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com/inprint

APRIL2017

Victor
Burgin,Possession,1976,
duotonelithograph,463/4
331/8".

1.DESPITERUMORSOFITSDISAPPEARANCE,therealremainswithus.Thelaborofitsproductionisobstinate,
AlexanderKlugeandOskarNegtargueitpersistsintheoverlookedfurnitureofoureverydaylives.Therealisasintractableas
history,FredricJamesonaddsneithercanbetranscended.Iftheseformulationsseemright,thenthequestionoftherealisnot
amatterofitspresencebutofitspositionwhereitislocated,how,bywhom,andforwhatreasons.Onewaytocometo
termswithsomecriticism,art,andliteratureisthroughtheseframings. 1

2.WesaythatmoderncritiquetookitsbearingsfromMarx,Freud,andNietzsche,butwhatdidthesethinkershavein
common?Littlemorethanahermeneuticsofsuspicion(asPaulRicoeurtermedit),theoperativeassumptionthattherealis
hiddenorburiedandthecriticmusthuntitoutordigitup. 2Ofcourse,forMarxtheunacknowledgedtruthofhistoryisclass
strugglethatistheoccludednarrativethatmustbeextractedfromallotheraccounts.ForFreud,theunconsciousrealityof
subjectivelifeispsychicconflictsuchisthelatentcontentthatmustbeteasedfromthemanifestconfusionsofourdreams,
symptoms,andslipups.AndforNietzsche,theunspokenforcebehindanysystemofthoughtisawilltopower,whichistobe

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challengedorcelebratedasoneseesfit.TheFrankfurtSchooldrewonallthreeapproaches,andakeyinstanceofitscaustic
critiqueremainstheassessmentofNeueSachlichkeitphotographydeliveredbyBrechtbywayofBenjamin:Aphotographof
theKruppworksortheAEGtellsusnexttonothingabouttheseinstitutions,Brechtremarked,withthesteelmanufacturerand
theelectricutilityinmind.Thereificationofhumanrelationsthefactory,saymeansthattheyarenolongerexplicit.So
somethingmustinfactbebuiltup,somethingartificial,posed.3Thisstatementcapturesthecharacteristicmoveofideology
critique:toexposetherealbehindtherepresentationsthatconcealitorotherwiseshoreitup.AsBrechtindicated,onewayto
attemptthisexposinartisviaanimageortext(or,fromJohnHeartfieldtoBarbaraKruger,acombinationofthetwo)thatis
builtup,montaged.

3.AlateepitomeofideologycritiqueisMythologies(1957),inwhich,withamixofoldBrechtianestrangementandnew
structuralistdecoding,RolandBarthesreadvariousmanifestationsofmiddlebrowculture(e.g.,theFamilyofManexhibition
stagedbyEdwardSteichenin1955,theBlueGuidetravelbooks)assomanyclassboundmythsthatpresentspecificbeliefsas
generaltruths.Mythologieswasafirstmanualofcriticalsuspicionformanyartistsandcriticsitsinfluencewasespeciallystrong
inConceptualandfeministpracticesthatemployedimageappropriation(e.g.,thoseofVictorBurginandSherrieLevine).
However,inthewakeof1968,Bartheshadsecondthoughts:Anystudentcananddoesdenouncethebourgeoisorpetit
bourgeoischaracterofsuchandsuchaform,hewrotein1971.Itisnolongerthemythswhichneedtobeunmasked(the
doxanowtakescareofthat),itisthesignitselfwhichmustbeshaken.4WhatcouldbemoreradicalthanthisquasiMaoistcall
forasemioclasmthatpassedbeyonddemystificationtoattackrepresentationassuch?Thesignsthatstitchtherealtogether
weretobenotmerelyexposedbututterlytornasunder.

