The underlying research to explore structuralism in the context of the contemporary AI centres on the core project, Mytheme Machine → , accompanied by a body of published work gathered below. See also: Index Cards →, Lecture Notes → and Intertext → for research notes, resources and reading materials that have accrued through the unfolding research.

Publications

Sunil Manghani (2024) ‘Preparatory Space: Roland Barthes and Large Language Models‘, Barthes Studies, Vol. 10.

Sunil Manghani (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’.

Sunil Manghani (ed.) (2022) ‘Notes on Structuralism’ [special section], Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No.7-8, pp. 117–180. [see below → ]

Jane Birkin and Sunil Manghani (2024) ‘From Dürer’s Rhinoceros to AI Image Diffusion Models‘, HOLOTIPUS Rivista di Zoologia Sistematica e Tassonomia , Vol. 5-1.

Sunil Manghani (2023) ‘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]

Sunil Manghani (2017) ‘The Art of Paolo Cirio: Exposing New Myths of Big Data Structures’, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 34, No. 7-8, pp.197-214.

Sunil Manghani (2020) ‘Idiorrhythmy: An (Unsustainable) Aesthetics of Ethics’, in Rhythm and Critique: Technics, Modalities, Practices. Edinburgh University Press. 

Sunil Manghani (2013) Image Studies: Theory and Practice. Routledge.

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Notes on Structuralism’ – Special Section, Theory, Culture & Society

The ‘Notes on Structuralism’ special section for Theory, Culture & Society (2022, Vol. 39, No.7-8; pp.117-180) centres upon two interviews. The first, from 1987, is with the structural anthropologist Mary Douglas (who speaks on various aspects of her work, including on Purity and Danger). The second is an interview with Roland Barthes, who, speaking in 1965, was at the height of his structuralist phase. The interview focuses upon the structural analysis of narrative and prefigures the well-known volume of Communications on the subject. The interviews are supplemented with introductions and: a commentary on Barthes’ interview by Jonathan Culler, who contextualizes the development of Barthes’ thinking around narrative (as it leads to the publication of S/Z), The article concludes with reflections on structuralism with regards to contemporary practices of big data, AI and large language models.

The section comprises:

Sunil Manghani (2022) ‘Notes on Structuralism: Introduction‘, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No.7-8, pp. 117–131.

Mike Featherstone and Bryan S. Turner (2022) ‘Mary Douglas on Purity and Danger: An Interview‘, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No.7-8, pp. 133–158.

Paolo Fabbri, with Monica Sassatelli & Sunil Manghani (editorial intro) (2022) ‘On Narrative: An Interview with Roland Barthes‘, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No.7-8, pp. 159–174.

Jonathan Culler (2022) ‘Analyzing Narrative: Roland Barthes’ Forgotten Interview‘, Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 39, No.7-8, pp. 175–180.