Philosopher Jesús David Carrero Hernández, a graduate of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), will participate in the Alonso Corrales Hernández National Philosophy Forum, which will take place on 21, 22 and 23 October at the University of Cartagena. At the event, he will present a paper in which he poses a provocative and timely question: Can video games establish themselves as the mass art form par excellence in the digital age?
Under the title ‘Towards the consolidation of video games as art from the perspective of Walter Benjamin’s technical reproducibility,’ Carrero Hernández explores how video games, far from being simple entertainment products, could represent the natural evolution of art in the age of technical reproduction.
Inspired by German philosopher Walter Benjamin’s famous essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, the speaker argues that video games inherit their non-auratic character from cinema and photography, that is, their ability to be replicated infinitely without losing value, but they also add a revolutionary element: interactivity.
This feature profoundly changes the way people relate to works of art. They are no longer just spectators, but active participants in the aesthetic experience,” explained the philosopher in a conversation prior to the event.
Carrero also points out that video games integrate multiple artistic languages such as music, narrative, image and design, and that this fusion, combined with the possibility of interaction, gives them transformative potential in both aesthetic and social terms.
From this perspective, video games would not only be a new art form, but also an instrument capable of provoking what Benjamin called the ‘politicisation of art’: a critical tool that could influence the transformation of collective consciousness.
The Alonso Corrales Hernández National Philosophy Forum will bring together researchers, teachers and students from different universities across the country in a space dedicated to reflecting on the role of philosophy in the contemporary context. The participation of Jesús David Carrero raises a key debate: the place of art in the digital age and the role that new technologies play in shaping the aesthetic and political thinking of our time.
