International Cartographic Conference, 2011 Paris
Experimental workshop „Art & Cartography“
Exploring visible and invisible borders in Paris – a dialogic walk with cartographers and artists
Monday, july 4th, 5pm – 10pm
Meeting point: Palais de Congrès, Porte Maillot (exact meeting point will be announced soon)
During an experimental journey through the nearby neighbourhoods of Paris, cartographers from various countries and Paris based artists (for example: dancers, actors, textile designers, architects, painters etc.) will solve together a creative task and hence enjoy a hopefully intense exchange of ideas along the way. Both fields – the arts and cartography – will contribute to a sharpining of different reception modes while walking and driving through Paris’ urban space.
Mixed groups of cartographers and artists will be send out to places and areas where invisible and visible borders, limits, ruptures of the Paris topography can be witnessed (inspired by Eric Hazan’s wonderful book “The Invention of Paris. A History told in footsteps”, 2002).
For that purpose three different parcours will be prepared and a folder with quotations, hints and maps along with some tools and devices for the documentation process will be provided.
Around 8pm the groups are supposed to gather in LA RUCHE (a co-working space at 84, Quai de Jemmapes: http://www.la-ruche.net). There, a series of largely plotted maps of the given areas is prepared, so that the sketches, notes, photos, objects can be arranged and labelled in the sense of a collage.
Some food and wine will be offered. A professional photographer accompanies the activities of this experimental workshop and will provide the participants with a selection of pictures afterwards. The participants of the workshop will get a list of contact details in case they wish to stay in touch with each other for further meetings.
Number of participants is limited: Please register via: barbara.piatti@wiko-berlin.de
The map displayed above is the Nouveau Plan de Paris divisé en 20 Arrondissements (1860, drawn by Charles Smith). Each arrondissement is carefully hand tinted in a different pastel colour. A subsequent owner drew in lines indicating the placement of the new, wider boulevards (planned by Baron Haussmann). The map reflects Haussmann’s power and determination as he remodelled Paris from a medieval city to a modern one (copy of University of Illinois, Chicago).
The BALANCE-UNBALANCE conference will seek to develop an interdisciplinary approach in order to “deeper awareness and creating lasting intellectual working partnerships in solving our global environmental crisis” (ambitious program…).
