Centre for Digital Cultures

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

Contemporary culture is characterized by the ubiquity of digital media technologies and infrastructures, which are constantly configuring our techniques for processing, storing, and transmitting data. As a result, our everyday practices of connecting, relating, reading, writing, perceiving, sharing, competing, and communicating are undergoing significant changes. At the same time, these technologies are closely tied to major societal challenges such as climate change, global conflicts, digital divides and social unjustness. In this dynamic context, the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC) directly addresses the emergence of new and complex qualities of vernacular socio-technical life. This involves the development of advanced theory and innovative study programmes. We are concerned with the question of how we can understand and shape digital cultures today​​​​​​​.

Main research areas

The digital shift re-shapes the cultural sectors, and, indeed, everyday life, politics, law, and economics. the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC), affiliated to Leuphana University of Lüneburg, examines this shift through a range of interdisciplinary methodologies, including media, cultural and social studies, through knowledge creation and transfer, as well as by developing experimental and interventionist media practices. Established in 2012, as one of the first research centres in Europe to research the emergence of digital cultures, the CDC continues to produce cutting-edge research on socio-technical regimes of inclusion and exclusion. Since its inception, the CDC has built an innovative network and research environment, where academic institutions, practitioners, and civil society stakeholders engage with new concepts, formats, and applications within digital cultures.

Current Research Areas

  • Climate Futures
  • (B)Orders, Identities and Belonging in the Digital Age
  • Cities, Infrastructures, Logistics, Platforms 
  1. 2013
  2. Published

    Blöde Sklaven oder lebhafte Artefakte ? Eine Debatte der 1960er

    Müggenburg, J. & Pias, C., 2013, Automatismen - Selbst-Technologien. Bublitz, H., Kaldrack, I., Röhle, T. & Zeman, M. (eds.). Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, p. 45-69 24 p. (Schriftenreihe des Graduiertenkollegs "Automatismen").

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Changing societies, changing journalism

    Novy, L., 2013, 2013 Social Media Guidebook. Möller, C. & Stone, M. (eds.). Wien: OSCE - The Representative on Freedom of the Media, p. 129-138 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    Das Ende der alten Zeitungsindustrie

    Novy, L. & Wäscher, T., 2013, In: Berliner Republik : das Debattenmagazin. 14, 5, 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  5. Published

    Das Unvermeidliche vermeiden: Jayne Loaders, Kevin und Pierce Raffertys The Atomic Café (1982)

    Simons, S., 2013, Das Undenkbare filmen: Atomkrieg im Kino. Nanz, T. & Pause, J. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 25-52 28 p. (Film).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Databases as citadels in the web 2.0

    Warnke, M., 2013, Unlike Us Reader: Social Media Monopolies and the Their Alternatives. Lovink, G. & Rasch, M. (eds.). Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, p. 76-89 13 p. (INC Reader; no. 8).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Der Medienwandel der Serie

    Wentz, D. (Editor) & Maeder, D. (Editor), 2013, Siegen: Universitätsverlag Siegen. 146 p. (Navigationen. Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturwissenschaften; vol. 13, no. 1/2013)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  8. Published

    Der sensitive Blick: Zur Bildgestaltung in "Fremde Haut" (2005)

    Kirchner, A., 2013, Nähe und Empathie: Die Bilderwelten der Kamerafrau Judith Kaufmann. Giesemann, B., Kirchner, A., Neubauer, M. & Prümm, K. (eds.). 1 ed. Marburg: Schüren Verlag, p. 120-142 23 p. (Marburger Kameragespräche; vol. 8).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Der Skandal der Öffentlichkeit: Die “City of Change” als Kunst des Urbanen

    Beyes, T., 2013, Die Enthüllung des Realen: Milo Rau und das International Institute of Political Murder. Bossart, R. (ed.). Berlin: Theater der Zeit, p. 132-143 12 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  10. Published

    Die Macht der Verletzbarkeiten

    Freudenschuß, M., 2013, In: Südlink. 164, p. 20-21 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  11. Published

    Disrupting Business: Art and Activism in times of financial crisis

    Cox, G. (Editor) & Bazzichelli, T. (Editor), 2013, New York City: Autonomedia. 256 p. (DATA browser)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch