|
Aleksandra Mir's flipchart topography maps patches
of the planet as if he had been suspended above from above the earth
at different heights. In a series of beautifully drawn, markerpen
images that describe places as diverse as the Tower of London and
the Gaza Strip, she has reclaimed the modern cartographic codes,
keys and reference techniques. Playing Alice in Wonderland with
scaled, she zooms in and out of her chosen locations, leaving visual
clues to where she has been. Next to a plan of the Tower of London,
a key denotes the tourist guide symbols for a synagogue and a golf
course, amongst other facilities. One map reveals a rocky terrain
labeled 'Prilenskoje Plato', while another show a giant fish popping
out of the Sea of Japan. On the map of the Black Sea, separate shipping
lanes are marked from the Russian port of Odessa; shown on a neighboring
wall, a network of weather-map umbrellas denote the beach resorts
of Hawaii. Where the truth ends and the fiction begins is anyone's
guess.
In the center of the room, eggs in gold Fabergé stands are painted
with map-like marks and hatches. Mir presents us with many familiar
fragments from the past and the present that seem to underpin a
healthy cynicism towards the reliability of maps. But as for helping
us navigate her fantasy terrainforget it, you're on your own.
|