This research formed part of the SPACES exhibition of the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, for which I presented the Dutch entry for Platform Scenography.
In six mapping sessions, visitors of the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space collectively mapped peoples daily ‘performances’ on the old town square of Prague. This was done over the course of three days and at different moments of the day. Participants in the workshop were invited to use an app that was designed for this purpose.
In the app, different brushes were incorporated, each brush representing a word of the map’s legend. Each word of the legend represented a different collective. It was collectively decided upon which categories were interesting to map for the specific moment of the day, after which the cartographers spread over the square and started mapping collectively. By following an individual of this collective the map was constructed over time, revealing the ephemeral movement patterns that take place on the square for that specific time of the day. The longer the cartographer stood still, the thicker the line on the map became, allowing the more dynamic aspects of velocity and time to be visualized.
Mapping the square from this perspective – where public space is presented as a work of scenography – is a novel approach for scenographers, opening possibilities for scenographers to work in/with public space. I was able to explore how this research approach could offer a potentially interesting perspective for the field of scenography and to explore the overall potentials of this method in which a mobile phone was used as an ethnographic mapping device.
June 2015
Photos of the workshop:
Poster design: WE-ARE-AMP
Photo left taken by Viktor Tuček
Photo middle and right taken by Adela Vosickova.
Photos taken by Tessel Schmidt
Collective mapping of public performers, old town square Prague. 23rd of June 10:30 a.m and 15:30 p.m. Turquoise = Officials, Blue = Maintenance, Green = Tourist guides, Gold = Adolescents
Collective mapping of public performers, old town square Prague. 24th of June 10:30 a.m. Turquoise = Maintenance, Blue = Segway, Green = Locals’ throughfares, Gold = Homeless
Collective mapping of public performers, old town square Prague. 24th of June 15:30 p.m. Turquoise = Officials, Blue = Segway, Green = People selling things, Gold = Babies
Collective mapping of public performers, old town square Prague. 25th of June 10:30 a.m and 15:30 p.m. Turquoise = Officials, Blue = Lovers, Green = Suitcases, Gold = Animals
Launched in June 2015
App built by Iván Fuciños Calle