Portfolio

Sunil Manghani is Professor of Theory, Practice & Critique (Dept. of Design, University of Southampton), managing editor of Theory, Culture & Society, co-editor of Journal of Visual Art Practice, and co-founder of Electronic Life. He is a fellow of The Alan Turing Institute, an organiser for the Institute’s AI and Arts group, and member of the Academic Advisory Board of University of Southampton’s Web Science Institute. He is a former Associate of Tate Exchange and trustee of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design, where he led on the Research Alliance (2020-2023). He teaches and writes on various aspects of critical theory, visual culture, structuralism, artificial intelligence, design and image studies.

PhD Supervision & Mentoring →

Current Projects
AI & Arts | structualism.ai | Electronic Life

Publications
Critical Theory | Image Studies & Visual Culture | Experiments in Writing

Publications

Critical Theory

‘Lyotard’s ‘Brain’, and/or the Mathematical Universes Brain‘, Technophany, A Journal for Philosophy and Technology, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 1-36.
‘Preparatory Space: Roland Barthes and Large Language Models‘, Barthes Studies, Vol. 10, 2024.
‘IA, música, estilo: ¿puede haber demasiada cultura?‘, [sic] es una revista arbitrada de literatura y arte, editada por la Asociación de Profesores de Literatura del Uruguay, Núm. 38, 2024, ‘Nuevas creatividades: la inteligencia artificial y las artes’.
‘Notes on Structuralism: Introduction‘, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No. 7–8, pp.117–131. Introduction to a special section, including the English translation of ‘On Narrative: An Interview with Roland Barthes‘, pp.159–174.
‘Review Essay: Changing the Object’, review of Diana Knight, ed., Interdisciplinary Barthes (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), Barthes Studies, Vol. 8.
‘Neutral Life / Late Barthes’ (Special Issue), Theory, Culture & Society, 2020, Vol.37, No. 4.
‘Idiorrhythmy: An (Unsustainable) Aesthetics of Ethics, in P.Crespi & S.Manghani (eds.), Rhythm and Critique: Technics, Modalities, Practices, Edinburgh University Press, 2020, pp.150-172.
Rhythm and Critique: Technics, Modalities, Practices, Edinburgh University Press, 2020.
‘Barthes/Bataille: The Writing of Neutral Economy’, Theory, Culture & Society, 2018, Vol.35, No.4, pp.193-215.
‘The art of Paolo Cirio: exposing new myths of big data structures’, Theory, Culture & Society. 34, 7-8, 2017, pp.197-214.
‘Zones of Indeterminacy: An Interview with Peng Yu’, Theory, Culture & Society, 2015, Vol. 32, No. 7–8, pp.300–309.
‘Making Metapictures Political: Public Screenings of the Fall of the Berlin Wall’ in Northern Lights, Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2009, pp.113-131.
Image Critique and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Intellect Books, 2008.
‘Public (re)visions: critical pictures of the fall of the Berlin Wall’ in Film International, 2006, Vol.4, no.6, pp.16-27.

