Sources Synths Circuits. The Instrumentarium of Prof. Kittler

Following Kittler’s circuits and codes, operating with and against him, encountering Nietzsche and going beyond Foucault, we are not just vivisecting the modular synthesizer the media philosopher constructed during the 1980s. By means of thinking and composing, we are conducting philology, exegesis and epistemology with its residue.

apparatus operandi is a conceptual art project in various formats by Jan-Peter E.R. Sonntag. The project investigates the power of apparatuses to generate perception. The arguments are derived from media archeology and history, combined with sensual perception. In terms of hardware, the project rejects matters of substance as obsolete and is more interested in procedural behavior. apparatus operandi offers a critique of outdated institutions that still reign in our performatives because of their tendency to render us inert. Sebastian Döring triggers and reflects on the rhetorical, structural and dispositive aspects the project focuses on. Paul Feigelfeld opens up the field to Kittler’s source code through the presentation of his own research. Joined by media archeologist Jussi Parikka, the discussion addresses issues of archiving, institutions and the user.