FAIMA Business & Management Journal

This comprehensive study investigates the intricate and often overlooked intersection of post-Soviet cinematic traditions and the visual aesthetics of classic film noir, proposing a novel theoretical framework termed the 'syntax of shadows.' Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, filmmakers across Eastern Europe grappled with profound ideological vacuums, rapid socioeconomic transformations, and the collapse of state-sponsored artistic infrastructures. This paper argues that, in response to these systemic uncertainties, a distinct directorial shift occurred throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, characterized by the widespread adoption of noir's signature chiaroscuro lighting, morally ambiguous protagonists, and deeply fatalistic narrative trajectories. By rigorously analyzing three seminal films from this transitional era, this research demonstrates how these visual and thematic appropriations function not merely as stylistic homage to Western genre conventions, but as potent, localized instruments of socio-political critique. The pervasive use of shadow and obscured, decaying urban landscapes serves to visually manifest the historical trauma and pervasive cultural anxieties surrounding the rapid transition to unbridled neoliberal capitalism. Furthermore, the analysis draws upon the psychoanalytic theories of Jacques Lacan and the cultural critiques of Mark Fisher to decode the inherent melancholy and sense of 'lost futures' embedded within these cinematic works. The study reveals that the 'syntax of shadows' allows regional directors to articulate the unspeakable realities of systemic corruption, societal decay, and profound alienation that characterized the immediate post-Soviet era. Ultimately, this article asserts that the resurgence of noir aesthetics in this specific geopolitical context represents a vital mechanism for processing collective historical trauma, redefining the boundaries of national cinema, and challenging dominant historical narratives through the deliberate obfuscation of visual truth and narrative closure.

The concept of the sublime, as classically formulated by Immanuel Kant in the Critique of Judgment, traditionally relies on the overwhelming scale and untamable power of untrammeled nature to evoke a complex mixture of terror and cognitive elevation. This philosophical treatise critically re-examines the Kantian sublime in the contemporary context of the Anthropocene—an era defined by the profound and irreversible alteration of the Earth's ecosystems by human activity. The central problem addressed is how the aesthetic experience of environmental awe functions when the 'terrifying' forces of nature (such as extreme weather events, collapsing ice shelves, and widespread desertification) are no longer perceived as transcendent or entirely external, but are instead recognized as the direct consequences of human industrial intervention. The paper systematically deconstructs Kant's distinction between the mathematical and dynamical sublime, arguing that the Anthropocenic sublime requires an entirely new epistemological category. Through a close reading of modern eco-art, sublime landscape photography of industrial ruin, and literature depicting climate catastrophe, the research illustrates how the modern sublime induces not the triumphant realization of human rational superiority, but rather a paralyzing recognition of human culpability and ontological fragility. By synthesizing Kantian aesthetics with contemporary post-humanist and ecological theory, this study demonstrates that confronting the 'toxic sublime' is crucial for developing a modern environmental ethics. Ultimately, the article posits that redefining the sublime away from mastery and toward profound ecological enmeshment offers a vital philosophical tool for confronting the psychological paralysis of climate grief and fostering a more responsible, humbled relationship with a drastically altered planetary landscape.

Institutional archives have historically favored permanent, state-sanctioned documents, consequently marginalizing the transient visual culture of grassroots political movements. This article interrogates the role of politically motivated street art—murals, stencils, wheat-paste posters, and graffiti—as an alternative, deeply vital form of historical documentation during periods of intense urban protest. Focusing on case studies drawn from recent social upheavals in both the Global North and Global South, the research explores how activists utilize the built environment to construct an 'ephemeral archive' that bypasses traditional gatekeepers of public memory. The study applies critical archival theory to analyze the inherent paradox of attempting to preserve artworks that are fundamentally designed to be temporary, subject to rapid state erasure, weather degradation, or defacement by opposing factions. By examining the rapid digital remediation of street art via social media platforms, the paper highlights how the internet functions as a secondary, volatile archive that preserves the image while stripping away the vital context of its physical location. Furthermore, the analysis delves into the aesthetics of urgency and the material constraints of protest art, arguing that the illegality and speed of execution are intrinsic to its documentary power. Ultimately, this research contends that acknowledging street art as a legitimate historical record necessitates a radical expansion of archival methodologies. It challenges historians and cultural theorists to develop new frameworks for engaging with the ephemeral, ensuring that the visual voices of dissent are integrated into our understanding of contemporary political history rather than being dismissed as mere urban vandalism.

