Shaping the Perception of Reality : An Interview with Nele Wynants and Kurt Vanhoutte

The relationship between past and present, and how it provides a pathway to the future, has always been central to my research.My PhD focused on Walter Benjamin, whose ideas remain fundamental to both my research and teaching-which I consider intrinsically linked.Benjamin traversed disciplines in his quest to understand the emergence of modernity and the culture of spectacle.He employed what we would now call a media-archaeological approach.He sought to excavate forgotten or extinct technologies and rediscover the dreams associated with them-dreams that shape public perception and cultural narratives.As a student, I already found this a fascinating endeavor.After several years of working both as a researcher and as a dramaturg in the field of digital immersive technology and theatre, I felt the need to trace the forgotten dreams and utopias embedded in contemporary media and technology.In today's society of the spectacle, this is not only a political responsibility but also, I believe, an ethical duty within the humanities.