4.Intheend,however,therealwasonlyrepositioned:Nolongerhiddenorburied,itwasnowthoughttolie,overlookedbutin
plainsight,onthesurfaceofthings.Onesignalofthisshift,soontobeassociatedwithpoststructuralisttheory,wasanother
Barthesessay,Leffetderel(TheRealityEffect,1968),whichconsideredthefunctionofthedetailinnineteenthcentury
narrative,bothfictionalandhistorical(histestcaseswereFlaubertandMichelet,respectively). 5Insuchnarratives,Barthes
argued,everythingisexpectedtomeanevenincidentaldetailsthatseemnottosignifydosononetheless,forwhattheythus
signifyisinsignificance,andtheapparentmeaninglessnessofthemerefactsofthecontingentworldhelpstoclinchtherealist
evocationofthereal.Inthisaccount,nothingescapestheempireofsigns,andsoitwasbutashortsteptoseerealismin
totoasasystemofconventions,asBarthesdidinS/Z(1970),hispainstakinganalysisofthe1830shortstorySarrasine.
Therehedemonstrated,linebyline,howBalzacreferrednotfromalanguagetoareferentbutfromonecodetoanother
thatis,howthenarrativeconsistednotincopyingtherealbutincopyinga(depicted)copyofthereal.Thisiswhyrealism
cannotbedesignatedacopier,Barthesconcluded,butratherapasticheur(throughsecondarymimesis,itcopieswhatis
alreadyacopy).6Adecadelaterthisfigureofthepasticheurbecamethedominantavatarofthepostmodernistartist,inthe
guiseofboththeneoexpressionistpainterwhomixedhistoricalandpopmotifsandthecriticalappropriationistwhoheldup
mediastereotypesforourscrutiny.Semioticallyspeaking,theseideologicalopponentsplayedonthesameteam.

TrevorPaglen,Reaper
Drone(IndianSprings,
NV,Distance~2miles),
2010,Cprint,3036".

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5.IfBarthescontributedtothefirsttwoframingsofthereal,heexemplifiedyetathird.Heretherealwasstillattachedtothe
detailthatresistsmeaning,butitwasnowlocatedinthesubjectasmuchasintheobject.Thisdetailisthe
famouspunctumBarthesproposedinCameraLucida(1980),theinadvertentpointinaparticularphotographthatpricksthe
unconsciousoftheviewer:Itisthiselementwhichrisesfromthescene,shootsoutofitlikeanarrow,andpierces
me.7InflectedbyLacan,thisthirdpositioningofthereal,whichwemightcalltraumatophilic,differsfromthefirsttwoinkey
ways.Intheideologycriticalframing,thecriticexposesthereal,whereasheretherealexposesthesubjectandinthe
poststructuralistframing,thesubjectisdisplaced,andtherealsubsumed,byconventionsandcodes,whereasherethesubject
iscalledbackaswitnesstoarealnowunderstoodastraumatic. 8Whatcouldbemorerealthanarealthatresistsall
symbolization?Gradually,however,itbecameclearthatthisrealcouldbecodified,tooinfact,itcouldcountasarealismofits
own.Thiswasthecasewithabjectartandfictioninthe1990s,exemplifiedintheworkofMikeKelleyandDennisCooper,once
theirtropesofbodilydisfigurationandpsychicdamagewereestablished.

6.Inonewayoranother,alltheaforementionedframingsoftherealrejectedthenaivenotionthattherealistworkisamirrorof
theworld.Yetareflectionistassumptionsneaksbackinwhenwelinkculturaloutlookstoodirectlytoeconomicprocesses.
Nonetheless,wemighthazardafewconnectionsbetweenthetworegistershere,ifonlytounderscorethattheydoinfact
exist.Jamesonsawthetransitiontopostmodernismintermsofacrackupofthesignunderadvancedcapitalism.Inthe
modernistepoch,heargued,reificationliberatedtheSignfromitsreferent,asevidencedintheabstractionthatpervadedits
arts.Yetthisdissolutiononlydeepenedinthepostmodernistera:Nowinternaltothesign,reificationworkedtoliberatethe
SignifierfromtheSignified,orfrommeaningproper.9Hereoursecondframingofthereal,therealasatextualeffect,was
suddenlyrepositioned,forsuchsemioclasmwasnowtakentodotheculturalworkofacapitalistorderthatthrivesonfloating
signifiers.Inpart,thethirdframingoftherealtherealastraumaticaffectstemmedfromarecognitionthatthe
postmodernistcrackupofthesignwasnotasresistanttoadvancedcapitalismasitpurportedtobe,thatitmightevenbe
structurallyconsonantwiththatorder.Ofcourse,otherforceswerealsoatworkinthisshiftfromthetextualtothetraumatic
theaidscrisis,systemicpoverty,racism,sexism,abrokenwelfarestate,awoundedbodypolitic. 10Nevertheless,tosome
degree,thebodyinpainemergedasaprotestagainsttheempireofsigns.

