Glossary

3.2 Creating psychogeographic maps and cartography

4 min read•august 15, 2024

blends art and cartography to capture the emotional essence of urban spaces. It challenges traditional map-making by prioritizing subjective experiences over geographic accuracy, using unconventional symbols and distortions to represent how people perceive and feel about their surroundings.

Creating these maps involves innovative techniques like , , and . Artists experiment with color, scale, and to convey the complex, ever-changing nature of city life, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own urban experiences.

Principles of Psychogeographic Mapping

Foundations of Psychogeographic Cartography

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  • The Map as an Artistic Territory: Relief Shading Works and Studies by Eduard Imhof – SOCKS View original

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  • Metamap | Interview with Christian Nold on his mapping projects | ecosistema urbano View original

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Top images from around the web for Foundations of Psychogeographic Cartography

  • The Map as an Artistic Territory: Relief Shading Works and Studies by Eduard Imhof – SOCKS View original

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  • Metamap | Interview with Christian Nold on his mapping projects | ecosistema urbano View original

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  • The Map as an Artistic Territory: Relief Shading Works and Studies by Eduard Imhof – SOCKS View original

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  • Psychogeographic mapping represents subjective experiences, emotions, and perceptions of urban spaces through cartographic methods
  • (unplanned journeys through urban landscapes) informs the data collection process for psychogeographic mapping
  • Unconventional symbols, colors, and scales represent emotional and psychological experiences of space
  • , , and capture the complexity of urban experiences
  • techniques (mental mapping and sketch mapping) represent individual and collective perceptions of space
  • Challenge traditional notions of geographic accuracy and scale, prioritizing emotional resonance and experiential truth

Techniques and Methods

  • Employ and symbolism to represent different affective states and experiences within urban environments
  • Apply sensory mapping techniques to visualize non-visual urban experiences (sounds, smells, tactile sensations)
  • Utilize temporal mapping methods to represent changing nature of urban experiences over time (daily rhythms, seasonal variations)
  • Incorporate (text annotations, pictorial vignettes) to enhance communicative power
  • Experiment with map projections and distortions to emphasize subjective perceptions (distance, importance, accessibility)
  • Integrate personal artifacts (photographs, sketches, found objects) to add layers of meaning and personal significance

Cartographic Representation of Emotion

Emotional Mapping Strategies

  • Develop personal symbolic language or visual vocabulary to communicate subjective experiences and emotions
  • Use layering techniques (physical and digital) to represent complex, multifaceted urban experiences
  • Incorporate interactive or participatory elements to engage viewers and encourage reflection on their own urban experiences
  • Apply and to refine and enhance communicative power
  • Consider ethical implications (privacy concerns, potential impacts on represented communities) when creating and sharing psychogeographic maps

Sensory and Temporal Representation

  • Visualize non-visual urban experiences through sensory mapping techniques (soundscapes, smellscapes)
  • Represent changing urban experiences over time using temporal mapping methods (24-hour city rhythms, seasonal changes)
  • Integrate multiple data collection methods (field notes, sketches, photographs, GPS tracking) to enrich depth and authenticity
  • Experiment with map orientations and cardinal directions to reflect personal or collective experiences of urban navigation

Psychogeographic Mapping vs Traditional Cartography

Challenging Cartographic Conventions

  • Emphasize subjective nature of spatial representation, challenging objectivity and neutrality claimed by traditional cartography
  • Prioritize emotional or experiential significance over geographic accuracy in scale representation
  • Subvert traditional map orientations and cardinal directions to reflect personal or collective experiences of urban navigation
  • Incorporate unconventional symbols and explanations in legends and keys to represent abstract concepts and emotions
  • Integrate elements of artistic practice and graphic design, blurring boundaries between cartography and visual art

Redefining Spatial Representation

  • Represent borders and boundaries based on perceived psychological or social divisions rather than official administrative demarcations
  • Challenge authority of official maps, encouraging multiple, diverse interpretations of urban spaces and their meanings
  • Experiment with map projections and distortions to emphasize subjective perceptions of urban space (mental maps of neighborhoods)
  • Incorporate narrative elements and personal artifacts to create layered, multidimensional representations of urban experiences

Creating Original Psychogeographic Maps

Map Design and Development

  • Select appropriate base maps or create original base representations to establish spatial context of psychogeographic narratives
  • Develop personal symbolic language or visual vocabulary for effective communication of subjective experiences and emotions
  • Integrate multiple data collection methods (field notes, sketches, photographs, GPS tracking) to enrich depth and authenticity
  • Use layering techniques (physical and digital) to represent complex, multifaceted urban experiences within a single map composition
  • Incorporate interactive or participatory elements to engage viewers and encourage reflection on their own urban experiences

