Invisible Borders: Mapping Social Boundaries and Spatial Practices in Moscow
July 4-15, 2013
Cities like Istanbul, Jerusalem, Berlin, San Isidro are known for their internal borders that divide peoples, states, economies. These are cities on the edge, visible intersections between worlds; however, all cities are border cities in that spatial divisions are produced through urban planning, city management, and cultural production.
This workshop foregrounds the less visible nodes and edges within the city of Moscow. We will examine the social divisions that official administrative maps and infrastructure enforce while identifying opportunities to create intersections, the formal and informal conditions that foster access and intersection in the city. To do this, we will interface city data with location-based social research to examine the relationship of official boundaries with those that are the product of social practice. We will examine the manifestations of invisible borders that exist in the city, document how they function, and consider interventions to activate, make them visible or remain hidden intentionally.
Some outcomes of the project will be presented in the form of maps and a catalogue of types of socially significant borders and layers in Moscow. Additional outcomes may include documentary video, audio soundscapes and interviews, and data visualization.
For further details and to follow our journey across invisible borders, visit the workshop website: http://moscow.bordr.org
Who should participate:
Architects, urban planners, activists, artists, designers, technologists and social researchers