7.Thepastdecadehasseenyetanotherturnintheframingofthereal,onethatbespeaksafrustrationwiththethree
positioningsthatprecededit.First,ideologycritiquewasalreadyunderattackonaccountoftheauthoritythatitappearedto
arrogate.Likemostpoststructuralisttheory,muchpostmodernistarthadquestionedsuchauthority,butthischallengewassoon
understoodtoerodetheveryabilitytoclaimatruthortopositarealityatall,andsoitcametobequestionedasaspeciesof
nihilism.(Thecritiqueofrepresentation,centraltobothpoststructuralismandpostmodernism,wasalsotaintedwhentheRight
laterappropriateditforitsownends,asintheassertionthatglobalwarmingisamereconstruction.)Last,thetraumatophilic
framingoftherealbroughtauthoritybackintoplay,inthestrongguiseofthesubjectaswitness(evenassurvivor),yetthis
developmentcamewithaproblemofitsownforhowissuchauthoritytobequestionedinturn?BrunoLatouremergedasa
prominentskepticofallthreeframingsofthereal,especiallywithregardtothenegativitythateachappearedtoadvanceinits
ownway.Againstthisdestructivecritic,heofferedhisownbenevolentfigure:

Thecriticisnottheonewhodebunks,buttheonewhoassembles.Thecriticisnottheonewholiftstherugsfromunderthe
feetofthenaivebelievers,buttheonewhoofferstheparticipantsarenasinwhichtogather.Thecriticisnottheonewho
alternateshaphazardlybetweenantifetishismandpositivismlikethedrunkiconoclastdrawnbyGoya,buttheoneforwhom,if
somethingisconstructed,thenitmeansitisfragileandthusinneedofgreatcareandcaution. 11

8.Thisshift,withtherealnowviewedasafragileconstructiontotendwithcareandcaution,isevidentinrecentdocumentary
practice,acategorythatwasoftenabadobjectforbothideologycritiqueandpostmodernistart(nottomention
poststructuralisttheory).Brechtcanrepresenttheformerpositionagain,aphotographoftheKruppworksortheAEGtellsus
nexttonothingabouttheseinstitutionswhileMarthaRoslercanstandinforthelatterwithherframingofdocumentary
photographyasaninadequatedescriptivesystem.Today,however,thiscritiqueofthedocumentislargelyassimilated,and
manyartistshavepassedfromapostureofdeconstructiontooneofreconstructionthatis,totheuseofartificetorehabilitate
thedocumentarymodeasaneffectivecriticalsystem,ifnotanadequatedescriptiveone.(Roughlyspeaking,thisisthe
epistemologicalpostureofHarunFarocki,HitoSteyerl,andTrevorPaglen,amongothers.)Inlargepart,thisshiftwasa
responsetotheincreasedcontrolbycorporationsandgovernments,throughsatelliteimagingandinformationmining,ofwhatis
giventousastherealinthefirstplacewhatcanberepresented,known,disputed,provedatallscales,fromtheindividual
pixeltothevastagglomerationsofbigdata.Withsuchcontrol,eventsthatarecriminalorcatastrophic(secretwars,genocidal
campaigns,territorialoccupations,environmentaldisasters,refugeeabuses,detentioncenters,dronestrikes,andsoon)canbe
partiallyortotallyblockedfromview. 12Itbecomesimperative,then,toreconstructtheseeventsascogentlyaspossibleby
meansofmediabothnewandold(someofwhichwerequestionedintheinitialcritiqueofthedocumentary).EyalWeizmanhas
termedthismodelingoftherealforensicarchitecture,andhepointstoaturnfromapoliticsofthewitness,basedon
individualtestimonyandaimedatempathywithvictims(whichcorrespondstoourtraumatophilicframingofthereal),toa
politicsofhumanrightsadvocacyundertakenasaprocessofmaterializationandmediatization.13Suchforensicpractice
salvages,assembles,andsequencesfragmentaryrepresentationsinorderbothtoimageandtonarratedisputedeventsthese

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scriptscanthenbeofferedasevidenceincourtsoflawaswellasincourtsofopinion.(AsLatourspeaksofarenas,so
Weizmanspeaksofforums,whichcanincludeartinstitutions,too,andheremindsusthatforensisisLatinforpertainingto
theforum.)Atfirstglance,thisturnmightbeinterpretedasneoBrechtian(somethingmustinfactbebuiltup,something
artificial,posed),buttherelevantworkhere(again,Farocki,Steyerl,Paglen,etal.)isconcernedlesswithexposingagiven
realitybehindrepresentationthanwithreconstructinganoccludedreality,orwithpointingtoanabsentedone,bymeansof
representation. 14

TacitaDean,Eventfora
Stage,2015,16mm,color,
sound,50minutes.

