contemporary cultural worries” by examining the aspects of society about which each person has reason to be concerned about the future. Even the bleakest dystopias include a ray of hope for a brighter tomorrow. Authoritarianism in the 20th century is sometimes described as a dystopia or “failed paradise.” In these societies, the past is erased

systematically, and people are cut off from the natural environment. Each dystopian society portrays the present as uneasy and irrelevant, and instills them with sincere hope for a better tomorrow.

Through the literary analysis and the various examples of films and television series, it is evident that dystopias have inspired many artistic works and always have interested creators from various fields. The idea of a future and the torment of imagining it has occurred from the beginning. We live in a society where its pace of evolution is unstoppable, and the time to process these changes is limited or nonexistent. The adverse effects of technological growth are becoming apparent faster and faster, and our addiction to it is affecting our perception of the world.

A chapter closing example from the present real life is the project “NEOM” [80], a 500 billion dollars vertical city built in northwest Saudi Arabia. A revolutionary project that incorporates intelligent city technologies and renewable energy sources, presenting itself as the solution to the environmental crisis. The central city, the most promoted part of the project, is proposed to be in the form of a long line of 170km. Just 200m wide, with small neighborhoods containing all the amenities needed for the new inhabitants. [81]. The more comprehensive project includes a floating industrial city, an agricultural city with genetically engineered crops,

[80] NEOM: Made to Change. (2017). NEOM. Retrieved July 27, 2022. www.neom.com/ en-us

[81] Avery, D. (2021). Saudi Arabia Building 100-Mile-Long “Linear” City. Architectural Digest. Retrieved July 27, 2022. www.architecturaldigest.com/story/saudi-Arabia-building-100-mile-long-linear-city

1.4 Concluding

two airports, and an artificial skiing destination, along with nonexistent technologies, like robot maids, dinosaur robots, an artificial moon, and flying cars. These projects are only expected to be accompanied by a series of controversies. The project’s CEO has been accused of belittling expatriates and promoting discrimination, and he was recorded saying: “I drive everybody like a slave when they drop down dead, I celebrate. That is how I do my projects.” [82] Already, whole tribes have been forced to evacuate their homelands by Saudi security forces, and it is said that 20.000 people will be forced to relocate to the new city. [83]

From a personal perspective, despite the good intentions, this project might be terrifying for the future. The intentions seem already questionnable and design is like wathcing a japanese anime work. It is like watching the creation of the wealthy “District 1” from the dystopic novel “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, which functions as a propagandistic model city with its “magnificence, from its splendid high plane vistas, to its beautiful mountain views and stunning northern treks, making it one of the most scenic places in all of Panem.” [84]

The design has always been striving for the next big step, for the supposed improvement of our lives, but what if it becomes a “tool” in a terrifying dystopic future?

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NERV Headquarters. Neon Genesis Evangelion. Anime series. 1995

Floating architecture. Oxagon. Industrial city. Rendering. NEOM.

Stohess District. Wall Sina. Attack on Titan. Anime series. 2013

A striking mirrored façade. The Line. Linear City. Rendering. NEOM.

The cyberpunk New Port City. Ghost in the Shell. Anime film. 1995

Tourist destination. Trojena. Artificial landscapes. Rendering. NEOM.

The dome city of Romdeau. Ergo Proxy. Anime Series. 2006

Vertical and horizontal Vegetation. The Line. Linear city. Rendering. NEOM.

The future of food. Circular agriculture. Rendering. NEOM.

The circular city of Axel. KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!. Anime Series. 2012

500 meters tall and 200 meters wide. The Line. Linear city. Rendering. NEOM.

[82] Jones, R. (2022). Expatriate Executives Flee Saudi Arabia’s Bad Bosses. WSJ. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from www.wsj.com/ articles/expatriate-executives-flee-Saudiarabias-bad-bosses-crown-prince-Mohammed-MBS-neom-Nasr-11654008823

[83] Fox Business. (2019). Saudi Arabia Crown Prince’s $500B city aims for futuristic ‘Jetsons’-like amenities. Retrieved July 27, 2022. www.foxbusiness.com/features/saudiArabia-crown-prince-500b-city-aims-forfuturistic-Jetsons-like-amenities

[84] Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.

Quote by Major Motoko Kusanagi character in the anime series “Ghost in the Shell.”

NEO EMOTIONS

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety.

i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness.

loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

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anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness. i feel fear. anxiety. loneliness. darkness.

PREDICAMENT: CONSUMERISM

THE

It is still a fresh memory that hours before the first COVID lockdown and the implementation of measures to deal with the pandemic, consumers rushed to buy all kinds of items, both essential and non-essential, so as not to miss anything in the following period. Purchases included everything from food and clothing to cosmetics and hair dye, suggesting that the consumer “wave” had no particular preferences. What we witnessed was hysteria driven by the desire to maintain the status quo. There was panic on the hearing that a lockdown would drive the shops to close, and the fear of vulnerability took precedence over the rational thought.

