Franco “Bifo” Berardi is an Italian Marxist philosopher, theorist, and activist born on November 2, 1949, in Bologna, Italy[2]. He is a prominent figure in the autonomist tradition, known for his work on media, information technology, and post-industrial capitalism[2].
Academic and Professional Career
Berardi holds a degree in Aesthetics and trained with FĂ©lix Guattari[1]. He currently lectures on Social History of the Mass Media at the Brera Fine Arts Academy in Milan[1]. His theoretical work is closely intertwined with his activism in alternative media[1].
Activism and Media Involvement
- In the 1960s, Berardi was a well-known activist in the autonomia operaria movement in Italy[1].
- He founded the magazine A/traverso in 1975, which was active until 1981[1][3].
- Berardi established Radio Alice, Italy’s first free pirate radio station, in 1976[1][3].
- He later founded TV Orfeu, which gave rise to community television in Italy[1].
Literary Works
Berardi has published approximately fifty titles throughout his career[1]. Some notable works include:
- Contro il lavoro (Against Work, 1970) - his debut as an essayist[1]
- After the Future (2011)[1]
- Futurability: The Age of Impotence and the Horizon of Possibility (2017)[1]
- The Third Unconscious: The Psychosphere in the Viral Age (2021)[1]
Key Concepts and Theories
Berardi’s work focuses on several important concepts:
- Semiocapitalism: A critique of how semiotics play a role in the capitalist system and its impact on the psyche[2].
- Cognitariat and Info Labour: Analysis of how human emotions and communication are central to post-industrial production and consumption patterns[2].
- Future Representations: Exploration of cultural expectations about the future, from Futurism to cyberpunk[2].
Recent Perspectives
In his more recent works, Berardi has shifted towards analyzing politics and global events through a psychological lens. He has described current geopolitical situations as “geopsychosis” and emphasized the emotional and psychological aspects of global issues[4].
Franco Berardi continues to be an influential figure in contemporary philosophy, media theory, and cultural criticism, with his work spanning radical, academic, and contemporary art worlds[3].
Citations: [1] https://www.macba.cat/en/actor/franco-berardi/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Berardi [3] https://www.thewhitereview.org/feature/interview-with-franco-bifo-berardi/ [4] https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-12-30/franco-berardi-philosopher-we-have-to-abandon-the-reproduction-of-the-species.html [5] https://publicseminar.org/2015/06/franco-bifo-berardi/ [6] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1143259/ [7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zbeIOR_a5A
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