9.Thisepistemologicalrecalibrationisalsoactiveinrecentliterature.Thefictioninquestiondoesnotexpressareality
hunger,asproclaimedbyDavidShieldsthatis,itdoesnotconscriptrealexperiencetoreanimatenovelwritinginanattempt
toovercometheoldbinaryoflifeversusart.Rather,ittoodeploysgreatartifice,nottodemystifyortodisrupttherealbutto
maketherealrealagain,whichistosay,effectiveagain,feltagain,assuch.Considerthe2005novelRemainderbyTom
McCarthy.Theunnamednarratorisstruckbyanunknownobjectfallenfromthesky,andreceivesalargesettlementfroman
insurancecompanyasaconsequence.Hethenspendsthisvastsumonreenactors,whomhehirestoperform,repeatedly,his
fragmentarymemoriesofscenesthatseemrelevanttotheevent.Affectivelyblockedbyhistrauma,hestagestheseepisodes
toexperiencethemasifforthefirsttime,andashisdesperationgrows,hisenactmentsbecomeevermoreviolent.Ontheone
hand,RemaindercirclesaroundtherealasatraumaticremainderinLacanianterms,itnarratesamissedencounterwiththe
realthat,becauseitismissed,canonlyberepeated. 15Ontheotherhand,therepetitionofthescenesisdedicatedtorealize
them,nottosimulatethem,muchlesstoderealizethem.The2015filmadaptationofRemaindercapturesthisrepetition
compulsionperfectlyitsdirector,theartistOmerFast,exploresthismixedframingofthereal,whichoscillatesbetweenthe
traumatophilicandthereconstructive,inhisotherworkaswell. 16

10.ThomasDemandhasalsoadvancedthismixedpositioningofthereal.Asiswellknown,hebuildshisphotographsfrom
modelsbasedonfoundimagesnewssources,postcards,andthelikeinawaythatcomplicatesthediscursiveopposition
betweenindexicalandconstructedrepresentations.Demandtreatstheimagisticmediationoftheworldasgiven,andhe
assumesthatwedoaswellhere,too,theaimisnottodemystifyordeconstructtherealbuttoactivateit.Considerafamiliar
work,Bathroom,1997,whichshowsanobliqueviewofaporcelaintubsetinbluetile.In1987,thepremieroftheGermanstate
ofSchleswigHolstein,UweBarschel,wasfounddeadinahotelbathlikethisoneinfact,Demandbasedhisimageonthe
tabloidphototakenbythejournalistwhodiscoveredthebody.ArisingstarintheChristianDemocraticparty,Barschelwas
involvedinasecretinvestigationofapoliticalopponent,andthecauseofhisdeathoriginallyruledasuicideremains
undetermined.Thisinformationaltersourresponsetotheimage:Suddenly,theopendoor,therumpledcurtain,thecreased
mat,andtheundrainedbathwaterreadaspossiblesignsoffoulplay.YetBathroomisalsotruetotheutterbanalityofits
source.Whatisdecisive,Demandhasremarked,aretheblurredtracesleftinthemediaby[the]incidents[thattheyrelay].
Ontheonehand,thisblurringproducesadistractioninus,averydiffusesenseofdullnessontheother,itallowsthese
tracesofincidentstolodgeinthememory,onethatDemandregardsascollectiveaswellasindividual.Sucharetheblurred
tracesoftherealthatheisabletoevokeintheblunteddetailsofhisphotographs.Here,contraBarthes,thepunctumisnot
inadvertent:Itmustbeconstructed(again,builtup)iftherealistobemadeeffectiveassuch. 17

11.Repetitiontakesonanewvalenceinthisepistemologicalrecalibration.FromPoppaintingstoPicturesphotographs,serial
imagestypicallyevincedaworldofspectaclebecomesimulacral,whererepresentationsappeartofloatfree,throughrepetition,
fromreferentsandsignifiedsalike.Thisviewchangedwiththetraumatophilicframingthererepetitionwasrededicatedtothe