These mentalities describe a society in which people strive to appear physically and mentally perfect with a plethora of goods to show off and feel superior. It is as we are living in a page of a dystopian book. This chapter is analyzing this exact phenomenon of consumerism, trying to prove that every day that passes this “social plague” is becoming more solidified in our lives.

an economy or the amount of goods and services used.” [1] The term consumption, almost until the middle of the 1980s, was associated only with the active purchasing and using of a product or service, and it was not until the beginning of the 1990s that it obtained a more solid sociological importance. Although the first warnings about overconsumption and unequal consumerist patterns were addressed in 1899 by Thorstein Veblen, an economist who wrote about the rise of rampant consumerism among the upper “leisure” class as a means of gaining social power, the first coordinated and formal international response to consumption did not emerge until the 1992 “Earth Summit,” when resource consumption concerns were raised. [2]

2.1.1 Defining Consumerism

In order to understand the social phenomenon of consumerism, there is a need to separate it from the act of consumption. The “Cambridge Dictionary” defines “consumption” as “an amount of something that is used, or the process of using something, esp. so that there is less of it” and as “the using of goods and services in

Grant McCracken, anthropologist and author of 1986, proposed that consumption should also be studied through the ways that consumer goods and services are produced, selected, and used, which was a turn towards a more social understanding of how the consumption can influence the consumer. He argues that consumer goods have a meaning that extends beyond their utilitarian and commercial worth, as they can carry and communicate cultural meaning. This cultural meaning is constantly in flux, following a predictable path, starting from a culturally constructed social world and transferring to a consumer good. Then it is extracted from the object and transferred to the individual consumer. [3]

[1] Consumption. (n.d.). In Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved July 23, 2022. www.dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/ english/consumption

[2]Lister, J. (2015). Consumerism. In Z. Fariborz & P. Pattberg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Politics and Governance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. p. 9

[3] McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and Consumption: A Theoretical Account of the Structure and Movement of the Cultural Meaning of Consumer Goods. Journal of Consumer Research. 13(1). pp. 71-84. www. jstor.org/stable/2489287

2.1

Understanding Consumerism

According to Steven Miles, a professor of Sociology, consumerism is the cultural expression and manifestation of the seemingly ubiquitous act of consumption. He argues that the term “consumerism” is more useful in a sociological context when distinguished from its derivative, “consumption,” as a means of addressing the psycho-social impact of the consuming experience. His definition emphasizes the interactive nature of the consumer experience and how this experience is heavily influenced by the interaction between personal appeal and consumerism’s ideological power.

He also mentions that often consumerism is associated with extremity and receives a negative connotation, while it should be considered more pervasive than excessive. Consumer goods and services are everywhere without necessarily a negative impact, but at the same time, they create “a systemic arena within which social lives are currently constructed.” Not only does consumerism structure our daily lives, but it also creates the illusion of consumer freedom when such freedoms are inevitably controlled and constrained. [4]

It is interesting to observe how Miles’ approach has changed in academic circles with the passing of years and led to the realization of consumerism’s entire concept and effects. As a researcher, Tim Jackson mentioned in 2008, “For a start, it is immediately clear that consumption goes way beyond just satisfying physical

or physiological needs for food, shelter, and so on. Material goods are deeply implicated in individuals’ psychological and social lives. People create and maintain identities using material things. The “evocative power” of material things facilitates a range of complex, deeply ingrained “social conversations” about status, identity, social cohesion, and the pursuit of personal and cultural meaning.” [5]

In 2015, Jane Lister, Senior Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia, referred to consumerism as “the overconsumption of consumer goods without regard to the negative impacts to people and the planet.” This time the connotation is negative, and consumerism has finally been addressed as a social issue. She mainly focuses on the environmental disadvantages of consumerism, which are the most prominent, as global supply chains result in the exploitation of people, the degradation of ecosystems, and the externalization of pollutants from inefficient extraction and disposal. These costs are concealed by discounted retail prices that disregard the consequences of social and environmental harm.

Globalization has led to the formation of geographic separation between manufacturing and consumption. Consumers are cut off from feedback due to the separation between production and consumption, and as a result, they are unaware of their lifestyle choices’ harmful effects on the environment and society as

[4] Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism: As a Way of Life. Newbury Park: Sage Publications Ltd. pp. 1-5

[5] Jackson, T. (2008). The Challenge of Sustainable Lifestyles. In State of the World 2008. Innovations for a Sustainable Economy. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. p. 49

NEO EMOTIONS

a whole. This ingrained sickness of consumerism may be viewed as a product of human nature, as we engage in competitive consumption because of the urge to keep up with and be accepted by their ideal social group. In contrast, overconsumption is also viewed as a socially constructed lifestyle choice for the pursuit of the dynamic concept of a “happy life,” and it can be an act of novelty-seeking in which things are purchased to explore aspirations and wishes. [6]

2.1.2 From Genesis to the Present

It needs to be considered how consumer culture came to take root to understand some of the above debates better. Only in the 18th century can historians point to a shift in consumer values in England, a shift away from long-term value for material things towards short-term value for the sake of fashion. Some others argue that trading relations had already grown to a sophisticated level before “industrialization,”, particularly in the form of the 18th-century French market, which was centered upon fairs and carnivals as the primary places where people bought and sold.

