Thinking About (and with) Maps: A Reflection on Artistic-Activist Interventions in Contemporary Metropolises¹

Pensando sobre (e com) mapas: uma reflexão sobre intervenções artístico-ativistas nas metrópoles contemporâneas

Abstract

Hegemonic maps that are guided by political, cultural, and economic interests, name and create visibility schemes that establish representations of goods and natural resources while simultaneously fixing and making invisible the social and spatial dynamics that characterize mapped regions and populations as unique. Many associations and artistic-activist collectives are concerned about this situation and its effects and have started to use open source software in order make visible a set of political issues that are hidden by “official” maps, geared towards control. With regard to this symbolic confrontation, the present article's main objective is to systematically reflect upon political and associative arrangements related to the contemporary dissemination of technological resources aimed at cartographic practices.

Key words:
mapping techniques; artistic activism; visuality; territory; urban space