New Books in Critical Theory Eivind Røssaak, "The Cory Arcangel Hack: Digital Culture and Aesthetic Practice" (MIT Press, 2025)
17 snips
Apr 4, 2026 Eivind Røssaak, a research professor at the National Library of Norway who studies visual media, discusses Cory Arcangel’s DIY hacks and their role in digital culture. He traces Arcangel’s methods from flow-breaks to remixes and parodies. Short anecdotes and theoretical frames explore how hacks intervene in code, platforms, and artistic practice.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Arcangel As A Case Study For Digital Aesthetics
- Eivind Røssaak frames Arcangel as a key figure to understand the shift from analog to digital aesthetic regimes.
- He followed Arcangel 10–15 years, using interviews and archival research to map how hacks reveal digital pressures shaping subjects.
Hacks As Interventions In Machine Ecologies
- Røssaak reads Arcangel's hacks as interventions into larger technical ecologies, not mere gimmicks.
- Each artwork manipulates material lines of code, hardware, and platforms to expose how machines shape social relations.
The Pizza Party Performance Hack
- Arcangel performed a live lecture-performance called The Pizza Party by hacking Domino's ordering to deliver pizza to an audience.
- He described the moment of waiting for delivery as feeling like pressing a nuclear button because a tiny hack changed social rhythms.
