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| THE MAP OF THE WORLD is a world map, printed with the dimensions of 137x232cm and fixed on metal boards. In contrast with an ordinary map we erased all the countries' names and capitals. We left only the administrative borders. The capitals attached with magnetic supports can be moved on the map's surface. The idea took shape in 1999, while one of us lived in France and the others still in Romania. In the middle of a chat it occurred to us ... what if Bucharest would be in France? This was one of the departure points of this project: the desire of moving, of changing spaces, of re-designing others` contexts. As Deleuze said "areas of contact." From here we tried to invent a tool for dialogue and the result is expressed in THE MAP OF THE WORLD. We call it a tool, because we don't consider it an "art object." but rather an 'auxiliary' for debates, interventions or workshops linked to different issues such as globalization, cultural emigration, tourist standardization, trajectory and different kinds of transgressions. We presented THE MAP OF THE WORLD for the first time at FRAC ALSACE, under the frame of a conference. The public came and played with it. The playful part of the project has an important meaning for us, because it lightens what could be extreme and relevant attitudes of critical subjectivism which underlines obvious opinions and reactions to the "clichés" of the media. For example people moving Jerusalem as an alternative to Washington is permitted more easily within the framework of a game, but could be problematic in the media. By moving the capitals, the people expressed an opinion, they verbally accompanied their choice: moving London to Baghdad, substituting Paris by Alger and Tunis, or moving Monaco to the South Pole in order to cool it down. There was a similarity with The Treaty of Versailles where maps of influences were made, overseeing the order of the world. |