See also: Theory, Culture & Society

_{[→ TOP]}

Image Studies & Visual Culture

Manghani, S. (2025) ‘Notes on Architecture, Barthes’s Zero Degree, and AI Imaging’, Degree Zero: The Third Term in Architecture, Lyna Bourouiba and Wouter Van Acker (eds.). Spector Books [forthcoming]
‘From Dürer’s Rhinoceros to AI Image Diffusion Models‘, HOLOTIPUS Rivista di Zoologia Sistematica e Tassonomia , Vol. 5-1, 2024.
‘Situations of writing‘, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 22:2-3, 2023, pp.93-109; introduction to a double special issue, ‘Situations of Writing‘, edited by Jane Birkin and Sunil Manghani.
‘Tangled Hierarchy: an interview with Jitish Kallat‘, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 22:2-3, 2023, pp.211-228.
‘Dongpo dream machine: notes towards an exhibition‘, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 22:4, 2023, pp.421-441.
‘The Grandeur of Limitless Landscapes‘, Daniel Ambrosi. AI and the Landscapes of Capability Brown [Exhibition Catalogue], Robilant+Voena, London, 6 October – 15 December 2023, pp.15-17. [Online / PDF]
‘Practice PhD Toolkit‘, Journal of Visual Art Practice, Vol. 20, No. 4., 2021, pp.373-398.
‘A visual, journal practice: Journal of Visual Art Practice, twenty years on‘, Vol. 20, No. 4., 2021, pp.299-315.
‘Drawing Desires’ in A Companion to Contemporary Drawing, ed. by Chorpening & Fortnum. Wiley Blackwell, 2021. See also: Jitish Kallat in conversation with Sunil Manghani (Drawing Room).
Manghani, S. (2020) ‘Zero Degree Image: From the Empirical Image to Image as Capacity’, in E. Alloa and C. Cappelletto (eds.) Dynamis of Images: Moving Images In a Global World. Contact Zones series, De Gruyter, pp.263-285.
Seeing Degree Zero: Barthes/Burgin and Political Aesthetics, Edinburgh University Press, 2019.
Itinerant Objects, Tate Exchange, 5-7 April, 2019, Tate Modern.
How to Build an Art Biennale, Tate Exchange, 8-13 May 2018, Tate Modern.
‘The art of Paolo Cirio: exposing new myths of big data structures’, Theory, Culture & Society. 34, 7-8, 2017, pp.197-214.
‘The Pleasure of (Music) Video’ in Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media, ed. G. Arnold et al., Bloomsbury, 2017, pp.21-40.
‘Painting as Commitment’, Journal of Contemporary Painting, 2017, Vol.3, No-1-2, pp.55-81.
‘Situations of Painting: An interview with Karin Kneffel’, Journal of Contemporary Painting, 2017, Vol.3, No-1-2, pp.157-176.
Barthes / Burgin, John Hansard Gallery, 13 Feb – 16 April 2016.
Barthes/Burgin: Notes Towards an Exhibition, Edinburgh University Press, 2016.
India’s Biennale Effect: A Politics of Contemporary Art, Routledge India, 2016.
‘Painterly explorations: Notes from India’s Kochi-Muziris Biennale’, Journal of Contemporary Painting, 2015, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 75-95.
‘The influence of cinema on painting’, Journal of Contemporary Painting, Vol.1, No. 1, 2015, pp. 121–144.
Farewell to Visual Studies, Penn State University Press, Stone Art Theory Institutes Series, 2015.
Painting: Critical & Primary Sources, Bloomsbury, 2015.
#Afterglow: Notes on Transmediale 2014, Futurezone (Kurier), 11 February 2014.
‘Zones of Indeterminacy: An Interview with Peng Yu’, Theory, Culture & Society, 2015, Vol. 32, No. 7–8, pp.300–309.
‘Image Theory’ in Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, edited by Michael Kelly. Oxford University Press, pp. 422-426.
Image Studies: Theory and Practice, Routledge, 2013. (See also: Companion Website)
Images: Critical & Primary Sources, Bloomsbury, 2013.
‘Images: An Imaginary Problem?’ in J. Elkins & M. Naef (ed.) What is an Image? Pennsylvania State University Press, 2011, pp. 226-228.
‘Making Metapictures Political: Public Screenings of the Fall of the Berlin Wall’ in Northern Lights, Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2009, pp.113-131.
Image Critique and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Intellect Books, 2008.
‘Public (re)visions: critical pictures of the fall of the Berlin Wall’ in Film International, 2006, Vol.4, no.6, pp.16-27.
Images: A Reader, Sage, 2006.
‘London Film-maker’s Co-opertative’ and ‘Television Documentary: Overview’, entries for Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film, edited by Ian Aitken, Routledge, 2005.

