The Ontology of Virtual Space: In Search of Matrixes and Cube-machines

Abstract

Ridley Scott’s much celebrated and highly trendsetting motion pictureBladerunner(1982) deals with imaginary transitions and images forming a subtle web of reality and virtuality. Down to brass tacks, the film asks the question: what does it require to be a real person? Social impacts, software implementations, memories — do they really make up the whole story? Thus, a fragile ontology is staged. And this “liquid ontology”’ is indeed a fine portrait of the order of society depicted inBladerunner, in the metropole of the future (Los Angeles), development and turbulence are bad news for most people and good news for the lucky few. Larry and Andy Wachowski’sThe Matrix(1999) owes a great deal to Scott in terms of plot, setting, design, and martial art choreography. But, transcendingBladerunnerin momentous provisions, the film is also the story about what happens when immersion and simulation that are perfectly indiscernable from the “real” reality take control over mankind — especially the psychic apparatus. InThe Matrixhuman space is transformed into a computer generated milieu The space is alienated, or, rather, it becomes alienated as soon as the acting protagonists intervene in its hollow lack of truth.

Operator, I need an exist.

The Matrix, 1999

We’re tired of trees. We should stop believing the trees, roots and radicles.They’ve made us suffer to much. All of arborescent culture is founded on them, from biology to linguistics.

Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, 1987