My artistic residency in Paris begins today, in a chic studette in 8ème arrondissement. In my pocket, there’s a little artist diary craving for cutting-edge art and studio visits and shows and galleries and museums and openings and curatorial meetings and talks and art book launches and sleepless nights and caffeinated mornings. Each day, I will introduce you to one artist that I (re)discovered and loved.

By Sylvain Cøhr

An Emotional Cartography of Bigci

June 29, 2014

Emotional Cartography

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“An Emotional Cartography of BigCi” represents a collaborative photographic and counter-mapping project that is open to include other elements, such as writing ones (personal thoughts inspired by the site are noted using different colours, while poetry quotation is marked in blue ink). The main purpose of the project is to create an alternative map of Bilpin, focussing less on the traditional politics of space, but on the politics of emotions.

Building up on the array of possibilities given by the aesthetics of Bilpin, the body of work is expected to capture the interferences between nature and its solitude, on one hand, and the human presence, with its very own sense of past and history, on the other hand. Thus, the series would offer an emotional, alternative map of Bilpin, which would challenge the common understanding of space.

Through the process of counter-mapping, geographical characteristics of the Bilpin site, together with BigCi’s location (such as the property’s bush land, the Art Shed, the House), can be redefined and reinforced as emotional and creative (in)visible territories. Such mapping strategy would challenge the traditional interpretation of the aesthetics and history of Bilpin, connecting the Bilpin landscape and its artistic heritage with the emotional process of creation, and emphasising the connection between a site and the forms of life (nature or people) inhabiting it, along with the indelible mark they let on each other.

Many thanks to BigCi, Rae and Yuri Bolotin for their generous support and residency award that made this project possibile 🙂