MAPPING UTOPIA 

Map programming by Io Dogani

[2016]
INTERACTIVE WEB MAP
ARCHIVE

Mapping Utopia is an interactive online map that proposes a critical exploration of the utopian imaginary as a vehicle for conflict and exclusion. It is a mapping of the Balkans that combines fictional elements with geographical and historical data to create a space where utopian visioning shapes a dystopian geography.

Images of sociopolitical conflicts, triggered by utopian imaginaries, are combined with the original description of the fictional island of utopia, as depicted by Thomas More in his book Of A Republic’s Best State And Of The New Island Utopia (1516). The combination form an alternative map of the southern Balkan peninsula and eastern Turkey.
 
Using ArcGIS software the dimensions of the imaginary island as described by More are applied to a digital map of the Balkan, generating an alternative version of the region based on the fictional narrative. In addition, corresponding to the 54 cities of Utopia, 54 interactive points on the map (clickable) lead to photographic and video documentation of national conflicts, political and social unrest.

The events are classified as historical manifestations of utopian imaginaries in real-world space and are placed on the GIS map at the actual coordinates where they occurred. The images are accompanied by the year of the event, the geographical coordinates of the place, a brief description of the event and a label that classifies each event according to the utopia that activated it [National, Ethnic, Ideological, Religious and (Europe) Fortress].

The heterogeneous utopian imaginaries appear as carriers of ruptures and compose the dystopian map of the region.

“Mapping Utopia” has been presented in “2nd ASFA BBQ 2016: Performing Utopia”, at Athens School of Fine Arts curated Giorgos Papadopoulos and Vasilis Vlastaras, and,  in “ 5th Odessa Biennale of Contemporary art:  Turbulence”, Odessa, Ucraine, curated by Mikhail Rashkovetsky.