Objects and traces in space

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative

media (art) projects

Gemma San Cornelio EsquerdoUniversitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

Information and Communication Science Dept.gsan_cornelio@uoc.edu

Manchester, 3th September 2009

1. Preface: origins and motivation

2. Building the sense of place3. On Subjective cartography4. On tracing objects5. Locative media Projects

discussion6. Conclusions

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

Preface

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

“...I began to understand that objects, narratives, memories and space are woven into a complex,

expanding web-each fragment of which gives meaning to all the others”

W. Mitchell

Locative media artworks

Can you see me now?Blast Theory Graffiti Research LabGraffiti Research Lab

Audio Walk Janet Cardiff

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

PrefaceKey concepts of ITC relation with space and place

Hypothesis: Locative Media are reinforcing the notion of place.

• Augé: non-places• Meyrowich: losing sense of place.

• Massey: the openness of places.• Scannell: being simultaneity in two places• Urry: local places as multiplex

Transformation and even the disappearance of place.

5

Building the sense of place:

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

• “Canal Accessible”. Antoni Abad (2006)

• “Bio Mapping”. Christian Nold (2004-)

• “Disappearing Places”. Matthew Belanger and

Marianne R. Petit (2007-)

Locative Media projects studied

6

Building the sense of place:

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

• Maps are not objective depictions. There is a point of

view and relation with “power”. (abstract space, H.

Lefebvre)

• Alternative mapping. Feminist geography (Massey).

Psychogeography (Debord) based on subjective

experience.

• Maps are never equivalent to what they represent

(Baudrillard simulacrum)

• Locative Media are challenging the “disembodied”,

decorporalized, screen-based experience.

On Subjective cartography

7

Building the sense of place:

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

• Subjects, objects and commodities. subjects

converted into objects, objects that have

biographies (Kopytoff). Commodities as

interchangeable. The problem of art

commodification.

• Objects, concepts and processes. Conceptualization of contemporary art: land art –the object substitutes its representation, performance art -body and space as object, conceptual art - Concept vs commodity, processual art (Marchan-Fiz). The object doesn’t disappear but is overcome.

On tracing objects

8

Building the sense of place:

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

• De-contextualization and de-materialization.

Biographies of objects and its trajectory in

contemporary art: a parallelism

On tracing objects

object ---> decontextualization ---> conceptual or immaterial art ---> hybrid objects

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Locative media Projects discussion

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

place = openobjects = hybrid

connected by technology

subjective

cartography

Bio Mapping. Christian Nold. 2004

-

10

Locative media Projects discussion

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

Disappearing places. Belanger and Petit. 2007

Canal accessible. A. Abad.

2006

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Locative media Projects discussion

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

Building personal maps

• Locative media as performance.

• Locative media as conceptual and land art

• establishing a dialogue between artists and

publics

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Conclusions

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

Return to the place?

• Critical points in Locative Media art projects

• Uncritical or naive use of GPS

• Privacy of data and corporate uses

• Unfair participation (vantage knowledge)

• Incorporation of the anthropological view.

13

Thank you!

Objects and traces in space: an approach to locative media projects

questions?

Gsan_cornelio@uoc.edu

http://www.slideshare.net/gsancornelio/objects-and-traces-in-space