<nettime-ann> [event] [Toronto Nov12] Here be Dragons

["Greig de Peuter" <gsdepeut@sfu.ca>]

Here be Dragons: Cartography of Globalization
An exhibition initiated by Toronto School of Creativity & Inquiry

12 Nov. - 17 Dec. 2005
Opening reception: Sat. 12 Nov., 8-10pm

Toronto Free Gallery
660 Queen St. East
Toronto, ON
416-913-0461

Centuries ago, map-makers wrote the phrase 'here
be dragons' on areas that were outside of their
known world. Where should this phrase be written
on contemporary maps of political and economic
territory?

Recently, activists, artists, and researchers
have used the form of the map to visually
represent the distribution of power, the
circulation of information, and the organization
of control in the age of capitalist
globalization. These critical cartographers make
visible the vast networks of national
governments, transnational corporations, and
international institutions which channel massive
flows of people, labour, interests, dollars, and
meaning. Making the complexities of our present
more graspable, counter-cartography furnishes us
with pedagogical tools for cognitively navigating
the class-divided, politically administered, and
digitally mediated world we live in.

But the point of these maps isn't to say: 'Look
how trapped we are.' These networks are
contested, and vulnerable. And there exist
counter-networks, on whose nodes a multitude of
protagonists are searching for and inventing
emergency exits. Maps of these powers 'from
below' give expression to creative resistances
and workable alternatives. These are a different
type of dragon.

Believing that counter-cartography is a political
provocation, the Toronto School of Creativity &
Inquiry is initiating a series of participatory
events during the mapping show as forums for the
discussion of questions raised by these critical
cartographers. Where are the dragons today? How
might we navigate a course within, against, and
beyond the enclosures of the known world?

The exhibition features maps, texts, audio, and
video by Michael Bartosik (Toronto), Pierre
B=E9langer (Toronto), Adrian Blackwell (Toronto),
Bureau d'=E9tudes (Paris), Govcom.org Foundation
(Amsterdam), Brian Holmes (Paris), Polaris
Institute (Ottawa), Richard Rogers (Amsterdam),
and Kika Thorne (Victoria). Richard J.F. Day
(Kingston) occupies the 24-hour Gallery.


About Toronto School of Creativity & Inquiry
TSCI initiates education events that inquire into
the new commercial enclosures: enclosures on
time, space, creativity, thought, ecology,
love... We seek to understand how these
enclosures work. But combating against cynicism,
we also inquire into creative pathways within,
against, and beyond the enclosures: pathways of
thinking, collaboration, organization,
experimentation...

torontoschool@sympatico.ca
torontofreegallery.org
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