DrJoel Gn
- PhD (Communications & New Media), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Bachelor of Communications (Communications & Media Studies, First Class Honours), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Dr Joel Gn is an educator and writer in the intersections of design, media and culture.
His research explores the role and meaning of technology in contemporary aesthetics, and he has contributed to various publications such as First Monday, Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, Mechademia and The Design Society Journal.
Dr Gn's work has been presented at conferences in the UK, Netherlands, Japan and Singapore.
Publications
Book chapters
- Gn, J. ‘Cuteness and Repulsiveness: Aesthetics of Machine Bodies’, in Android, Assembled: The Explicit and Implicit Anatomy of Social Robots, Jaime Banks and Steve Jones (eds.). Oxford: Peter Lang, pp.179–186 (2024)
- Gn, J. ‘Designing Affection: On the curious case of machine cuteness’, in The Aesthetics and Affects of Cuteness, Joshua Paul Dale, Joyce Goggin, Julia Leyda, Anthony P. McIntyre and Diane Negra (eds.). London & New York: Routledge, pp175–193 (2016)
- Gn, J ‘Functional/Dysfunctional Beauty: On the Creation and Commodification of Cuteness’, in Cosmetic, Aesthetic, Prophetic: Beyond the Boundaries of Beauty, Alberto Fereira and Lucy Moyse (eds.). Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, pp.191–200 (2016)
Edited books and special issues
- Gn, J., & Abidin, C. ‘Histories and Cultures of Emoji Vernaculars’, First Monday 23(9) (2018)
Refereed journal articles
- Gn, J. ‘Bringing Fiction to Life: Exploring Intermedia Communication in 2.5D Culture’, Mechademia: Second Arc 15 (2): 70–86 (2023)
- Gn, J. ‘The Technology of the Cute Body’, Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture 4 (6): 14–26 (2018)
- Gn, J.‘Emoji as a “Language” of Cuteness’, First Monday 23 (9), http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/9396/7568 (2018)
- Gn, J. ‘A Lovable Metaphor: On the Affect, Language and Design of “Cute”’, East Asian Journal of Popular Culture 2 (1): 49–61 (2016)
- Gn, J. ‘Cute Technics in the Love Machine’, InVisible Culture: An Electronic Journal for Visual Culture, 21, http://ivc.lib.rochester.edu/portfolio/cute-technics-in-the-love-machine/ (2014)
- Gn, J. ‘Addictive Bodies and Hypnopompic Dynamics’, Ctrl-Z: New Media Philosophy 4, http://www.ctrl-z.net.au/articles/issue-4/gn-addictive-bodies-and-hypnopompic-dynamics/ (2014)
- Gn, J. ‘Queer Simulation: the practice, performance and pleasure of cosplay’, Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 25 (4): 583-93 (2011)
- Chen, C., Wang, Z., & Gn, J. ‘Serve the Traffic: The Logic of Traffic and Its Politics on WeChat Platform’, Social Media + Society 9(3) (2023)
Book reviews
- Gn, J. “Book Review: Stephen Monteiro (ed.). The Screen Media Reader: Culture, Theory, Practice”, in Mobile Media & Communication 6(2): 285–286, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2050157917754019 (2018)
Research and practice
Conference presentations
- Gn, J. ‘Questions on Redesigning the Plastic Condition’, 19th International Conference on Design Principles & Practices, LASALLE College of the Arts; Singapore (2025)
- Gn, J. ‘Technology & Textuality in 2.5 Dimensions’, 11th Convention of Asian Scholars, Leiden University; the Netherlands (2019)
- Gn, J. ‘Fan-fiction, Fake News & the Implosion of the Media’, 2nd International Multi-Disciplinary Conference on Baudrillard Studies, Oxford Brookes University; Oxford, UK (2018)
- Gn, J. ‘Making more of what we love: Participatory culture in fiction and politics’, Theorising the Popular, Liverpool Hope University; UK (2017)
- Gn, J. ‘Cuteness; First as Façade, then as Technology’, Movement(s) & Mobility: NTU-ANU-UNISA Gender Studies Symposium 2017, Nanyang Technological University; Singapore (2017)
- Gn, J. ‘Fans, Memes and Alternative Worlds: Writing History with Popular Culture’, IAFOR, The Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, Kobe Art Centre; Kobe, Japan (2017)
- Gn, J. ‘Aestheticizing Soft Power: A Critical Examination on the Use of Cute Design Within Subject-Object Relations and Media Convergence’, IAFOR, The Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, Osaka International Convention Centre; Osaka, Japan (2015)
- Gn, J. ‘Functional/Dysfunctional Beauty: On the Creation and Commodification of Cuteness.’ Inter-discplinary.net, Beauty 3rd Global Conference: Exploring Critical Issues, Harris Manchester College; Oxford, UK (2013)
- Gn, J. ‘The Code of Eros: Writing, Affect and the Dating Game.’ International Association for Philosophy and Literature, National University of Singapore; Singapore (2013)
- Gn, J. ‘Futures of the floating world – From Ukiyo to contemporary Japanese animation.’ Flux! Mediating Asian Change through Language, Literature and Performance, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore; Singapore (2012)
Professional affiliations and memberships
- Member, Arts Consultative Panel, Infocomm Media Development Authority; Singapore
Research interests
- Philosophical issues in design and technology
- Aesthetics and politics of popular culture
- Sociocultural evolution of media and communication