The article aims to explore the role of national cinema in the early 20th century and its contribution to the development of the Soviet anthropological project. Any significant transformation of society involves the human factor. This factor can be observed in two ways: as a consequence of changes, which shape the new social experiences acquired through individual socialization, and as the unique qualities of those organizing the transformations. The beginning of the 20th century marked a period of active formation of mass society, urban lifestyles, and entertainment industries. Within this landscape, cinema held a special, perhaps even crucial, position—probably due to its accessibility and the condensed intensity of content presentation. The adventure genre, in particular, played a dominant role and greatly contributed to the success of film distribution. The interplay between commercial and creative aspects has been influential in shaping the development of cinema from its inception. However, during the Soviet era, the balance between entertainment and creativity began to shift, influenced by socio-political circumstances. Firstly, there was an increasing emphasis on social themes in films. Secondly, by the 1930s, these circumstances had evolved into direct political pressure, significantly impacting the content requirements for films and even the fate of their creators. This resulted in a clear contradiction: while cinema content portrayed the ideal of an initiative, responsible, and creative individual, in reality, individuals, including film authors, were expected to conform to ideological requirements. This contradiction between the broadcast content and the real lives of people led to the squandering of the resources of the anthropology project and the creative potential of cinema. Nonetheless, it did not impede the development of models and technologies that shaped the personalized power of mass society, which have retained their significance to this day. Hence, cinema, which initially emerged as a form of entertainment with adventure genre for a dominant, not only played a role in shaping the concept of the “mass man,” but also laid the groundwork for the models and technologies that defined a “person in power.”

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.

This article examines the cinematic transformations of monstrosity within the context of a growing ecological awareness and the Anthropocene. The authors argue that these transformations reflect a posthumanist shift in popular culture ethics, suggesting that human nature is intertwined with the natural world, indigenous cultures should be protected, and our relationships with other beings should be nurtured. The blockbuster film franchise MonsterVerse illustrates similar shifts occurring in the portrayal of movie monsters. It creates new narratives for cinema’s most iconic monsters, the Japanese Godzilla and American King Kong. The authors analyze the types of monstrosities presented in the franchise, the narratives they are placed in, and whether the media franchise reflects posthumanist trends in contemporary culture by constructing images of monsters. In the MonsterVerse, Godzilla and American King Kong are reimagined as ecological monsters of the Anthropocene era that represent nature’s rebellion, the urgency to save the planet, and popular posthuman perspectives on ecology. MonsterVerse thus becomes one of the popular manifestations of posthuman ethics.

Posthumanistic tendencies in the modern stage design are viewed as a result of the transition from traditional theater to the postdramatic theater paradigm. Posthumanism entails rethinking of traditional principles of performing arts; it deconstructs humanistic values and challenges rational, self-sufficient subject and linear narration. Based on Karen Barad’s concept of intra-actions and the philosophical theory of New Materialism, the article analyzes such strategies in contemporary theatrical practice as the creation of stage assemblage bodies, the return of the “thing-power,” and the procedurality of actions and relationships. The directors stage non-linear, continuously unfolding and evolving events occurring between the various materials within the stage space, objects, actors, dancers, musicians, light, sound, text, etc., all masterfully equalized. The examples of the performances of Heiner Goebbels, Tadeusz Kantor, Kris Verdonck, and Kristina Zvykova help to study the spaces of distributed forces making the emphasis on the exploration of the potential, in which the human will is dispersed, relevant; however, the human presence and their ability to interact remain quite essential factors for the development and renewal of the artwork’s forms. Postdramatic theater and expanded scenography open up new possibilities for expressing the non-linearity, the dynamism of the world around, for comprehending and experiencing the involvement of human beings and non-human objects in the processes of co-construction of environments, spaces, and events.

The article reviews the reports delivered on November 1–3, 2022, at the International Research-to-Practice Conference Media Art—XXI Century: Genesis, Art Programs, Education Problems. It was organized by the Russian Academy of Arts, the Research Institute of Theory and History of Fine Arts, the State Institute for Art Studies, Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Design and Applied Arts, the Moscow Architectural Institute (State Academy), and the National Academy of Design. The conference aimed at comprehending the current state of media art in the context of digitalization of classical works and methods of their exposure; at identifying key program and aesthetic dominants in media art; and at systematizing the most relevant educational projects. The organizers suggested the following aspects as the major research focuses: classical arts and media in digital discourse; new media in the socio-cultural environment; current media forms and their genesis; new media in the urban environment; interdisciplinary and authorial projects; educational processes and new competencies. Cultural institutions today are faced with the search for a definition of materiality, with fixation of transitory art; and in response, contemporary art studies are forced to develop new theoretical concepts to be used in scholarly discourse. It is how contemporary media, digital and post-digital technologies influence the state and development of contemporary art and art history practice, architecture, design, and decorative arts, that became the key research task of Media Art—XXI Century Conference. The conference demonstrated the wide range of aesthetic, art history, culturological and pedagogical aspects, which are incorporated in the creation, exposure, and further circulation of media art in the socio-cultural space.