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real,nowunderstoodinaLacaniansense.Lately,however,afurthershifthasoccurredinfictionandart:Repetitionisnoton
thesideofsimulation,butneitherdoesitcirclearoundatraumaticpast.Rather,itspurposeistoproduceaninterruption,a
crackoragap,thatmightallowadifferentrealitytobeglimpsed.Consider10:04(2014)byBenLerner,whoplaceshisnovel
undertheepigraphicsignofBenjamin:TheHassidimtellastoryabouttheworldtocomethatsayseverythingwillbejustasit
is....Everythingwillbeasitisnow,justalittledifferent.18Thenarrator,whoisLernerbutjustalittledifferent,replays
episodesfromhislifeinthisway,too,asalittlechanged,alittlecharged,chargedasrealthroughrepetitionor,perhaps
better,throughcoincidence. 19Intermittently,asthenarratordoesthis,healsoreflectsonhowsuchcoincidencecanbe
transformative.Forexample,ofthepartiallytransparenthandofanotherwiseembodiedsaintinanineteenthcenturypainting
byJulesBastienLepage,heremarks,Itsasifthetensionbetweenthemetaphysicalandphysicalworlds,betweentwoorders
oftemporality,producesaglitchinthepictorialmatrix.20YethisexemplumofthesefoldsinspacetimeisChristian
MarclaysTheClock,2010,adigitalvideothatproceedsthroughtwentyfourhoursoffilmclips,eachkeyedtoaprecise
moment,whichisalmostalwaysregisteredonthefaceofatimepiecedepictedinthefoundfootage.Lernertakesthetitleof
hisnovelfromtheclipthatrepresents10:04PM,themomentatwhichlightningstrikestheclocktowerinBacktothe
Future(1985).Thenarratordrawshisownlessonhere:

IdheardTheClockdescribedastheultimatecollapseoffictionaltimeintorealtime,aworddesignedtoobliteratethedistance
betweenartandlife,fantasyandreality.But...thatdistancehadntbeencollapsedformeatallwhilethedurationofareal
minuteandTheClocksminuteweremathematicallyindistinguishable,theywereneverthelessminutesfromdifferentworlds...
.Ifeltacutelyhowmanydifferentdayscouldbebuiltoutofaday,feltmorepossibilitythandeterminism,theutopianglimmer
offiction. 21

12.TacitaDeanalsoproducesaglitchinthematrixinherfilmEventforaStage(2015).Amanpacesastageaspeople
wanderintoanauditoriumwesurmisethatheisanactorandtheyareanaudience.Hespeaksofagreatstormhislines,
fromTheTempest,cueusthatillusionwillbeonesubjectofthisevent.Yetthefilmlaysbarenotonlyitssettingbutalsoits
production:Thereareabruptshiftsfromonecameratoanother(whichtheactorcallsout),aswellasfromonestagingto
another.(Deanconstructedherfilmfromfourperformances,eachmarkedbydifferentcostumesandhairstyles.)Sometimes,
too,theactorinteractswithanaudiencememberwhopromptshimwithnotes(itisDean)atothertimesheleavesthestage
altogether.Atsuchmoments,thefourthwall(whichtheactorcallsamembrane)isnotbrokensomuchasstretched:Lifedoes
notintrudeonartsomuchasartexpandstocomprehendactions,thoughts,andfeelingsthatliebeyondtheusualambitof
theater.Thesemomentsincludeconfusionsthatseemgenuine(Idontknowwhatthisis,theactorproclaimsatonepoint),as
wellasstatementsthatsoundautobiographical(thelinebetweenthelivedandtheperformedisblurredtoo).Theactortellsus
aboutthedementiaofhismother(sherepeatsthings)andtheunconventionalrelationshipofhisfatherwithcharactersina
TVseries,butthenwerealizethattheactorsharesinmentaluncertaintiesandunconventionalrelationships,andthatwedo
too(especiallyinourviewingofEvent).Here,again,lifedoesnotbreakintoart,nordoesalltheworldbecomeastagerather,
theimbricationofthetwoisexploredasaconditionthatisascommonasitiscomplex.If,nearitsbeginning,Eventfora
StagequotesTheTempest,towardtheenditcitesOntheMarionetteTheater(1810),thegreatHeinrichvonKleiststorythat
ponderstheequalandoppositegraceachievedbyGodandmarionettes,theformerthroughtotalconsciousness,thelatter
throughitsutterlack.Whatishisrelationtoselfawareness?Deanaskstheactor.Doesheeverexperiencestagefright?Can
heeverforgetthegazeoftheaudienceonhim?Herespondsambiguouslythat,likeallactors,hebecomesrealonlythrougha
greattext,butthat,likegoodparents,goodactorscanprovideaspacetimeformakebelievethatisactual.

