18 April 2011

Work in progress: Alternative Cartography Workshop

The Alternative Cartography Workshop took place from 1 to 3 April in La Villette, a wonderful weekend spent shifting between talking about cartography, exploring Paris and producing maps, at the end of which we find ourselves full of new experiences and material.

It being a workshop means that the finality of the event has to be a collective work. In this case we have considered building two maps: a physical map and a virtual map, based on the data and material we have collected during the visit in Paris. The physical map is a complex multi-layered installation involving the original cadastral map we used as guidance, the objects found on site and the production of a new map of expression. The virtual map consists of the collective assembly of videos, photos, texts and shapes on the background of a google map.

In the meantime, we came to realize that it would be a shame to close this ephemeral experience by writing out the conclusions on our own and decided, on the contrary, to open it to the world! Given the possibility the google map offers, we invite YOU to participate at the construction of a new territory seen through the eyes of a community!

Now that the only question in your head is "How can I join?", we will give you some pointers.

First, here is a small research folder we put at your disposal in order to get acquainted with the subject at stake.





Second, here is a video on how to use Google Maps.





Third, in order to participate you will need to go to maps.google.com and

1. Sign in with the test user:
ID: test.person.workshop@gmail.com
password: paris2011
with this user you can edit the map as well as invite others to do so.

2. Sign in with your own user and send a request e-mail to alt.cart.workshop@gmail.com


3. If you participated in the workshop you probably already have an invitation to edit the map.




Have fun! And feel free to ask us any questions regarding the use of this map.

TEAM

Organisers:

Alexandru Senciuc
Dimitra Vogiatzaki
Céline Tcherkassky

Emanuele Barigelli
João Santos
Pol-Alain Nedelec

Participants:

Lise Marche
Julie Martin
Laetitia Bely
Michael Schmidinger
Angelika Yannoulatou
Eleni Kousouri
Tania Jemio
Jerome Vatere

Special thanks to:

Cynthia Jo
Miruna Caragheorgheopol

Greek students @ La Villette

...so on the 3rd of March we set up a meeting between students from La Villette in Paris and the students from the architecture school in NTU Athens. We all met, we watched a small theatre play in the atrium, we sat down for the Bellastock presentation (one of the coolest DIY architecture student festivals by the way) and then we got up for discussions and "soda". Thank you for participating, untill next time!