When it comes to determining when the “consumer revolution” took place, it seems like a long-term development and focuses on the increased demand created by a fast-expanding population between the early 19th and late 20th centuries. As demand increased, so did supply in an

ever-growing marketplace, which began to target its goods to consumers with the most significant purchasing power. The so-called “mass society” is a term used to refer to a city-dwelling populace that is exposed to an ever-increasing variety of consumer goods. With the advent of industrialization, the growth of consumer society was unmistakable, and once this new sort of society emerged, the economic system was more than happy to keep it going in order to feed people’s insatiable need for new experiences. [7]

In the case of the United States of America, following World War II, the country remained steadfast in its commitment to extending and bolstering its post-war economic recovery. It was agreed that mass consumption was essential to the effective transition from war to peace for many economic interests and actors. Tanks and armaments for war were replaced with automobiles and home appliances for sale to the general public on newly refurbished industrial assembly lines. While pursuing a mass-consumer economy made economic sense, it took much effort to persuade the American public. Consumers were reluctant to spend their amassed money, even though there was a great deal of unmet demand for goods of all kinds. After World War II, business leaders, government agencies, the mass media, and advertisers conveyed the message that mass consumption was not a personal indulgence, but a civic responsibility designed to improve

[6] Lister, J. (2015). Consumerism. In Z. Fariborz & P. Pattberg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Politics and Governance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. pp. 10-12

[7] Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism: As a Way of Life. Newbury Park: Sage Publications Ltd. pp. 6-7

the living standards of all Americans. [8]

The rise of working-class purchasing power was a significant factor in the creation of the consumer society, which, at least in part, followed the ideas of Henry Ford. The term “Fordism” refers to Henry Ford’s ideas and ideals, which are generally acknowledged as the originator of the modern mass-production system, most notably in the form of the automobile assembly line. Fordism was founded on the tenets of scale, uniformity, and predictability, as well as the belief that to maintain a high level of demand, salaries must rise in tandem with government expenditure. Luxury consumption goods gradually became commonplace, and the Fordist economy relied on the increasing variety of goods offered to consumers.

As a result, people’s daily lives become increasingly dominated by consumption. “Wants” became “needs,” and vice versa.

In this way, consumerism’s ideological impact evolved from being overt to be more covert.

The consumer revolution’s long-term effects were being felt by an increasing percentage of the Western world, but its impact on people’s daily lives was not uniform, and it was not until the 1950s that this impact began to cross social classes. The rise of advertising helped to open up a whole new world of consumption to the working majority, particularly to groups of young people who could take advantage of this new situation as long as the

resources were available. It was not just a consumer society but a consumer culture forming.

What had emerged by 1980 was a culture of consumption that infiltrates everyday life, not only at levels of economic processes, social activities, and household structures but also at levels of meaning-making psychological experience, affecting the construction of identities and relationships. Consumerism emerged as an essential sociological issue only in the 1980s and 1990s, when it became a major topic of debate. Authors have increasingly acknowledged that consumerism has always been a feature of modern life, but this experience has risen in recent history. [9]

To bring this discussion up to date, the modern theory contends that the dominant values of contemporary consumer culture are not only organized through consumption practices but are also, in some sense, derived from them. These values include well-being, hedonistic indulgence, contentment, personal fulfillment, choice, sovereignty, uniqueness, and self-awareness. In addition, self-presentation and self-promotion are gaining significance as a commodity in the marketplace of contemporary life, and this importance is only expected to grow. This phenomenon is referred to as the “marketization” of culture. In this culture, marketing, commercialization, advertising, and branding are all integrated into daily

[8] Ritzer, G. (2004). [Review of A Consumers’ Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America, by L. Cohen]. American Journal of Sociology. 109(4). pp. 1021-1023. www.doi.org/10.1086/382984

[9] Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism: As a Way of Life. Newbury Park: Sage Publications Ltd. pp. 8-10

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life and play an important role.

