For this episode we looked at the Walter Benjamin's 1931 essay 'A Short History on Photography'. This essay offers a marxist analysis of what was considered a new medium at the time, and introduced the concept of 'aura', which became very influential in the history of art circle. In this episode we discuss the crisis of capitalism; photography as art, language and expression; death and authenticity.

Sources

• Walter Benjamin (1935) The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
• "Point de vue du Gras" 1826, Nicéphore Niépce
• "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" 1912, Marcel Duchamp
• "Bricklayer" 1928, August Sander
• "Konditor" 1928, August Sander
• "Young Farmers" 1914 August Sander
• Siegfried Kracauer (1927) The Mass Ornament (original essay published in the Frankfurter Zeitung)

Fan fictions

Note: we have not always read the fan fictions all the way through, and so often rely on tags and summaries to find pieces. We will usually state if we have read the fan fictions in the episode, and so please approach these with your own discretion.

• meaculpameaculpa: (p.1) Walter Benjamin/Georg Lukács fan fic
• rebiTV: Translator Battle Royale

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Music

Outro: Lori Beauty, Coma Studios