The Hybrid Face: Paradoxes of the Visage in the Digital Era

This book explores the contemporary semiotic dimensions of the face from scientific and sociocultural perspectives, examining the hybrid face as a human utopia. It covers various aspects such as biological and social functions, masks, COVID-19, AI systems, digital portraiture, symbolic faces in films, viral communication, alien depictions, personhood in video games, online intimacy, and digital memorials. The digital face expresses new and unknown meanings, which are explored and analyzed through an interdisciplinary approach. The volume is of interest to researchers, scholars, and advanced students in digital humanities, communication studies, semiotics, visual studies, visual anthropology, cultural studies, and innovative approaches to the meaning of the face in digital societies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking and interdisciplinary work delves into the contemporary semiotic dimensions of the face, encompassing both scientific and sociocultural perspectives. It presents a rich tapestry of traditions, aspects, and signs that signify the human pursuit of creating a hybrid face, a fusion of biological and digital elements.

The book explores the multifaceted realm of the digital face, delving into its biological and social functions, the concept of masks, the impact of COVID-19, AI systems, digital portraiture, symbolic faces in films, viral communication, alien depictions, personhood in video games, online intimacy, and digital memorials. The human face is no longer confined to the physical realm; it has seamlessly merged with its digital avatar, permeating various new channels and becoming malleable through filters, post-productions, digital cosmetics, and even the creation of deepfakes.

The digital face expresses a multitude of new and largely unexplored meanings, which this book endeavors to explore and analyze through an interdisciplinary yet systematic approach. The volume appeals to researchers, scholars, and advanced students interested in digital humanities, communication studies, semiotics, visual studies, visual anthropology, cultural studies, and innovative approaches to understanding the meaning of the face in contemporary digital societies.

To enhance accessibility, the Open Access version of this book is available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license, allowing for broad dissemination and reuse of the content.

Weight: 662g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032455723