Mediology in the face of virtual reality: from remix of philosophy and sociology till mapping of augmented reality

Abstract

This paper deals with perspectives of philosophy and sociology in the face of new (digital) medias, shows how the evolution of digital media contributes to the emergence of new disciplines, successfully connecting both philosophical and sociological approaches. The authors present researches of the famous media philosopher Michael Heim, examine links between cyberspace and technological developments, highlight their influence on the transformations taking place in the mapping of cyberspace. When considering the philosophical and sociological perspectives in media culture, the authors present Frank Hartmann’s research devoted to the topic of mediology as a methodological approach suitable for analysis of virtual reality, or to be precise – augmented reality, or the so-called projection mapping. Finally, the paper deals with the projection mapping, which is a very young, dynamic and fast-changing field of media art, as well as particularly close connected with technology, what makes it a grateful topic for mediological analysis.