The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave

The exploration of systems that Georgina Voss proposes engages with their affective dimensions and the complex interplay between visibility, power, and the unknown, reimagined as The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave. This metaphor shifts focus from the expectation of solutions to an acknowledgment of...

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Main Authors: Georgina Voss, Betti Marenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bologna University press 2024-12-01
Series:DIID
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.diid.it/diid/index.php/diid/article/view/485
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author Georgina Voss
Betti Marenko
author_facet Georgina Voss
Betti Marenko
author_sort Georgina Voss
collection DOAJ
description The exploration of systems that Georgina Voss proposes engages with their affective dimensions and the complex interplay between visibility, power, and the unknown, reimagined as The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave. This metaphor shifts focus from the expectation of solutions to an acknowledgment of the profound complexity and enigmatic nature of systemic challenges. Drawing on perspectives from cybernetics to design theory, this analysis interrogates the mechanistic metaphors dominating system thinking, situating them within broader socio-political and historical contexts. A central focus lies in the tension between what is visible and what remains hidden — what occurs “backstage” — and the ways these obscured layers shape the visible outcomes of systems. Deterministic framings of systems as controllable entities are critiqued, emphasizing their human-made origins and deeply ingrained ideological structures. The unknown emerges as a generative space, where unknowing becomes a means to rethink complexity and disrupt reductive narratives.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Bologna University press
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series DIID
spelling doaj-art-2de58f13cf4d4fe3b7bc78b1900d2d2e2025-08-20T02:37:16ZengBologna University pressDIID2785-22452024-12-0184181810.30682/diid8424d485The Terrifying Mystery of the CaveGeorgina Voss0Betti Marenko1London College of Communication – UALCentral Saint Martins, University of the Arts LondonThe exploration of systems that Georgina Voss proposes engages with their affective dimensions and the complex interplay between visibility, power, and the unknown, reimagined as The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave. This metaphor shifts focus from the expectation of solutions to an acknowledgment of the profound complexity and enigmatic nature of systemic challenges. Drawing on perspectives from cybernetics to design theory, this analysis interrogates the mechanistic metaphors dominating system thinking, situating them within broader socio-political and historical contexts. A central focus lies in the tension between what is visible and what remains hidden — what occurs “backstage” — and the ways these obscured layers shape the visible outcomes of systems. Deterministic framings of systems as controllable entities are critiqued, emphasizing their human-made origins and deeply ingrained ideological structures. The unknown emerges as a generative space, where unknowing becomes a means to rethink complexity and disrupt reductive narratives.https://www.diid.it/diid/index.php/diid/article/view/485systemic thinkingvisibilitypowerdesign unknowns
spellingShingle Georgina Voss
Betti Marenko
The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
DIID
systemic thinking
visibility
power
design unknowns
title The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
title_full The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
title_fullStr The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
title_full_unstemmed The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
title_short The Terrifying Mystery of the Cave
title_sort terrifying mystery of the cave
topic systemic thinking
visibility
power
design unknowns
url https://www.diid.it/diid/index.php/diid/article/view/485
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