13.Theliedescribedmylifebetterthanthetruth,thenarratorsays(orimagineshesays)in10:04.Artiswhatmakeslife
moreinterestingthanart,theactordeclaims(perhapsonbehalfoftheartist)inEventforaStage. 22Thesedeclarationsare
notwitticismslaOscarWildethatdelightinparadoxandadvocatestylesomuchastheyareproposalsabouthowartifice,the
utopianglimmeroffiction,canbeplacedintheserviceofthereal.Twoquestionslinger,however.First,whatpreparesthis
latestshiftintheframingofthereal?Mightthedesiretoopenupalternativefuturesbe,inpart,aresponsetothedominance
offinancialfuturesthatis,totherealitythat,inaworldgovernedbyfinancecapitalism,presenttimeisalwaysmortgagedtoa
timetocome(atimethatneveractuallyarrives)?23Second,whatrelationdotherealfictionsreviewedherehavetoalternative
facts,andmighttheformerbedeployedtochallengethelatterinawaythatavoidsasimpleretrenchmenttoapositivistic
framingofthereal?

HalFosterteachesatPrincetonUniversity.Hismostrecentbook,BadNewDays:Art,Criticism,Emergency,isnowoutin
paperbackfromVerso.

NOTES

1.SeeAlexanderKlugeandOskarNegt,History&Obstinacy,ed.DevinFore,trans.RichardLangstonetal.(NewYork:Zone
Books,2014),andFredricJameson,ThePoliticalUnconscious:NarrativeasSociallySymbolicAct(Ithaca,NY:Cornell
UniversityPress,1981),82,102.Thereareotherframingsofthereal(suchasspeculativerealism)thatIdonottakeuphere,
andmoreoverlapintheonesIdodiscussthanachronologicalreviewsuchasthiscanaddress.

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2.SeePaulRicoeur,Freud&Philosophy:AnEssayonInterpretation,trans.DenisSavage(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,
1970),34.Ricoeurusestheexactphraseonlylater,inaretrospectonthistext.SeealsoRitaFelski,TheLimitsof
Critique(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,2015).

3.Brecht,quotedinWalterBenjamin,LittleHistoryofPhotography(1931),inSelectedWritings,ed.MichaelW.Jenningset
al.,trans.RodneyLivingstoneetal.,vol.2,pt.2,19311934(Cambridge,MA:BelknapPress,1999),526.Benjamindoubles
downonthisattackinTheAuthorasProducer(1934).Inbothcases,themaintargetisAlbertRengerPatzsch,buthisworkis
moredifferentiatedthaneitherBenjaminorBrechtallows.SeeMichaelW.Jennings,Agriculture,Industry,andtheBirthofthe
PhotoEssayintheLateWeimarRepublic,October,no.93(Summer2000):2356.

4.RolandBarthes,ChangetheObjectItself(1971),inImageMusicText,trans.StephenHeath(NewYork:Hill&Wang,
1977),16667.

5.RolandBarthes,TheRealityEffect(1968),inTheRustleofLanguage,trans.RichardHoward(NewYork:Hill&Wang,
1986),14148.

6.RolandBarthes,S/Z,trans.RichardHoward(NewYork:Hill&Wang,1974),55.

7.RolandBarthes,CameraLucida:ReflectionsonPhotography,trans.RichardHoward(NewYork:Hill&Wang,1981),26.

8.SeethetitleessayofmyTheReturnoftheReal:TheAvantGardeattheEndoftheCentury(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,
1996).Forgoodandbad,CameraLucidalongdominatedtheoreticalreflectiononphotographycertainlyitsemphasison
mediumspecificityandtraumaticsubjectivitydistractedmanyofusfromthesocialhistoricalfieldofphotography.Barthes
acknowledgesthisfield,whichhecallsthestudium,buthisheartbelongstothepunctum(heseesthestudiumasanarrayof
conventionalsigns).So,too,histraumatophilicreadingofphotographyrestrictsitstemporalitytothepast,onethataffectsus
butwhichwecannotaffectinturn.Thisviewlimitsphotographyasameansofhistoricalreflectionitalsoreducesitspotential
forcritiqueaswellasforconstruction,bothofwhichwereforegroundedinthephotodebatesininterwarEurope,nottomention
intherecentworkofthelateAllanSekula.