The article offers a comparative analysis of two film adaptations of Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock created at different times. All three artistic forms—the novel, the film, and television series—are considered within the methodological framework of narrative analysis, sociology of the visual, and social semiotics. This allows us to compare the interpretive schemes used in film and television versions as indicators of changes taking place in society: its social system, social norms, and values. The 1975 film adaptation reproduces social relations and norms of the early twentieth century Australian white society described in the novel. Although the storylines are cut, the motifs and main oppositions remain unchanged. The mini-series screen adaptation (2018) transforms the plot and introduces the modernized social norms and relations relevant for the time of making the series, and gives a new interpretation to the characters. Here, not only the principles of creating a serial media product come into play, but also the effect of the temporary remoteness of the later screen adaptation from the time when the novel was written, behind which there are changes in the social system, statuses, and associated norms and values of the Australian (and, more generally, Western) society.

Due to the sanctions imposed on Russia in 2022, the broadcasting of state-owned Russian TV channels was banned in many countries. In response to the changing media environment, Russian TV companies are compelled to explore new markets worldwide to provide information about the Russian Federation. The authors identify China as a key alternative to the lost markets, given the booming Chinese media industry that offers a variety of news consumption options to the audience. Among these options, short online videos have gained significant popularity, with Douyin emerging as one of the most successful short-video platforms. This article analyzes the evolution of this phenomenon in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and aims to observe the reasons behind the format’s popularity among the Chinese audience. The relevance of this paper lies in the necessity to study effective and legitimate methods of news production on Chinese internet platforms for Russian TV companies. Analyzing a total of 5765 posts, the authors focus on the topics, length, and content creation methods used by three television companies (CCTV, Henan TV, Shanghai Dragon TV) when posting news on the social media platform Douyin. Additionally, a review of the regulations governing the work of Chinese and foreign media in China has been carried out. The study describes the distinctive features and development strategies of the accounts of these TV channels and concludes with recommendations that Russian media can utilize in adapting news content for well-known Chinese online platforms.

The article examines the cinematic interpretations of Ludwig Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, specifically focusing on the theme written by the composer to Friedrich Schiller’s text, An die Freude (Ode to Joy). The motif known as the “Freudenmelodie” (“the melody of joy”) holds a prominent place among the most popular classical musical topoi in cinema. Its multilayered semantics has contributed to an extensive history of extramusical associations with Beethoven’s opus. Cinematic approaches to this musical motif vary, ranging from simple diegetic connotations in mainstream films to “catastrophic non-banality” and profound treatments in the context of auteur self-expression. This article is the first to explore the interaction between the composition’s complex synthetic spectrum of meanings and the visual structures employed in films. One aspect involves the visual representation of musical affects, expressive features, and emblematic figures. Such are, for example, graphic elements within the frame in Abel Gance’s Beethoven’s Great Love, mirroring effects in Tengiz Abuladze’s Repentance and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia, visual “intonations” in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s The Marriage of Maria Braun, and kitsch and visual clichés in Kira Muratova’s Passions. However, it is filmmakers’ treatment of musical time that indicates a truly comprehensive assimilation of the multidimensional semantic depth of the opus. Temporal structures in films correspond to the essence of Beethoven’s music through existential compression of montage rhythm (Ingmar Bergman), multilayered intraframe movement (Bernard Rose), mystical transformation of the onscreen space (Tarkovsky), super-speed object movement (Muratova), and the musicality of silent forms of motion (Tarkovsky, Muratova).

Motion capture technology for creating an animated image of an artist is becoming increasingly widespread in animation, cinema, and computer games. The motion capture methodology allows translating the acting into different virtual worlds and implementing creative data such as plasticity, voice, drama, in completely unexpected forms, which expand the boundaries of traditional artistic anthropology and the psychology of art. The most multilevel and multi-variant form of motion capture, performing capture, can reflect the plasticity of the artist in the finest details. This article raises the question of the need to study new aspects of the methodology of acting creativity. This question arises in the process of creating images of computer games, against the background of scientific understanding of various forms of motion capture technology and their modeling in the digital environment. The ways the artist exists during the implementation of scenarios of high-budget computer game projects are characterized by multivariance in the development of the image when setting the most important tasks in a situation of multiplicity of game strategies, by an expansion of understanding the original event, and by the dynamics of the role pattern. The interactive nature of gaming projects requires an understanding of the categories of actor existence in the synthesis of classical (Stanislavsky system) and post-dramatic theatrical approaches.

In a turbulent society, the identification of perceptions of the future is a crucial component for decision-making. As digital transformation deepens, the image of the digital future, encompassing expectations, assumptions, and perceptions about individual, societal, and state development in the era of digitalization across various aspects of life and production, assumes a paramount role in this process. Its dissemination in media space plays a pivotal role in shaping citizens’ future outlook and can significantly influence their perception of the world and subsequent actions. This study aims to explore the relationship between the formation of the digital future image in media space and its representation within the public consciousness. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of the saturation of digital society markers in media space and the public’s level of knowledge about digital technologies. Additionally, they assessed the tone of media texts containing digital future markers and examined their reception among the population. Furthermore, the key stakeholders of digital transformation and agents of influence in the presentation of the digital future were identified, along with the primary recipients and mediators of the prosocial image of the digital future. The study also investigated the media tools employed to disseminate the digital future image. Based on their findings, the authors present an overarching conclusion emphasizing the necessity of developing a vision of the digital future as an integral part of state policy to support the digital development of Russian society.