The rapid advancement of natural language processing algorithms has precipitated a crisis in traditional literary theory, challenging long-held assumptions about authorship, creativity, and the uniquely human capacity for emotional resonance. This paper provides a philosophical examination of 'algorithmic empathy,' exploring how machine-learning models trained on massive corpora of human literature are increasingly capable of generating texts that elicit profound emotional responses from human readers. The research fundamentally questions whether true empathetic engagement requires an intentional, conscious authorial subject, or if empathy can be procedurally generated through the probabilistic arrangement of linguistic signifiers. Utilizing frameworks from the philosophy of mind and reader-response theory, the study analyzes early examples of AI-authored poetry, narrative fiction, and interactive dramatic texts. It argues that the emotional impact of these algorithmic texts does not arise from a machine's capacity to 'feel,' but rather from the human reader's innate cognitive disposition to project meaning, narrative coherence, and emotional depth onto patterned information. The paper meticulously maps the 'uncanny valley' of machine literature, where slight syntactical anomalies reveal the absence of human intentionality, causing a sudden rupture in the empathetic bond. Furthermore, the analysis addresses the ethical implications of a literary landscape where synthetic emotion can be mass-produced, potentially diluting the value of authentic human vulnerability in art. The article concludes that engaging with AI-generated literature forces a necessary and radical re-evaluation of what constitutes a 'genuine' aesthetic experience, ultimately revealing more about the mechanisms of human emotional projection than about the nascent sentience of the machine.

The edifice of Western haute cuisine, characterized by strict hierarchical systems, codified techniques, and the pursuit of refined flavor profiles, has long masqueraded as a neutral, objective standard of culinary excellence. This comprehensive article applies a rigorous postcolonial framework to deconstruct this 'culinary canon,' exposing the deeply entrenched legacies of imperialism, exploitation, and cultural erasure that underpin modern fine dining. The research meticulously traces the historical acquisition of globally sourced ingredients—such as sugar, spices, coffee, and cacao—demonstrating how the foundations of elite European gastronomy were built entirely upon the violent infrastructures of colonialism and enslaved labor. Moving beyond ingredient history, the study critically analyzes the epistemological violence inherent in classical culinary training. It examines how traditional French techniques are universally elevated as the fundamental grammar of 'good cooking,' while Indigenous and non-Western culinary methodologies are systematically marginalized as 'ethnic,' 'rustic,' or fundamentally lacking in refinement. The paper explores contemporary case studies of high-end restaurants attempting to integrate global flavors, highlighting the thin line between respectful cross-cultural exchange and the neo-colonial appropriation of traditional knowledge systems for elite consumption. Furthermore, the analysis interrogates the Michelin Guide and other prestigious rating systems as mechanisms that perpetuate Eurocentric aesthetics and economic exclusion within the global restaurant industry. Ultimately, this research argues that true culinary innovation in the twenty-first century requires the active dismantling of these colonial hierarchies, advocating for a gastronomy that acknowledges its violent histories and prioritizes culinary justice, equitable sourcing, and the radical validation of diverse, historically marginalized foodways.

In the wake of rapid deindustrialization across the Global North, vast swaths of manufacturing infrastructure have been abandoned, leaving behind landscapes defined by physical decay and profound silence. This article explores these spaces through the lens of acoustic ecology and the philosophical concept of 'hauntology' (as derived from Jacques Derrida and expanded by Mark Fisher). The research investigates how the contemporary soundscapes of former industrial towns are haunted by the 'specters' of obsolete machinery, lost labor, and unfulfilled modernist promises of endless progress. The study presents a rigorous methodology of sonic archeology, analyzing field recordings taken within abandoned factories, defunct shipyards, and empty textile mills in Northern Europe and the American Rust Belt. The paper argues that the profound acoustic void of these spaces is not an absence, but a heavy, resonant presence that forces a confrontation with the violence of capitalist extraction and abandonment. By examining the works of experimental musicians and sound artists who utilize contact microphones and site-specific reverberation to 'play' the ruins, the analysis demonstrates how art can momentarily resurrect the sonic ghosts of the working class. Furthermore, the paper addresses the gentrification of these spaces, noting how the abrasive acoustics of industry are frequently sanitized and replaced by the ambient noise of post-industrial consumption and luxury development. The article concludes that listening closely to the acoustic hauntologies of industrial ruins provides a vital, non-visual method for mourning the devastation of labor communities and understanding the lingering, spectral impacts of economic collapse on human geography.