What Is Aura, And Is it Lost in The Realm of Cyber-Media?

The aura is something that is not physically visible to the naked eye or a tangible object; it is a perceived feeling or tone being reflected unto the individual. As this is a “perceived” feeling, the aura is not the same for each person. The way one person reacts to reading a newspaper article, watching a Youtube clip, or seeing a musical artist live for the first time, does not dictate how the next person will feel about it. The Media’s agenda may be to evoke a certain aura to draw the audiences attention to a product, idea, or viewpoint, and this tactic may work many times however; “ aura is never entirely separated from its ritual function.”[1] Walter Benjamin reiterates the importance of authenticity when deciphering the value of art, although he also agrees, “ a work of art has always been reproducible.”[2] The idea that these works have the ability to be replicated, but cannot hold the same relevance or importance once they are reproduced applies to much more than just art. The aura you feel when watching a monumental event taking place just as it is happening is not the same as watching it on CNN while sitting on your couch.

This challenge can also be exhibited through the realm of “Cyber-Media”. With the ability of each user to have a different experience online, no two experiences in the “cyber-realm” will be the same, begging the question "is there really an ‘original’ when it comes to the cyber world?” Take for example when going to see a Picasso at a museum: the individual sees the painting but not only that, takes in the ambiance of the room, notices the bustling of people, over hears conversations, feels the aura of the whole experience. This experience is lost in the cyber world, as is “the authentic”, Benjamin would argue.

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[1] Walter, Benjamin. Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. New York: Schocken Books, 1968, p.224

[2] Walter, Benjamin. Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. New York: Schocken Books, 1968, p.218