Problem statement: Today, the rapid growth of technology and communication technologies has inevitably transformed human life and shaped concepts, viewpoints, and lifestyles. According to Manuel Castells’ theory of culture, in today’s world, technological developments and the emergence of new media are essential factors in social and cultural changes and the creation of multiple discourses in societies. But the problem of the present study is different aspects of the new culture from Castells perspective on the works of the eighth biennial of Iranian national painting (2011), that aspects such as multiple discourses, independence from regional geography and self-selection and self-production of cultural content are important issues for the artist and are reflected in their work.
Research objectives: This study investigates the works of the eighth biennial based on modern communication processes and the formation of spontaneous mass communication using Castells’ theory in explaining culture in the era of communication. Because ongoing discourses are important factors in shaping the culture of a society and creating works of art of any period, this article seeks to examine the multiple discourses of the eighth biennial of painting, based on Castells’ theory of culture.
Research method: The research method is descriptive-analytical, analyzes have been done qualitatively and the statistical population of the research includes 186 works of the eighth biennial of National Painting of Iran (2011).
Conclusion: Based on Castells’ theory that the technology revolution and the spread of information have transformed all levels of society, this paper proves that free and quick access to the wide range of cultural data and contents caused most of the participating artists in the biennial to choose the content of their works individually and experience self-selection and self-production of cultural content in this era.