On the afternoon of June 7, 2024, the School of Media and Communication at Shenzhen University hosted an academic lecture titled “Vilém Flusser and His Media Philosophy in the Post-Historical Era”. Professor Gehao Zhang, a media and cultural analysis PhD from Loughborough University and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, was invited as the guest speaker. Associate Professor Wei Wang from the School of Media and Communication hosted the lecture.

Professor Zhang is a certified senior trainer for the qualitative research software ATLAS.ti and serves on the editorial board of Cultural Studies. His research papers have been published in esteemed journals, including Cultural Studies, Chinese Journal of Communication, Communication and Society, and International Communication of Chinese Media.

In the lecture, Professor Zhang provided an engaging and insightful overview of Flusser’s life, background, and intellectual journey, sharing Flusser’s views on media philosophy and their significance in the post-historical era. Flusser, a philosopher deeply invested in understanding the essence of communication, the philosophy of technology, and love, created profound and thought-provoking work. Professor Zhang highlighted that Flusser viewed communication not merely as information transmission but as a means of spiritual exchange and understanding, aimed at confronting isolation and death. Flusser’s unique perspective on technical images reveals how technology shapes human perception of the world.

Following the lecture, attendees engaged in a lively discussion with Professor Zhang on various philosophical questions, including the new meanings of death in the digital age, and the ways digital technology is reshaping our concept of mortality. Professor Wei Wang concluded the session with a summary and expressed heartfelt thanks to Professor Zhang for his engaging presentation.