Refinement and Ethical Considerations

  • Apply critical reflection and iterative design processes to refine and enhance communicative power of psychogeographic maps
  • Consider ethical implications (privacy concerns, potential impacts on represented communities) when creating and sharing maps
  • Balance artistic expression with cartographic clarity to ensure effective communication of psychogeographic insights
  • Experiment with different mediums and formats (digital interactive maps, physical installations) to explore new ways of presenting psychogeographic information
  • Collaborate with diverse stakeholders (community members, urban planners, artists) to create inclusive and representative psychogeographic maps

Key Terms to Review (30)

Cognitive Mapping: Cognitive mapping refers to the mental representation and visualization of spatial information, allowing individuals to navigate and understand their surroundings. This process shapes how we perceive urban environments, influences artistic representations, and has therapeutic applications that emphasize the psychological connection to place.
Collage: Collage is an artistic technique that involves assembling various materials such as photographs, paper, fabric, and other objects onto a single surface to create a new, unified artwork. This method allows artists to blend different elements and perspectives, reflecting complex emotional and subjective experiences related to space and environment.
Color theory: Color theory is a set of principles that explains how colors interact, combine, and the psychological effects they can have on viewers. Understanding color theory is essential for artists and designers as it influences how colors are used in creating visual compositions, including psychogeographic maps, where color can convey emotions, highlight specific areas, and communicate information effectively.
Critical Reflection: Critical reflection is the process of analyzing and evaluating one’s own thoughts, actions, and experiences in order to gain deeper insights and understanding. This involves questioning assumptions, considering different perspectives, and connecting personal experiences with broader contexts. It plays a crucial role in shaping how individuals create and interpret psychogeographic maps, as it encourages a thoughtful examination of the relationship between personal perception and spatial representation.
Dérive: Dérive is a concept that refers to a spontaneous and unplanned journey through an urban environment, where individuals let themselves be guided by their surroundings, emotions, and experiences rather than following a specific destination. This practice emphasizes the exploration of the psychological and emotional dimensions of space, connecting deeply to ideas of urban experience, art, and human interaction with environments.
Digital tools: Digital tools refer to software and online applications that facilitate the creation, analysis, and manipulation of data, images, and maps in a digital format. In the context of psychogeographic maps and cartography, these tools enable artists and researchers to visualize urban spaces and personal experiences effectively, enhancing the way we interact with geographical information and explore our environments.
Emotional Cartography: Emotional cartography is a concept that involves mapping not just physical locations but also the feelings and experiences associated with those spaces. This idea connects the emotional landscape of individuals to the geographical context, reflecting how personal experiences can influence perceptions of place and space.
Emotional Mapping: Emotional mapping is a technique that visually represents the emotional experiences of individuals in relation to specific locations, capturing feelings and sentiments associated with places. This approach moves away from traditional mapping, emphasizing subjective experiences over objective geographic data, and serves as a powerful tool for personal exploration and understanding one's relationship with the environment.
Environmental Aesthetics: Environmental aesthetics refers to the study and appreciation of the visual and sensory qualities of our surroundings, emphasizing how these elements affect our experience and emotional responses. It connects deeply with our perception of space, shaping our interactions with urban environments, influencing artistic expression, and enhancing well-being through thoughtful design and engagement with landscapes.
Fluxus: Fluxus is an avant-garde art movement that emerged in the 1960s, characterized by its focus on the process of art-making rather than the final product. It emphasized intermedia practices, merging different art forms like music, visual art, and performance, often incorporating chance and audience participation. Fluxus challenged traditional notions of art by promoting a spirit of playfulness and experimentation.
Geographical imagination: Geographical imagination refers to the way individuals perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them through spatial awareness and cultural contexts. It encompasses the mental maps and narratives that shape our understanding of places, influencing how we engage with and experience different environments. This concept is crucial in creating psychogeographic maps and cartography as it allows artists and thinkers to explore the emotional and psychological connections people have with specific locations.
Guy Debord: Guy Debord was a French Marxist theorist, writer, and filmmaker best known for his work in the Situationist International and for developing the concept of the dérive, a method of drifting through urban environments to experience and analyze the effects of the built environment on human behavior. His ideas about spectacle, urban life, and psychogeography have influenced various fields including art, literature, and critical theory.
Interactive elements: Interactive elements refer to components within a psychogeographic map or cartography that engage users in a participatory way, allowing them to influence or contribute to the map's content. These elements can include clickable features, augmented reality layers, or user-generated content that creates a dialogue between the user and the mapped environment. The incorporation of interactive elements enhances the experience of exploring space, enabling individuals to form personal connections with their surroundings.
Iterative design processes: Iterative design processes refer to a cyclical approach to developing a project or product, where designs are continuously refined and improved based on feedback and testing. This method emphasizes trial and error, allowing creators to adapt their work over time by incorporating insights gained from each iteration. In the context of psychogeographic maps and cartography, this process enables artists and researchers to better understand and represent the psychological effects of spaces on individuals by refining their representations based on user interactions and experiences.
