A hermeneutics of traces: Observations on the October 2019 event

Abstract

The following paper proposes a set of notes, by way of cultural hypotheses, of the effects of the October 2019 event. It is based on the assumption that the dimension of cultural meanings is fundamental to understand the scope of the October popular revolt for our recent social and political life. Taking as axis some exemplary situations, I am interested in capturing the traces of the October event through a variety of symbols, practices, artifacts and affects that appear, circulate and shape real landscapes of meaning. I set out my argument in four brief sections. First, I define the cultural dimensions of the event as a methodological guide for the following reflections. Subsequently, I define two landscapes of meaning derived from the October event, which allow us to reconstruct its hermeneutic traces. Finally, I put forward two cultural hypotheses about the scope and consequences of the October event.