Mellamphy describes this emergent construct of warfare as “larval.” Unlike traditional forms of organized conflict, larval warfare is “strategically imperceptible” and largely occurs in unconventional and nonphysical spaces, such as on the Internet. In the opening moments of Nandita Biswas Mellamphy’s short film Larval Warfare, a voice (likely that of Mellamphy herself) informs us of a novel, impending violence: “A kind of warfare is emerging that is not designed to be visible and spectacular, but rather imperceptible and obscure.” As the voice speaks over fast-moving footage splices from The Matrix, viewers quickly infer that this new form of warfare-whatever it is-is likely as vast and powerful as the matrix itself. The Spring 2021 Lecture Series, “The Game of the Real: Art and the Knowledge Project,” is presented by the CalArts School of Critical Studies and the West Hollywood Public Library. Nandita Biswas Mellamphy, whose work is the focus of this post, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Western University in London, Ontario. On April 29, 2021, Mer Maggie Roberts and Nandita Biswas Mellamphy gave public lectures as part of the West Hollywood Aesthetics and Politics (WHAP) series.

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