User:Kiara/Research/project proposal
| Research Contents |
|---|
| General page |
| — Notes |
| — Project Proposal |
| — Thesis Outline |
| — (more or less) Rapid Prototypes |
Context
What will the text be about?
Through this research I want to investigate how, via their shared political involvement, magic and the web intertwine, communicate, connect and can thus be used as leverage for resistance in a globalised context of rising fascism and way-too-fast adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) models, such as large language models or image generation[1].
The idea is to find answer(s) to the question: (how) are magic practices and web practices connected and (how) can we use those bridges to build an online resistance to GenAi and fascism, by involving more sensibility?
I hope to be extensive enough in this search, keeping in mind that my hunch might be wrong.
1/ What do I refer to as "magic"?
I understand magic as intuition and intention, connection to our own feelings and emotions. As a mystery that is greater than us, which has an impact on us but which we can also influence (e.g through intention). I do not wish to focus on specific practices (as in fortune-telling, illusions, spells or potions and invocations) but will mention some of those practices as they appear as web-magic practices, like cyber-witchcraft. I will however mention spells and incantations as a mode of writing, to investigate the connections they might share with web languages. I also wish to refer to magic as a (folk)lore.
2/ What do I mean by "the web"?
The web here will be observed both as practices (web design, community building, etc.) and for its core (programming languages, intentions of Tim Berners-Lee (TimBL), its creator). I will also describe some specific practices such as online activism, digital folklore and GenAI to illustrate my investigation.
How will that story be told? (form and mode of address)
The text should reflect detective investigation and sort-of-sociological approach without falling in an academic "take my word for a fact" tone.
One inspiration on the relationship form/content is Objet Papier's OP007 Print-it, à la découverte d’Internet !: combining small essays to games such as crosswords and horoscopes, all linked to the theme of the zine. I like that playful aspect and would like to use it, nuanced enough so that the importance (seriousness) of the topic is not diluted into some kind of joke.
I would also want to reflect some sort of non-linearity, as I see both the web and magic as unbound by the laws of chronology or order: if some magic practices deal with numbers and physical objects, it seems that they rarely rely on time itself as a precise unit of measurement[2]. They also don't seem to particularly advocate for chronology or logic (scientific/mathematical logic, opposed to intuition/instinct). Regarding the web, Kendal Beynon highlights how hard it is to date precisely what was born online. The only "time" constraint that I can think of relating to the web is the way JavaScript is linearly read and interpreted by browsers. Moreover, the concept of hyperlinks itself is challenging time: a constant back and forth, visiting and revisiting pages, linking to the past or to a possible future.
Some keywords: playful, instructive, pedagogical, hybrid.
Further ideas:
- ritual/spell writing: dig deeper into that to validate if it fits my imaginary vision of them and, more importantly, the topics
- the manifesto format: a bit overused but it also is a hybrid format that fits both the magical (ritual, manifesting) and the web (see melonking's manifestos archive) aspects
- maybe a collection of different forms of writing combined together as a single chimera publication...
Key Issues
(titles are temporary)
Introduction: what are we talking about? (1000)
This will mostly be definitions: defining magic as mentioned earlier (better formulated and sourced by some concrete examples, e.g the wikipedia witchcraft article); defining the web by quoting TimBL's book This is for everyone (2025) and maybe some screenshots of code for the web languages focus that the definition will include (not super sure about that, let's see); outlining the current socio-political context I'm focusing on: rising fascism, ultra-capitalism, individualism, accelerated adoption of GenAI, the need for more sensibility, collaboration[3] and to reconnect to our bodies and what surrounds us[4].
1. The web is not dying, its alchemy is just in the wrong hands (1500)
To start off, I intend to look into the similarities I personally find between alchemy and the web.
In a nutshell alchemy is a transmutation-focused form of magic[5], requiring high focus and intention.
Similarly, the web is constantly shape-shifting in the hands of its users/actors, creating a website demands attention and intention. I plan on digging deeper into that similarity to draw a proper connection between alchemy and the mutations of the web. For that, I will dive into Kendal Beynon's research work, take examples from Dominique Cardon's Culture Numérique (2019) and quote some excerpts from my conversation with Miriam Suzanne (member of the CSS working group) about magic and the web.