_{[→ TOP]}

Experiments in Writing

‘Against Interpretation (after Kylie)‘ in Stephen O’Neill and Maria Pramaggiore (eds.) Kylie Minogue: Critical Insights into Pop Music and Media Celebrity. Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 205-222.
‘Situations of writing‘, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 22:2-3, pp.93-109; introduction to a double special issue, ‘Situations of Writing‘, edited by Jane Birkin and Sunil Manghani.
‘Introduction’, in Catherine Louisa Pirkis, The Experiences of Loveday Brooke. Pécuchet Press, 2023. (Read: abridged introduction).
‘Barthes/Bataille’, in Lord B., Pornography of the Gaze, Pécuchet Press, 2022.
Bouvard and Pécuchet (Text Adventure Game, work-in-progress), 2019
‘Ring Cycles’ in Jeffrey Dennis ‘Ringbinder’ (catalogue), Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland, 2017.
Manghani, S., ‘Kylie Écriture’ in Bennett, P. & McDougall, J. (ed.) Barthes’ “Mythologies” Today: Readings in Contemporary Culture. Routledge, 2013.
‘RB’ on FB, a ‘living’ reading of Roland Barthes’ Mourning Diary, 2012-2013.
‘Yes… But When? – An Open Letter’ in Parallax (special issue, ‘Yes!’, ed. G. Peters), Volume 16, No. 3, 2010, pp.62-73.
‘Ink and Wonder’, Times Higher Education, 15-26 April 2010, pp. 40-42.
‘Love Messaging: Mobile Phone Txting Seen Through the Lens of Tanka Poetry‘ in Theory, Culture & Society, Volume 26, Issues 2-3, 2009, pp.209-232.
‘Confessions of a Virtual Scholar, Or, Writing as Worldly Performance’ in Journal of Writing in Creative Practices, special issue: ‘Writing Encounters within Performance and Pedagogical Practice’, Vol 2, Issue 2, 2009, pp.173-192.
In the Study of the Letters in Red in Journal of Visual Art Practice, 2005, Vol 4, no. 1, pp 19-27. See also: Rodrigo Velasco’s Letters in Red
Adventures in Subsemiotics: Towards a New ‘Object’ and Writing of Visual Culture in Culture, Theory & Critique, 2003, Vol. 44, no. 1, pp.23-36.
Experimental Text-image Travel Literature in Theory, Culture & Society, 2003, Vol.20, no.3, pp.127-138.

_{[→ TOP]}

PhD Supervision & Mentoring

Prof. Sunil Manghani is managing editor of Theory, Culture & Society, co-editor of Journal of Visual Art Practice, and co-founder of Electronic Life. He is a fellow of The Alan Turing Institute, organiser for the Institute’s AI and Arts group, and member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Web Science Institute. He is a former Associate of Tate Exchange and trustee of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design, where he led the Research Alliance (2020–2023).

Over a decade of experience in PhD supervision and former Director of Doctoral Programme, (Department of Design, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, University of Southampton), he specialises in critical theory, image studies, and the intersection of art, design and technology, with a particular research interest in artificial intelligence, art/design and anthropology.

NB. To prepare an application, visit: University of Southampton → | Read: Practice PhD Toolkit →

Supervision: AI & Design
Main area of research is currently in the domain of AI, intersecting with design and creative practice. A Fellow of The Alan Turing Institute, key research explores structuralism and AI, with particular interest in large language models and AI imaging. Co-Director of Electronic Life Research Studio for AI; and member of the Academic Advisory Board of University of Southampton’s Web Science Institute, and the Department of Design’s Global Smart Lab, advancing collaborative research at the interface of design. See: Structualism.ai | Electronic Life

Supervision: Image Studies
Author of Image Studies: Theory & Practice (Routledge); widely published across image studies, visual culture, and art practice. Open to interdisciplinary PhD projects bridging art/humanities with scientific imaging, generative AI, and computer vision. See: ‘From Dürer’s Rhinoceros to AI Image Diffusion Models (and Back Again)’ | Image Studies: Theory & Practice | ‘Zero Degree Image: From the Empirical Image to Image as Capacity’