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Paper short abstract

In my paper, I claim that with the advent of AI-generated visual content, another principle could be added to Foucault’s “heterotopology”, vis-à-vis virtual heterotopias: (ϗ) A virtual heterotopia has at least one nucleus that functions as the generator of its (a) existence and (b) Otherness.

Paper long abstract

Virtual heterotopias entail juxtapositions of multiple meanings. They have a series of particularities that can potentially expand the perspectives espoused by Michel Foucault, Kit Hetherington, James D. Faubion, Henri Lefebvre etc. With the advent of AI-generated images, the contextual construction of space and time in virtual worlds has changed considerably. Most virtual heterotopias are currently found in video games where players co-create the meanings encapsulated by the game developers and synthesized with AI. A significant proportion of these are “role-playing games”, “adventure games”, “action games” or combinations thereof. Drawing upon anthropological research, I claim that with the advent of AI-generated visual content, another principle could be used in conjunction with Foucault’s “heterotopology”, which was defined as a systematic description that included initially six principles used for describing heterotopias (Foucault, 1967/2008, pp.17–22). In the new principle I assert the following: (ϗ) A virtual heterotopia has at least one nucleus (i.e. center) that functions as the generator of its (a) existence and (b) Otherness. I use the concept “Otherness” in the sense described by Gerd Baumann and Andre Gingrich (2004). I begin my paper by assessing several theoretical approaches to heterotopias. Afterwards, I examine the political content from games that include virtual heterotopias. I delve into their relevance as examples of political messages that were launched in the last years (e.g. Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II etc.). Subsequently, I describe the principle (ϗ) using examples from my research. I argue that this principle may have applications in real-world heterotopias.