Consumer culture is primarily based on capitalism, even though we live in a more globalized and heavily networked society. The culture created for people to consume includes a collection of goods and representations of those individuals in their roles as customers. Consumer culture is one of the most critical ways in which the modern project of the individualized self is expressed and realized, and it creates a one-of-a-kind set of material circumstances in which people learn to reflect on their own identities, and this is one of the most essential ways in which the modern project of the individualized self is expressed and realized. [10]

British anthropologist Dame Mary Douglas, to explain how goods are chosen in a community where everyone is more or less equally well endowed, refers to consumption as the “constitutional monitor,” as it plays a vital role in shaping people’s identities and communities. The individuals have the freedom to decide what to do and buy as part of a project of selecting other people to be with who will help them to create the ideal kind of society. Douglas focuses on the role of “instant gratification” in the consumerist logic of need, desire, and time. Rather than pursuing long-term goals, people and communities focus on the here and now instead. [11]

One application of Douglas’ identity theory can be seen in the property and interior design market through a survey

done by Kirsten Gram-Hanssen and Claus Bech-Danielsen in 2004. Individuals’ decisions about where to live were influenced by their perceptions of the symbolic values of various neighborhoods. However, when the home decor in these neighborhoods was examined, it was found that the styles were quite diverse. Even though many residents used the same criteria when deciding where to live, the act of decorating one’s home was an individual one. Researchers found that home decoration was gendered, with women more involved in the construction of the family’s identity through interior design. [12]

Nowadays, the primary issue is that the global consumer culture is widening and deepening, leaving a huge footprint that seems unable to be stopped or controlled. Advertising influences consumer decisions. Each year, trillions of dollars are spent to entice people to acquire new products and services. This promotes shopping among high-income earners. All marketing says is “buy more to be happy.” Advertisers encourage “perceived obsolescence” and associate buying an automobile or clothing, for example, with self-worth, independence, adventure, and success. Habits, skepticism, convenience, availability, price, future savings, and opportunity are other aspects that influence the modern consumer’s decisions. [13]

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“If you get your first big cheque and you cop a chain before you buy a house. You’re a vanity slave.” In binary code. Lyrics by rapper Kendrick Lamar. Vanity Slave. Song. 2009

French Carnival scene. French School. Painting. France. 18th Century

Shopping at glassware shop in St Paul’s Churchyard. Illustration. London. 1809

Glorify Your Product in a Monument of Light. The Douglas Leigh Advertising Company. Hugh Ferris. Advertisement. 1945.

[10] Gauthier, F., Woodhead, L., & Martikainen, T. (2013). Consumerism as the Ethos of Consumer Society. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. pp. 1-24

[11] Douglas, M. (1996). Thought Styles: Critical Essays on Good Taste. Newbury Park: SAGE Publications. pp. 144-147

[12] Gram-Hanssen, K., & Bech-Danielsen, C. (2004). House, home and identity from a consumption perspective. Housing, Theory and Society. 21(1). pp. 17-26. www.doi. org/10.1080/14036090410025816

[13] Dauvergne, P. (2010). The Problem of Consumption. Global Environmental Politics. 10(2). pp. 1-10. www.doi.org/10.1162/ GLEP.2010.10.2.1

Time for the unmistakable taste of ice-cold Coca-Cola. Advertisement. 1960s 66

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Consumerism & Urbanity

After defining consumerism and examining its evolution in shaping society, this paper proceeds to study consumerism in relation to Architecture and Design in an urban context. However, first and foremost, it is necessary to understand the elements that a contemporary city should include to be characterized as a “consumer city.”

be supported in large cities with enough customers.

Second, aesthetics and location. Since 1980, more visually appealing architecture has led to better economic cities as consumers become more interested in a neighborhood’s physical aspects. Although, the weather is the most significant factor in urbanization.

2.2.1 The Consumer City

Economically, a city’s density affects its consumerist character. People must want to live close together for cities to thrive. “Agglomeration effects,” meaning the impacts of density, define urban centers’ desirability. As people’s wealth increases over the next century, standard of living will become a more significant factor in where they live. If these trends continue, the future of cities depends on their ability to attract wealthier workers. Harvard Institute of Economic Research lists four essential urban amenities. Firstly, a city should offer a variety of services and products. Restaurants, theaters, and social groups are difficult to “ship” and must be “purchased” locally, turning manufactured goods into national goods. Large urban markets may boost consumer welfare for goods with scale economies. Baseball teams, opera houses, and large art museums all need large crowds. Customers who regularly attend the opera or big sports games must live near a major city. Specialized retail and restaurants specializing in various cuisines can only

Third, a good community has good public services. Crime reduces population growth. Growing cities improve school quality and resident safety. Schools and low crime rates attract educated workers. Education will multiply the growth of these facilities.

