Jonathan Crary's 'Terra Bruciata' Argues for Post-Capitalist Life Beyond Digital

Jonathan Crary, a critic and professor of Modern Art and Theory at Columbia University, has published 'Terra bruciata. Oltre l’era digitale verso un mondo postcapitalista' (Meltemi, 2023), translated by Jacopo Foggi. The book extends his critique from '24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep' by analyzing how the digital economy devastates the environment and fragments social relations. Crary argues that internet infrastructure—data centers consuming land and water—contradicts the myth of immateriality, exploiting the Global South. He contends that digital capitalism occupies all vital space, indebting and financing social existence, while tech-optimism has failed. Instead of accelerationist hopes for collapse, Crary proposes rediscovering community offline, drawing on pre-digital knowledge and Indigenous cultures. He cites Documenta 15 (curated by ruangrupa) and the Venice Architecture Biennale (curated by Lesley Lokko) as examples of post-capitalist directions. The book calls for a radical rethinking of needs and desires beyond consumerism.