Jamie Mackay

Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) is a writer, translator and critic based in Florence. His essays on art and politics have appeared in magazines and cultural journals across Europe including Frieze, the London Review of Books and Internazionale. He is the Italy correspondent for Krytyka Polityczna and the author of The Invention of Sicily, which is forthcoming from Verso books.

Britain from above: blue sky topography in the second age of synergy

Over 16,000 aerial photographs capturing history dating from near the beginning of the last century were made freely available last week as part of the project 'Britain from Above'. Jamie Mackay explains how these images of our collective past can inspire discussions on the long-term fate of our s

By Jamie Mackay

/ 3 Jul 2012

From 'special interest' to public interest: minority programming and the BBC’s democratic mandate

One of the BBC's most lauded strengths is its ability to tailor programming for its audiences' special interests. The future DG should attempt to harness the ethos of this diverse and high quality output with a view to rebuilding the institution's democratic vision.

By Jamie Mackay

/ 15 Jun 2012

Welcome to the “Great British Summer”

The arrival of the ‘Great British Summer’ has been marked by relentless propagandising and shocking displays of military hardware. But what is at stake is more than mere inconvenience - these official procedures pose a real challenge to public space, voice and identity across the UK.

By Jamie Mackay

/ 29 May 2012

Hooligans, hacks and highbrows: addressing the disconnect between Britain’s media and universities

The UK's media and universities have for too long fostered a destructive antagonism. But in a context in which both institutions are facing vast structural changes, establishing a more productive co-operation is urgently needed to prevent these vital democratic bodies becoming mere instruments of

By Jamie Mackay

/ 14 May 2012

Mad Men blowing smoke rings: financial advertising and the political imagination

The highly acclaimed return of Mad Men to British TV brings the ethics of advertising back into the cultural foreground. Much of the humour in the series relies on the gullability of consumers in the 1950s. But, with advertising companies now attempting to reformulate the causes and nature of the

By Jamie Mackay

/ 9 Apr 2012

‘Epic Win’ for Anonymous? Hacktivism and the 99%

The Anonymous 'V for Vendetta' mask is an icon of the Occupy movement. But how does this band of deviant web pirates fit with the Occupiers ethics of responsibility, transparency and democracy? Cole Stryker's new book goes some way to deconstruct the generalisations.

By Jamie Mackay

/ 2 Feb 2012

Occupy London and the unions: brothers in arms or a marriage made in hell?

Occupy London came out in support of the N30 public sector strike over pension reform - but there was disagreement among the ranks. Can Occupy support Britain's unions, and what can the unions learn from the movement?

By Jamie Mackay

/ 1 Dec 2011

Church, city, media: how the message of #OccupyLondon is being disrupted

OccupyLondon's encampment is facing eviction from outside St Paul's cathedral. The Church of England and City of London Corporation are in turmoil. Meanwhile, the media frenzy is in danger of drowning out the message of the occupation.

By Jamie Mackay

/ 1 Nov 2011