Fourth is a high level of responsiveness. The ease of travel in a city affects the services and jobs available. High-transportation-cost areas will lose popularity over time. The shift from downtowns to outlying areas and decentralization of work has led to longer commutes but shorter commute times overall. This shift in time’s value has also changed traditional cities. Near the city’s central business district, areas have done better. Even with the same salary, some consumers prefer a crowded city. Lower city transportation costs may improve quality of life and help people meet. Big cities are great for meeting new people because they have a diverse population. Due to population density, singles are more likely to meet, making marriage easier. [14]

It is common knowledge and logical that

[14] Glaeser E . L., Kolko J., Saiz A. (2001). Consumer city. Discussion Paper Number 1901. Harvard Institute of Economic Research. www.scholar.harvard.edu/glaeser/ publications/consumer-city

2.2

architecture plays a crucial role in forming consumer cities. Specifically, consumer architecture, the architecture that is rooted in marketing techniques and is deliberately planned to induce consumption, has become its enterprise. It is a part of our economic and social evolution linked to technological innovation, advertising, marketing, and alterations in public preferences and lifestyles. Through its marketing strategies, consumerist architecture attempts to manipulate the emotions of its users. It must be visible, distinguishable through form and style, and legible by conveying content-related information. Thus, a peculiar polarity is created, with the homogenization of the commercial landscape on one pole and the need to create moments or locations that purport to be distinct from the otherwise increasingly unmodulated continuum of existence on the other. [15]

different city.

The book begins with the historical evolution of Manhattan from its discovery in 1609, through the first false engravings of the “New Amsterdam” in 1672, until Simeon DeWitt’s 1811 proposal of the well know “Manhattan Grid,” which would set the guidelines for the ultimate and definitive population of the island. The chapter “Coney Island: The Technology of the Fantastic” is exciting in this paper.

In 1750, Coney Island assumed its final natural form as a miniature Manhattan. Beginning with the occupation of Manhattan, Coney Island was regarded as a resort destination, away from the city, with its pristine natural landscape attracting unprecedented visitors. The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 marked the zenith of improvements to the artificial connection between the mainland and the island, which had made access to the island more accessible for the masses.

2.2.2 Delirious Coney Island

At this point, it seems appropriate to reference Rem Koolhaas’ 1978 book “Delirious New York” [16]. The Dutch architect wrote a “retroactive” manifesto about Manhattan, the “experimental” island that its finite spatiality carried so much significance in its “architectural mutations, utopian fragments, and irrational phenomena,” but also in all the historical urban layers of “phantom architecture, aborted projects and popular phantasies” that could have transformed New York into an entirely

At this time, Coney Island had to change its identity and abandon the notion of the natural versus the artificial of the city. It had to “mutate” or rebrand, as we would say today, and become the exact opposite of the natural; it would have to become “Super-Natural,” and instead of relieving the pressure of the metropolis, it had to enhance it in order to survive as a “place offering contrast.”

By examining these facts, it could be argued that the modern American mass culture and consumerist industry would be

[15] Chase, J. (1991). The Role of Consumerism in American Architecture. Journal of Architectural Education. 44(4). pp. 211-224. www.doi.org/10.2307/1425143

[16] Koolhaas, R. (1997). Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan. New York: The Monacelli Press.

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born on this small island under Manhattan. But instead, Coney Island became a massive amusement park, incorporating bizarre shows and new technologies in its famous artificial worlds of “Steeplechase” (1897) and, particularly, “Luna Park” (1903) and “Dreamland” (1904).

“Luna Park” intended to create the illusion for its guests that they were astronauts on a “Trip to the Moon” aboard the airship “Luna IV.” In order to arouse human emotions, the architect Frederic Thompson abandoned any classically conventional form and modeled his park after Oriental minarets and spires. The uniqueness of Luna Park’s skyline, comprised of pinnacles and towers, made it famous among city dwellers. These towers multiplied each year, enhancing the fantastic concept of the Moon’s constant transformation. However, electricity was the most crucial tool in the illusion. Under the illumination of 1,300,000 electric lights, the park at night became as vibrant and wild as another “flaming city.” Thompson created a fantastical city born each night from the “real city.”

In the case of “Dreamland,” it is designed around an actual inlet of the Atlantic, a natural reservoir of the Oceanic with a well-established capacity to inspire fantasies. Whereas Luna Park asserts its otherworldliness by claiming an implausible alien location, Dreamland relies on a more subtle and plausible dissociation. Visitors entered through porches under

plaster-of-Paris sailing ships. Once inside this “Underwater Universe,” visitors could visit: “The Largest Ballroom in the World,” leaving behind the traditional intimacy of the ballroom dance experience by donning roller skates. “Lilliputia” was an experimental little-person community where residents were given aristocratic titles and encouraged to disregard moral codes. Premature babies from the New York area were collected at the “Incubator Building” to create a new race. In Dreamland, visitors flowed through the panoramic experiences from the “Blue Dome of Creation,” through the animal “Circus,” and into the “End of the World” theater via a series of water canals. From the “Japanese Teahouse” to the simulated “Flight over Manhattan” (preceding the first actual airplane flight) and from “Coasting Through Switzerland” to floating along the “Canals of Venice,” this phantasmagoric amusement park is arranged in a single programmatic composition where the presence of each attraction is essential to the impact of the others.