9.FredricJameson,Periodizingthe60s,inThe60s,WithoutApology,ed.SohnyaSayresetal.(Minneapolis:Universityof
MinnesotaPress,1984),200.

10.Again,itisthisconditionthatabjectartandfictionevokedwiththeirownversionofrealism.

11.BrunoLatour,WhyHasCritiqueRunOutofSteam?FromMattersofFacttoMattersofConcern,CriticalInquiry30,no.2
(Winter2004):246.SeealsomyPostCritical?,inBadNewDays:Art,Criticism,Emergency(NewYork:Verso,2015),11524.

12.ThehistoriansofscienceRobertN.ProctorandJimenaCanaleshavearguedthatagnotologytheanalysisofhowitiswe
donotknowor,better,howwearepreventedfromknowingisanecessarycomplementtoepistemology.

13.SeeYveAlainBois,MichelFeher,andHalFoster,OnForensicArchitecture:AConversationwithEyalWeizman,October,
no.156(Spring2016):12021.SeealsoEyalWeizman,ForensicArchitecture:ViolenceattheThresholdofDetectability(New
York:ZoneBooks,2017).Thisshiftfromtestimonyisonlypartial,asevidencedbyarecentprojectbytheresearchagency
ForensicArchitecturethatmodels,withtheaidofsurvivors,theSaydnayaPrison,ablackholesitewhere,accordingtoanew
AmnestyInternationalreport,theSyriangovernmenthasmurderedsomethirteenthousandSyrianssince2011.Seeforensic
architecture.org/case/saydnaya.

14.Paglencallshispracticeexperimentalgeography.Acousinofforensicarchitecture,itinvolvestheindexingofspacethat
cannotbedocumentedpositivelyorthatisotherwiseremovedfromrepresentationoften,inhisphotographs,itisregisteredin
the(non)formofablur.

15.SeeJacquesLacan,TheFourFundamentalConceptsofPsychoanalysis,ed.JacquesAlainMiller,trans.AlanSheridan
(NewYork:Norton,1978),55.SeealsoTomMcCarthyandSimonCritchley,TheManifestooftheInternationalNecronautical
Society,TheTimes(London),December14,1999,1.

16.Formoreonreenactmentsincontemporaryart,seethecodatoBadNewDays.

17.SeeAConversationBetweenAlexanderKlugeandThomasDemand,inThomasDemand,exh.cat.(London:Serpentine
Gallery,2006),51114.SometimeswithDemand,asoftenwithGerhardRichter,itistheblankortheblur,notthedetail,that
takesonapunctalquality.Inhissuigeneriswriting,Klugecanbecountedasanearlypractitioneroftherealfictionsatissue
here.Onthispoint,seeAlexanderKlugeandBenLerner,AngelsandAdministration,theparisreview.org/blog/2017/02/02/an
interviewwithalexanderkluge.

18.Benjamin,IntheSun(1932),in193134,664.(ThetranslationLernerusesdiffersslightlyfromthisstandardtranslation.)
SeealsothefinalthesisinhisThesesonthePhilosophyofHistory(1940),inIlluminations,ed.HannahArendt,trans.Harry
Zohn(NewYork:Schocken,2007),264.

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19.BenLerner,10:04(NewYork:Macmillan,2014),18.Lernerisapractitionerofautofiction,butlikesomeothersinthis
genre,suchasRachelCuskandJennyOffill,heputstheautobiographyinautofictionundererasuretheegoisrefracted,
splintered,evendispersedbyfictionalpressure.Inmyview,forallthetransformationstheyundergo,othersubjectsin
autofictionsometimesremainmoreegonautsthanargonauts.

20.Ibid.,9.

21.Ibid.,54.TheSurrealistswereinterestedinthisultimatecollapsetooinfact,AndrBretondefinedthemarvelousin
theseveryterms.Yetthenarratorof10:04isconcernedwithdetachingtheconvulsivebeautyoftheSurrealistsfromthe
uncannywithwhichitwasboundupthatis,withredirectingcoincidenceawayfromatraumaticpastandtowardan
unforeseenfuture.

22.ThislineisaquotationfromRobertFilliou.

23.JosephVoglhascalledthisdevelopmentaraidbythefutureontherestoftimeseehisTheSpecterofCapital,ed.Hent
deVries,trans.JoachimRednerandRobertSavage(Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress,2015),3.

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