“To see irrational things”: Allegory as a Form of Resistance to Techno-capitalism

Abstract

The essay takes into consideration allegory as an instrument of countervisuality that can be used to denounce the marketing policies of the giant technology companies. The analysis draws on Cesare Ripa’s allegories (Iconology, 1593) to explore the allegorical foundations of contemporary artworks created by Trevor Paglen and Elisa Giardina Papa in their response to techno-capitalism.