Land art: Land art is an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where artists create works directly in natural landscapes, using materials from the environment to form site-specific installations. This form of art challenges traditional notions of art by emphasizing the relationship between art and its surrounding landscape, often engaging with themes of nature, ecology, and human intervention. Land art often exists outside of conventional galleries and museums, creating a dialogue about space, place, and the environment.
Mixed Media: Mixed media refers to the use of multiple artistic materials and techniques in a single artwork, combining traditional and non-traditional elements. This approach allows artists to break free from conventional boundaries, creating a layered and complex visual experience. By integrating various media, artists can express diverse narratives and challenge the viewer's perception of space, form, and meaning.
Narrative elements: Narrative elements are the components that make up a story, helping to structure and convey the experiences within a narrative. These include aspects like characters, settings, plot, conflict, and themes, all of which work together to create a cohesive and engaging story. In the context of creating psychogeographic maps and cartography, these elements help to convey the emotional and experiential relationships individuals have with places, allowing for a richer understanding of the spatial narratives involved.
Non-linear mapping: Non-linear mapping is a cartographic approach that does not rely on traditional, linear representations of space, but instead captures the complex, subjective experiences and perceptions of individuals in relation to their environment. This method allows for the creation of maps that emphasize emotional, cultural, and psychological factors over mere geographic accuracy, providing a more nuanced understanding of place. By using non-linear mapping, artists and researchers can convey how spaces are interrelated through personal narratives and lived experiences.
Personal symbolism: Personal symbolism refers to the unique meanings and associations individuals attach to objects, places, or experiences based on their own life experiences, emotions, and beliefs. This concept plays a significant role in the creation of psychogeographic maps and cartography, as it allows individuals to express their subjective interpretations of urban spaces and landscapes through personal narratives.
Place attachment: Place attachment refers to the emotional bond between individuals and specific locations, often shaped by personal experiences, memories, and cultural meanings. This connection influences how people perceive and interact with their environment, impacting their sense of identity and belonging.
Place Theory: Place theory refers to the idea that specific locations and environments have unique meanings and emotional resonances for individuals, shaped by personal experiences and cultural contexts. This concept emphasizes the connections between people and the spaces they inhabit, influencing how urban spaces are represented in films and how psychogeographic maps are created to reflect individual perceptions of place.
Psychogeographic mapping: Psychogeographic mapping is a method that combines psychological and geographic elements to illustrate how emotional experiences, memories, and perceptions interact with urban spaces. This mapping technique allows individuals to represent their personal feelings and subjective experiences of places, making the invisible aspects of space more visible.
Public art installations: Public art installations refer to artworks created to be displayed in public spaces, often designed to engage with the surrounding environment and the community. These installations can take various forms, such as sculptures, murals, or interactive pieces, and aim to enhance public spaces, provoke thought, or encourage social interaction. They play a crucial role in shaping the experience of a place and can influence how individuals perceive their environment.
Sensory experiences: Sensory experiences refer to the perceptions and feelings that arise from our interaction with the environment through our senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. These experiences play a crucial role in how individuals navigate and understand their surroundings, often influencing emotional responses and personal interpretations of space. In psychogeography, sensory experiences help shape the creation of maps and artworks that reflect an individual's relationship with their environment.
Sensory mapping: Sensory mapping is a technique used to visually represent the various sensory experiences and perceptions of individuals as they navigate through urban spaces. It emphasizes the relationship between people and their environments by capturing elements such as sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of how these sensory interactions influence well-being and emotional responses.
Situationist International: The Situationist International was a revolutionary collective of artists, intellectuals, and political theorists founded in 1957, aimed at critiquing modern society and advocating for a new type of experience through play, art, and urban exploration. Their work introduced concepts like the dérive, which encourages spontaneous navigation through urban spaces to experience the city in a fresh way, connecting art with everyday life and promoting social change.
Subjective representation: Subjective representation refers to the portrayal of personal perceptions and experiences of a space, rather than an objective, factual depiction. This approach emphasizes individual interpretations, emotions, and memories associated with a particular location, allowing for a deeper connection between the person and the environment. It contrasts with traditional forms of mapping that focus solely on geographic accuracy, making it an essential aspect in the creation of psychogeographic maps and cartography.
Temporal representation: Temporal representation refers to the way time is depicted and understood in various forms of mapping and visual media. In creating psychogeographic maps, it emphasizes how spatial experiences can shift over time, capturing changes in the landscape, human interactions, and cultural significance as they evolve. This concept helps in illustrating how memories, emotions, and events are layered onto physical spaces, making it a key aspect in understanding how people relate to their environments over different time periods.
Topophilia: Topophilia refers to the emotional connections and feelings people develop towards specific places or environments. This term encapsulates how individuals experience and attach significance to spaces, influencing their sense of identity, belonging, and memory in relation to those places.
Urban Interventions: Urban interventions refer to strategic actions or projects designed to improve, transform, or activate urban spaces, often addressing social, environmental, and economic issues within a city. These interventions can include temporary installations, community-driven initiatives, or large-scale urban planning efforts aimed at enhancing the urban experience for residents and visitors alike. They serve to engage communities and encourage new ways of experiencing and interacting with city environments.
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