Authorship in Algorithmic Images

Digitisation is a technical operation that brings the image back into the wider range of computable representations. This operation can be described as an “allographisation”, that is, as a form of explicit notation of the image. The contribution aims at investigating if and how this technical feature impacts on the status of the image itself. In particular, it discusses its semiotic effects in relation to production practices. A crucial test bed is thus provided by the notion of authorship, as new forms of subjective mediation emerge starting from the format, through algorithmic generation and through technologies that modify the creative practices, thus redefining the role of the author. In the contribution, the authorial issue in digital images is addressed semiotically by taking into account three axes: enunciation levels, subject modalisations, and modes of sign production. By means of these notions, and their intertwining, it becomes possible to tackle the complexity of the authorship scenario in digital media.