ГЕРМЕНЕВТИКА НЕОМИФОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ОБРАЗА «МЕДУЗЫ С ГОЛОВОЙ ПЕРСЕЯ»

Abstract

Why is contemporary culture, with its feminist agenda, not satisfied with the severed head of Holofernes or John the Baptist, but finds Perseus’ severed head in the hands of Medusa the Gorgon highly relevant? This paper presents a hermeneutical analysis of neo-mythological simulacra as manifestations of posthumanistic trends in contemporary visual culture, using Luciano Garbati’s Medusa with the Head of Perseus, publicly installed in New York in 2020, as an example. The hermeneutic analysis of the archaic myth and its visual representation explores the transformation of Medusa’s image, from its chthonic and unattractive form to a more personal and aesthetically pleasing depiction that originated in antiquity and has influenced the contemporary portrayal of Medusa in the media as well. The analysis then uncovers the basis for the feminist interpretation of Medusa as a figure that challenges the symbolic patriarchal order embodied by Perseus, while remaining a representation of the uncanny. The contemporary media’s preoccupation with the archaic heritage may be attributed to an unconscious longing for the lost harmony with the world. This thesis is supported by examining the cultural dialogue between Garbati’s contemporary art object and the Renaissance sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, which reveals the paradox of anthropocentrism. In the context of Renaissance tendencies, the symbolic killing of Medusa demonstrates the destruction of a holistic human and nature consciousness, as reflected in both archaic and religious myths. This destruction has led Western culture towards positivism, nihilism, and self-negation, while simultaneously affirming the concept of the superman and the nomadic subject. Contemporary Perseus literally transforms into a body-without-organs, losing organization and integrity; Medusa, in turn, resembles the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, personifying the chaotic power of reactive forces that render a person in a state of being a body-without-organs—or a head without a body. Consequently, Perseus himself becomes a monster or a failed hero, representing the posthuman and postgender, and serving as a neo-mythological symbol of posthumanism. However, these tendencies do not contribute to the restoration of harmony and integrity; instead, they exacerbate internal conflict and selfdestruction in the technogenic era, leading humans to exclude themselves from the universe and perceive themselves as system errors.