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N33° 51.917'
E130° 47.808'
January 28 – February 15, 2002 |
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The
CCA Project Gallery presented a new work by gruppo A12.
How would it be possible to draw a map of Kitakyushu from zero, and which
would be the instruments and the strategy to be used?
Around these two questions revolved the project, which aimed to draw a
map of an unknown territory, in this case Kitakyushu, trying to replicate
the attitude and the operations of ancient explorers and geographers. Establishing
an artificial condition of lack of information, being lost and needing
to define a pattern to orient movement throughout the city, perceived as
a “terra incognita”, permitted to give evidence to predefined
ideas, attitudes, tendencies, ways of looking which are pertinent to the
observer. What becomes recognisable was the way the city and the territory
are described according to the cultural background of the authors.
The first operation consisted in the creation of an unnatural condition,
avoiding use of already existing maps of that city. A GPS receiver was
used to record routes, tracks and significant points of several explorations
performed in a span of two months. Data provided by the GPS receiver were
poured into a CAD drawing, in order to obtain a representation of the several
derives throughout the territory of Kitakyushu, as well as a visible skeleton
where to attach notes, sketches, objects found during the wanderings, pictures,
short movies. The use of precise electronic systems, derived from the American
military industry and research, was performed in analogy to the tradition
of geographical explorations of the 19th century, when the use of scientific
tools permitted to define a frame of reference for the record of subjective
experience. Rumours, hunger, climbing to higher point to obtain an overall
view of the landscape, suggestions from locals and travellers, randomness,
weather, transportation systems, thirst, curiosity, familiarity and memory,
shaped the paths to be followed during the movements around Kitakyushu.
The map, rather than being an objective a two-dimensional representation
of a given territory became an extended “carnet de voyage”,
which gives evidence to the process of discovery and wandering. N33 51.917'
E130 47.808'’ is the latitude and longitude of CCA in Kitakyushu.
gruppo A12 stayed at CCA Kitakyushu as professors of the Research Program
from December 2001 to January 2002.
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