The Return of “Aura” and the Carnival of “Simulacra” A Dialectic of Imagery in the Post-Digital Era
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/n5fvz772Keywords:
Simulacra, Aura, Peel-apart film, AIGCAbstract
Amid the global prevalence of digital imagery and AI-generated content (AIGC), a nostalgic trend for peel-apart film has paradoxically surged on social media. Characterized by its high cost and aesthetic uncertainty, peel-apart film is often regarded as a “luxury” photographic experience, which makes it in stark contrast to the perfectly controllable virtual images enabled by AIGC. The resurgence of peel-apart film is not merely a kind of retro fashion, but a cultural counter-movement with significant theoretical implications. Grounded in Walter Benjamin’s concept of “Aura” and Jean Baudrillard’s theory of “Simulacra”, this paper examines the dialectical coexistence of peel-apart film and AIGC technologies in the post-digital era, which provides a new perspective on contemporary visual culture.
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