The new face of Coney Island became an experimental arena where urbanists, architects, and politicians could try out concepts that would later be incorporated into the land of Manhattan upon success. The experience of amusement parks is relocated from Coney Island to Manhattan; the interiors of the new skyscrapers imitate environments, spaces, and qualities of life that have been lost forever or were never attained. Coney Island was

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“And I’m not proud of my address. In a torn-up town, no postcode envy.” In binary code.

Lyrics by singer-songwriter Lorde. Royals. Song. 2013

Dreamland at night. Photograph. Coney Island. NY. c. 1905.

The “Whip” and “Top.” Photograph. Coney Island. NY. c. 1914.

“Steeple Chace” pony race. Photograph. Coney Island. NY. c. 1923.

Entrance at “Luna Park” at night. Photograph. Coney Island. NY. c. 1923.

Tower at “Luna Park” all lit. Photograph. Coney Island. NY. c. 1923.

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the first American consumer city, welcoming visitors to consume entertainment in a fantastic world of spectacle within its iconic and unique structures.

2.2.3 Iconic Architecture

Human society has never been more efficient and expansive when it comes to producing and distributing goods and services. People have never before wanted so many things that they cannot afford because of the rapid growth in population and the ease with which their obtaining has been made possible by the electronic revolution. These changes in culture and technology affect urban space in contemporary cities. New architectural solutions permit the emission of variable visual content via architectural structure. This new architectural trend is especially evident in commercial spaces, where objects of commercial activity are located. This term refers to architectural objects that are significant from the perspective of the industries of cultural goods, the visual identification of the city, the growth of urban tourism, and the creation of city products. [17]. In this section, the idea of “Iconic Architecture” is going to be studied, narrating its importance in the current consumerist culture.

“Starchitects” (globally renowned architects) are creating iconic architecture worldwide. Shopping malls, modern art museums, theme parks, taller skyscrapers, and urban megaprojects comprise capi-

talism’s triumphant “Icon Project.” An Icon Project is considered well-known and has a solid aesthetic or symbolic value. Buildings that can convey consumer-friendly meanings and designs. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of iconic architecture in globalizing cities is the growing importance of tourism for economic development, place marketing, and national identities. In this system, the built environment is increasingly dominated by capitalist corporations, and the trend toward globalizing and consumerist cities is promoted. Icon Projects flourish in an environment where those in control of global economics wield their influence while their ideologues create meaning and architects design aesthetics that reflect that meaning. [18]

Architectural icons were primarily produced and depicted by state or religious institutions before the 1960s, and they were dominated by monumental religious structures like Greek temples and Gothic cathedrals, royal palaces, monuments, and official buildings. For centuries, iconic architecture has been an essential weapon in the battle for meaning and power. All religions’ beliefs, for example, are based on the belief that God and the mysteries of life are depicted in sacred places, such as temples and cathedrals. Public monuments, such as palaces, government buildings, and public memorials, convey the power and authority of empires and states and the hierarchies upon which all forms of class society are founded.

[17] Zyczkowska, K. (2019). Uniqueness or Uniformity - Studies of Media Architecture. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 471(7). pp. 1-10. www.doi. org/10.1088/1757-899x/471/7/072040

[18] Sklair, L. (2006). Iconic architecture and capitalist globalization. City. 10(1). pp. 21-47. www.doi.org/10.1080/13604810600594613

In the post-1960s global era, it has become increasingly commonplace for transnational corporations, their affiliates, and their government, professional, and media allies to influence the dominant forms of architectural iconicity. It became common for people to see images of shopping malls and mega towers in the background establishing shots on television or billboard advertisements. The tourism industry routinely exploits the architectural landmarks of the past, turning them into icons of the present. Consumerism serves as a fuel for the global capitalist machine and generates profits for corporations owned and controlled by transnational corporations, and these structures assist in conveying this message. [19]

The term “Icon Project” in architecture and urban design has its roots in the celebrity culture, which is linked to the cultural ideology of consumerism. Architectural and design magazines, Pritzker Prizes, and mainstream media outlets increasingly focus on prominent architects as celebrities. Demand for “foreign” architects from urban growth coalitions in globalizing cities (urban boosters) is higher than ever before, with more architects working outside their home countries than ever before, and the marketing strategies rely heavily on this use of iconic, globally recognized architects. [20]

Original icons and successful copycats occupy different spheres of the same

symbolic space. Although their symbolism and meanings are open to multiple interpretations, unique icons have been deemed iconic because of their original aesthetic. Icons that succeed at replicating a successful aesthetic do so by copying its original features, but they are not meant to be overly open or mysterious symbolically. Consumption-based culture is manifested in these objects. As a result of capitalism’s globalization, these religious institutions have evolved into places where people can buy things and engage in other kinds of experiences, such as gift shops and restaurants in sports arenas and bazaars in museums. [21]