I'd also like to verify the possible correspondence(s) between hyperlinks and sigils (magic symbols).
2. The descent into oblivion seamlessness (2000)
First, I will turn towards cultural appropriation and glamorisation: the way through which power leaders turn alternative practices into "the norm" by erasing the struggles leading to those practices. That is also a way to make the original practitioners lose their resisting power.
Glamorisation leads to the idea of seamlessness, both in the web (smoothing user interfaces, preventing user intervention on the functioning, etc.) and in magic (creation of aesthetics and trends[6]).
For that, I will focus on GenAI as the main example of that seamless glamorisation; using a metaphor of GenAI as a stage magician.
2.1 AI is the new stage magic
A focus on GenAI as "the new magic" and why it is a problem: western history hints that magic is mostly tied to oppression (only men magicians wouldn't be chased and banished for it, but praised - see image), yet when GenAI is dressed up as a magical entity it seems to be looked upon as a good thing, while solely being magical in that we cannot quite grasp what it does and how it works. Leaving behind any reference to intention, intuition, emotion and most importantly oneself[7].
3. Take the power back (2000)
This last part will focus on shifting the paradigm by highlighting practices.
In response to web3, the web witnessed the rise of indie web, small web, CSS rituals, Do It With Others (DIWO), etc. as part of an island in the online activism archipelago.
I'd like to investigate how those practices and tactics connect to those of magic when it comes to resistance. It is probably here that "online magic" will mostly be cited, with projects like Lucile Haute's Cyberwitches Manifesto.
That part should also relate to body and physical acts.
Conclusion (1000)
The conclusion will sum up web practices that can be looked upon as magic, as they share similar features and modes of action. In that sense, we can claim the magic back to fight systemic oppression, rising extremes and AI reign by reconnecting to ourselves, our bodies.
- ↑ eg.: ChatGPT, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, but also the AI "assistant" implemented in office or design software and in web search
- ↑ One might argue that astrology and rituals to the Sun and Moon are time-bound, yes, but not precisely (as in accurate detail precision)!
- ↑ as highlighted by Miriam Suzanne, CSS working group member in a conversation that took place on 07-11-2025)
- ↑ this idea is supported in a performance that took place at V2_ Rotterdam on 11-11-2025, by Luna Maurer
- ↑ themystica.org mentions: "Aristotle said all matter was made from a basic substance that could appear as fire, air, water, or earth. Alchemists thought that by changing these elements, they could change one substance into another."
Merriam Webster defines alchemy as: "a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way" and "an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting".
In the manga Fullmetal Alchemist, the characters explain that alchemy needs to be an equivalent exchange: if you are trying to create something using alchemy, you must give something equally valuable (like, in a very shortcut way, "an eye for eye"). - ↑ cinematographic examples have a special spot here, they also allowed for online trends on TikTok or Instagram/Pinterest
- ↑ see Limites Numériques' article (french) or this Institute of Diagram Studies' Arena channel
References
- Bartoli, M and Moussard, C. (2019) OP007 Print-it, à la découverte d’Internet !
- Berners-Lee, T. (2025) This is for everyone, London Macmillan
- Cardon, D. (2019) Culture Numérique, Paris Presses de Sciences-Po (Les petites humanités)
- Dukes, R. (2000) SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic, Great-Britain El-Cheapo Books
- Haute, L. O. (2016) Cyberwitches manifesto
- Maudet, N.; Beignon, A. and Thibault, T. (2025) Imposing AI: Deceptive design patterns against sustainability
selected bibliography
- Bastide, R. (2025) being a script
- Berners-Lee, T. (2025) This is for everyone, London Macmillan
- Dukes, R. (2000) SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic, Great-Britain El-Cheapo Books
- Haute, L. O. (2016) Cyberwitches manifesto
extras
Random notes
cherish the hunch
emotion/feeling is the magic
forms of magic: practice | folklore
- > Doriane Timmermans (pad of our meeting, in franglish)
- > Raphaël Bastide (pad of our meeting, in french)
- > Miriam Suzanne (pad of our meeting)
References to explore
- Sigil Séance from the Institute of Diagram Studies
- > Participate to one
- Magics
People to chat with
- > Lucile Haute (email sent)
- > Kendal Beynon (email to send)