The tenth session of the “Entangled Histories: Borders and Cultural Encounters from the Medieval to the Contemporary Era” seminar series, organized in cooperation with Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication and the University of Insubria, was held. Peppino Ortoleva, one of the important names in the field of media history and theory, was the guest of the online seminar titled “Surreal Frontiers: Decolonisation, Borders, and Endless Wars”. In the seminar, it was emphasized that borders are not merely geographical lines, but also historically constructed structures carrying mythical and political meanings.
Participants from different professional groups, experts in their fields, gathered in the online seminar organized under the direction of Asst. Prof. Maria Pia Ester Cristaldi from Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism.
Roots of modern borders discussed
In the seminar titled “Surreal Frontiers: Decolonisation, Borders, and Endless Wars”, held as part of the tenth session of the Entangled Histories seminar series, the roots of modern borders and their relationship with ongoing conflicts were discussed within a comprehensive academic framework.
Peppino Ortoleva, one of the important names in the field of media history and theory, who participated as a speaker in the seminar, emphasized that borders are not only geographical lines but also historically constructed structures carrying mythical and political meanings.
Arbitrary borders at the core of conflict
Ortoleva stated that although the modern state model is often considered natural, it historically possesses a highly artificial structure, drawing attention to how borders drawn in the post-colonial era, particularly in Asia and Africa, disregarded local societal realities.
Ortoleva explained that these surreal borders, while appearing imaginary on paper, produce extremely real military and political consequences, adding that many ongoing conflicts today are rooted in these arbitrary borders.
The concept of border re-examined
The seminar, which attracted great interest, offered participants the opportunity to re-evaluate the concept of borders and to consider the unending wars of the modern world within their historical context.
The seminar series will continue until the summer months with public participation.