ABSTRACT
This chapter argues, opens up a way of considering the distinctive ways in which computational media might ‘claim the real’, producing truth claims that are complex, contingent, subjective and/or partial. A cursory exploration of the meaning of simulation points to the apparent irreconcilability of these concepts. Simulation suggests imitation, but it might just as equally point to forms of pretence or deception. Modelling realities conceptualised as dynamic systems, conceptual simulations offer a way of engaging with aspects of reality that are typically difficult to render visually. Regardless of the different ways in which they claim the real, both realist and conceptual simulation are processes of signification in which subjectivity plays a key role. The value of simulation as a means by which to reveal realities in various sober contexts serves as a touchstone for considering simulation as an interactive documentary practice.
