Abstract:

The essence of the border, as separation from the “otherness”, has

not changed in the course of history. On the contrary, the interpretation given

by the men, according to territorial and historical contexts, has undergone

radical transformations. Nowadays, it’s difficult to find an univocal feature for

the border, especially if we take into consideration the new reality of worldwide

digital connections. Telematics and virtual reality have altered the relational

sphere, and it’s necessary to find new criteria to analyze and interpret

interactions among people and territories. The question we want to deal with

here is: does the idea of border still make sense in the apparently borderless

contexts of virtual reality and cyberspace? The aim of this paper is therefore to

reflect upon the historical legacy and the functional evolution of the border and

to wonder weather this “archetype” of the human action can still play a role in

the cyberspace, where places, people and interactions are dematerialized.

 

Keywords: Border, territory, cyberspace