An interesting example was the Guggenheim Museum in “The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino” on the Las Vegas Strip. While it makes sense for the Guggenheim to be located in Venice, as the legendary Peggy resided along the Grand Canal, this Las Vegas Guggenheim did not serve the same purpose as the Venetian does to Venice. Both of the Guggenheim Las Vegas buildings were designed by Rem Koolhaas, containing dozens of excellent artworks from the Guggenheim Museum and the Hermitage at the main entrance. “Art of the Motorcycle,” designed by Frank O. Gehry & Associates and sponsored by BMW, was located in a much larger semi-industrial area behind the casino. Both components of the museum gracefully housed their respective exhibits, but they did not claim to be anything other than what they were at the time. Despite

[19] Sklair, L. (2017). Iconic Architecture and the Rise of Globalizing Cities. In The Icon Project: Architecture, Cities, and Capitalist Globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 127-137

[20] Sklair, L. (2010). Iconic Architecture and the Culture-Ideology of Consumerism. Theory, Culture & Society. 27(5). pp. 135-159. www. doi.org/10.1177/0263276410374634

[21] Jencks, C. (2005). The Iconic Building. New York: Rizzoli.

NEO EMOTIONS

all this iconic architecture by starchitects, both galleries were unable to compete with the pirate ship across the street, the sign of another hotel atop its roof, which read “Mirage,” and, obviously, the view that was ultimate “Vegas,” with the imitations, the tackiness, the arrogance, the honeymoon aesthetic, the artificial charm, and the endless branding. [22]. As a result of the museum, known as the “Jewel Box,” closed in 2008 after it was not able to attract the support of the community. These types of examples are constantly raising the question about the position of Architecture in modern society and the relevancy of its values. Certainly, architectural magazines and major newspapers do not lack examples of innovative new structures to feature, and there are numerous lectures, exhibitions, and professional conferences. Design awards are given and taken, and there are always the videos of “Architectural Digest” with travels to the villas of celebrities and the gardens of Europe. It is, in fact, possible for architects to never leave this mental state known as the “World of Architecture.” Architects can drive through the built environment, shaming the mediocrity of other architects, but without ever considering that the condition of the modern world is at least partially the result of what the “best” and most prominent architects have done, have permitted, and have come to believe over the past seventy years sincerely. [23]

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“You need more. Than the Gerhard Richter hanging on your wall. A chauffeur-driven limousine on call. To drive your wife and lover to a white tie ball.” In binary code. Lyrics by synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Love etc. Song. 2009

Guggenheim New York. Frank Lloyd Wright. Photograph. New York. 1939

Guggenheim Berlin. Richard Gluckman. Photograph. Berlin. 1997

Guggenheim Bilbao. Frank Gehry. Photograph. Bilbao. 1997

Guggenheim Hermitage. OMA Architects. Photograph. Las Vegas. 2001

[22] Sorkin, M. (2002). Brand Aid. Harvard Design Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2022. www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/17/ brand-aid

[23] Benedikt, M. (1999). Less for Less Yet. Harvard Design Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2022. www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/ issues/7/less-for-less-yet

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Frank Gehry. Photograph. Abu Dhabi. 2025 74

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It is crucial, once more, to return to the power of consumerism. Consumerism is directly responsible for marketing architecture in all forms and, in an ideal scenario, turning architectural icons into unique types of commodities. Adding iconicity to a commodity in architecture increases the exchange money value of the icon and everything associated with it. However, when it comes to the relationship between iconic architecture and consumerism, this process reaches its zenith when people “go shopping”, either physically or online.

a sense of consumer culture. [24]

2.3.1

The Iconicity of Shopping

The culture-ideology of consumerism provides the defining set of practices and beliefs (shopping) that aspire to transcend the genuine differences between geographical, ethnic, and cultural communities. As a result, we can find typical transnational social spaces worldwide in shopping malls of various designs. John Fiske, American philosopher, historian, and writer, calls them “cathedrals of consumption” and continues to say that consumerism’s metaphor of religion, in which goods are worshipped as icons, is too glib to be helpful and too appealing to those whose intentions are to expose the evils and limitations of bourgeois materialism, whether they be moral or political. It is a secular equivalent of holy communion. As a result, the metaphor is both appealing and familiar, as it conveys and constructs

When it came to free time in the early 1990s, shopping was second only to watching TV as the most popular pastime in the United States. Since then, shopping has become the primary mode of public interaction in the modern world. As Rem Koolhaas said: “Shopping is arguably the last remaining form of public activity.” Shopping has infiltrated and even supplanted nearly all facets of urban life through a variety of increasingly predatory forms. The mechanisms and spaces of shopping shape urban cores, suburbs, streets, airports, train stations, museums, hospitals, schools, the Internet, and the military. In effect, the voracity with which shopping pursues the public has made it one of the primary, if not the only, means by which we experience the city. [25]

Malls were reigning through the first years of the shopping take-over. Every detail should have been carefully considered for a mall to be booming, from the escalator layout to entrances and temperatures to lighting and music, and even the cleanliness of the mall’s floorplan. The ideal scenario is to create a story that takes the customer on a journey through all the different ways they can spend their money. The most famous malls in the world are still admired for their size and what they represent, which is often the regeneration of a neighborhood or a whole city, as well as for their symbolic-aesthetic qualities and variations on vernacular themes.

