Page 208 - World of Art Contemporary Art magazine: The 2023 Guggenheim issue

but of everybody. from my students. So of course I did not have time at
So you receive continuous pressure to do everything. this moment to play with Internet. In the next six months
That’s why I told you that I don’t receive messages, I probably, when I have finished a lot of things, I will do it.
don’t read faxes and I don’t answer the phone. OK. It’s only a practical problem.
“So you don’t follow electronic forums, or take part in Apropos the icon thing: the only way is to try and
online news group discussions or other activities of the resist this iconisation - you answer no, no, no. But the
Internet community?” problem has reached uncontrollable dimensions in the
Not until now. But that is another problem; it is not due mass-media kingdom, because now it is not only your
to the pressure at all. I will do it in the course of the next statements that makes a scoop, but it is your silence too.
few months. But only in order to make a sort of survey, “OK, I see, yes?”
starting to put together some ideas. Maybe there can be I always quote one particular episode, because it is
something I might want to start with; I think there is an typical; but there are tens of thousands of such
old book collector’s network that I think can be useful episodes. One day, as usual, finishing my class at 7 p.m.,
because you can ask other people things like: “I found an together with my assistants and students we went to a
old edition from 1643; I am not sure if there is a previous bar for a chat until 8 p.m. and then I went home, with
edition”. OK, I will use it. some of them following me and chatting. We crossed
Eco nods seriously. Piazza Verdi in Bologna, in which we have the Opera
I think that is one of the most exciting things about the House. What I didn’t know was that this particular
evening there was an important premiere. Well, I didn’t
know about that, of course I don’t know everything.
He smiles.
Well, we crossed the square and I went home to do
something, or to watch television, or to fuck - I don’t
know what. The day after, the headline in the newspaper
was: “Umberto Eco did not attend that premiere! “Which
is not a piece of news at all, because I usually do not
attend these things. So, it was not a piece of news, but
probably they had nothing better to talk about, so my
absence became a...
“A sign?”
...yes, a sign. Well, at this point you cannot do anything
but to try and disregard those kinds of accidents.
THIS IMAGE CAPTURES UMBERTO ECO IN CONVERSATION WITH PETRU RUSSU “To return to Michael Crichton - I think I wrote this in
ABOUT ECO'S SECOND BOOK THE FOUCAULT PENDULUM, FOR WHICH HE WAS
NOMINATED FOR A NOBEL PRIZE.PICTURE CREDIT: © MARTA DIMITRESCU those questions in those papers I gave you - was talking
of this idea of the mediasaurus, the big publishing
houses. Do you think the media giants are at risk because
Internet is that you can look upon it as a “community”.
people will be able to go directly to the sources of
I notice you mentioned in that paper you gave me from
information? I mean, do you think that will reduce the
the San Marino conference that you were a bit unsure
pressure on the kind of icon figure, the expert, or do you
about whether we could really create this Global Village
think that whole thing is a myth, a total myth?”
or community. Well now I do have some reservations --
My first reaction was: OK, finally we have an acephalous
but I certainly have had some positive experiences. If you
system. Acephalous: without a head.
find the right community like for instance the PEIRCE-L
“Without a head, headless. Yes, I liked that rhizome idea
discussion list that I am a member of: I find this very
of yours.”
good, because you have some kind of quality control
A kind of a modern Quillian network, a sort of neural
there since people that “go there” only do so because
net...
they are specially interested -- Now just to develop this
“An organic system...?”
point a bit: you were talking about this business of being
Yes, without archetypes, and without - well, you know
an icon etc. and Michael Crichton ...
all that - and this will probably change enormously the
Well, in the last year I have published three books. I was
filtering of information. Now, on second thoughts, I
obliged to read tons and tons of dissertations and papers

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