Reality and experiencability in the digital world An exploration of virtuality

Abstract

The term ‘virtuality’ is central to the question of digitisation. Yet, its definition and usage remain ambiguous. Both advocates and sceptics of the digital era either see virtuality as a magic tool that makes everything possible or as a sign of the blurring between the imaginary and reality. Gilles Deleuze’s structuralist approach, which attributes a specific function to virtuality, serves as a basis to systematically ground the discussion on virtuality. The aim is to demonstrate that there is a distinct difference between the virtual and the digital and to show that Deleuze’s concept of virtuality offers possibilities for addressing and investigating digital structures and the digital. The embodiment of these structures manifests itself in the interface between humans and machines, where the machine is operable and the human becomes its user. This interface presents certain features that will define the process of digitisation, but also bears risks.