[24] Fiske, J. (1991). Reading the Popular. London: Routledge. p. 13

[25] Chung, C. J., Inaba, J., Koolhaas, R., Leong, S. T., Cha, T., Harvard University. Graduate School of Design, & Harvard Project on the City. (2001). Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping. Cologne: Taschen.

2.3 Contemporary Consumerism

In the post-2000s and until this day, the links between shopping, consumerism, and iconic architecture have been much more driven by exclusive retail stores (boutiques) than by shopping malls and are focusing intensely on the concept of “branding.” It is possible to build a reputation for a consumer “product” by creating a “brand,” which then gets “marketed” by a combination of both tangible and intangible characteristics, from innovative product development to visual communications, including the store image as a determinant factor for consumers’ purchasing decisions. The design elements define the store image and attract the attention of loyal customers, as they affect the perception of the overall brand. [26]. For instance, the relationship of the fashion house “Prada” with its preferred architects, such as Rem Koolhaas, Herzog, and de Meuron, or Kazua Sejima, is a notable example of how architecture can serve as advertising for a brand in rapidly globalizing cities. [27]

The creation of a brand is critical to the success of any commercial multiple that aims to customer engagement. Branding is focusing on the experience economy, and it is no longer used to simply serve as a proxy for the product, but rather provide a context for that product, through a symbolic communication infrastructure. “Brands are a form of immaterial capital, a form of crystallized knowledge [that] embody the fusion of attention and the production economy, of aesthetics and

economics more generally.” [28]

Rem Koolhaas, to name one, handles branding as the core to his architectural ideology, something that can subsume all other values. Despite his own reluctance to engage in nonquantitative quality criteria, he holds the concept in high esteem. When asked about his European Union-sponsored flag design in a New York Times interview, he said that the conversation about brands is on a primitive level, especially in the United States where it seen as something unchangeable, and thus very limited. He gives the example of Prada, with which instead of trying to reduce it to its bare essentials, they have been attempting to stretch it in order to make more possible rather than less. [29]

As the years go by, it appears essential for consumerism to surpass itself and find ever-more methods for advancing capitalism through consumption. Individuals have indeed become more “informed” about shopping throughout time, and while the shopping frenzy still exists, customers are seeking a complete experience. Moreover, as we will later see, due to the “digital revolution” and the widespread accessibility of technical devices and the Internet, customers have grown more intelligent and analytical in their decision-making. As a result, this was the exact moment that allowed for a significant evolution in branding. As demonstrated above, a brand is anything that

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Quote by Andy Warhol American visual artist, film director, and producer

The significance of goods and product packaging. Fact Paintings and Fact Sculptures. Damien Hirst. Sculptures. 2001.

High fashion over mass products. Couture Consumption. David LaChapelle. Photograph. 1999.

Vending machines filled with pricy bags in a vault. 24/24 Pop-Up Store. Jacquemus. 2022.

Pop-Art commenting on consumerism. Supermarket Shopper. Duane Hunson. Sculpture. 1970.

The photo that “broke” the Internet. Kim Kardashian. Jean-Paul Goude. Photograph. Paper Magazine. 2014.

Outer space enterprisers are exploiting Earth. They Live. Film. 1988.

The lust for finer things. Parasite. Film. 2019. Robotic wife in a pastelized supermarket. Stepford Wives. Film. 2004.

Why we have the youngest customers in the business. Seven-Up. Advertisement. 1950s.

[26] Sammut-Bonnici, T. (2015). Brand and Branding. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Management (Vol. 12). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 1-3. www.doi. org/10.1002/9781118785317.weom120161

[27] Sklair, L. (2010). Iconic Architecture and the Culture-Ideology of Consumerism. Theory, Culture & Society. 27(5). pp. 135-159. www. doi.org/10.1177/0263276410374634

[28] Arvidsson, A. (2006). Brands: Meaning and Value in Media Culture. London: Routledge. p. 7

[29] Pearlman, C. (2002). Yesterday, Prada; Tomorrow, the World. The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2022. www.nytimes. com/2002/05/23/garden/first-look-yesterday-prada-tomorrow-the-world.html

NEO EMOTIONS

I am a deeply superficial person. I am a deeply superficial person. I am a deeply superficial person. I am