Mikkel Rørbo
Mikkel Rørbo ist ein interdisziplinärer Forscher und, hin und wieder, auch Künstler und Kurator. Derzeit ist er Doktorand am Peter Weibel Forschungsinstitut für digitale Kulturen und hat einen Abschluss in Philosophie und Kulturwissenschaften von der Universität Kopenhagen. Seine Arbeit konzentriert sich auf die philosophischen Dimensionen des Lebens mit maschineller Intelligenz und spekulative Methoden für die kritische Auseinandersetzung mit neuen Technologien. Als Künstler und Kurator hat er internationale Performances, Veröffentlichungen und Ausstellungen durchgeführt und mit verschiedenen Institutionen, Festivals und Kunsträumen zusammengearbeitet. Er hat über Technologie, Philosophie und zeitgenössische Experimente in der Musik gearbeitet und geschrieben.
Kontakt
Sprechstunde: nach Vereinbarung
Email: mikkel.rorbo[at]uni-ak.ac.at
Showroom: Mikkel Rørbo
- title
- Digital Occultism
- type
- Teaching
- keywords
- Occultism, Esotericism, Digital Cultures, Philosophy, Media Theory, Memes
- texts
- Description
- In a post-vibe shift era where technology and esotericism converge, Digital Occultism explores the ways occult traditions permeate our understanding of the mediated technological present. The histories of both the occult and technology have long been intertwined, meddling with our political imaginaries and peddling knowledge from beyond. From the algorithmic depths of social media to the viral logic of memes, the language of the occult has become an unspoken grammar for interpreting technologies, politics, and culture in an era marked as post-truth. This class investigates how esoteric ideas and language—long rooted in mystical traditions—resurface as both content and tools to navigate the contradictions of contemporary digital environments/eco-systems. By weaving together philosophies of Deleuze & Guattari and contemporary theory, fundamental esoteric practices (sigils, Kabbalah, tarot, astrology etc.), and emergent phenomena like meme magick and schizoposting, this course offers a framework for understanding the occult forces animating the digital age. A key concept in this course to describe how media decodes, mutates, and reassemble meaning is the Deleuzoguattarian idea of de/reterritorialization. In this framework, we will explore memes as digital sigils; interrogate the algorithm as an autonomous entity; delve into the entangled histories of occultism and modern technologies; examine hyperstition and manifestation as forces shaping reality; illuminate the multilayered relation between esotericism and conspiracies; and trace how cultural artifacts (from CCRU’s Numogram theories to Dead Internet Theory) influence the collective imagination. The course’s goal is to critically engage with contemporary reinterpretations of esoteric knowledge and how these reshape our approach to technology, identity, and the politics of the future.
- organisers/management
- Mikkel Rørbo, Sophie Publig
- lecturers
- Mikkel Rørbo, Sophie Publig
- contributors
- Maya B. Kronic
- Presentation, Talk
- date, time and location
- date
- 2025-03-11 - 2025-06-10
- location
- Universität für angewandte Kunst in Wien, Wien, Österreich
- URL
- https://base.uni-ak.ac.at/courses/2025S/S05559/