Mapping Praxis (2023-2025)

Mapping Praxis is an ongoing undertaking to explore ‘the map’ as a way of thinking, and an artistic contribution to the transdisciplinary art and research project The Praxis of Social Imaginaries. For complete list of blogposts about Mapping Praxis, please scroll down to bottom page! Here, some of the work up to date:

Lindsey’s Itinerary; HHW. 2024

Obinna’s Itinerary

Frank’s Itinerary

above: four individual ‘itineraries’;
below: ‘Butterfly Map’ variations; graphite pencil drawing (left), monoprint (right); watercolours x 8
all works © Helena Hildur W. 2023-2025

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Context I: Mapping Practices
The idea of mapping is the point of departure for Mapping Praxis; the making of visual representations of routes, events and places – from the many treasure maps I drew as a child, to the counter-cartography efforts of today’s researchers and activists; for instance, kollektiv Orangotango‘s collection This Is Not An Atlas. Mapping Praxis also finds inspiration from indigenous practices of the Amazonian region, Kalaallit Nunaat, Sàpmi, and the Ṃajel (Marshall) Islands; from prehistoric and early history mappings and mediaeval Christian and Islamic Mappae Mundi; and from innovative cartographic techniques of the 20th century, such as the Cahill, Dymaxion, Waterman, and AuthaGraph projections. Here, a set of visual sources:

above: nautical charts from Kalaallit Nunaat and the Ṃajel (Marshall) Islands (via Decolonial Atlas website);
the world map of Muhammad al-Idrisi (12th century) and the Hereford Mappa Mundi (c. 1300)
below: 20th century cartographic innovations:
Cahill, Dymaxion, Waterman, Autagraph and Hafner projections

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Context II: The Praxis of Social Imaginaries
Framed within the Nordic Summer University, and running over three years, The Praxis of Social Imaginaries is a transdisciplinary study circle bringing artists, activists, students and researchers together around a joint reading of mediaeval travel accounts.

The writings of European scholars, monks and merchants in the Middle Ages, describing cultural encounters ‘at the borders of the map’, reflect the evolving worldview(s) of European elites in a dynamic period foreshadowing large-scale colonialism. The aim of the study circle is to connect those historical texts with contemporary perspectives in research, and to create a transdisciplinary space for dialogue between artists, activists, students and researchers. What makes this dialogue valuable – even unique – is the multitude of voices heard: participants with different religious, professional, age, race, and gender identities, with roots in indigenous, minority and majority populations from all continents (except Antarctica) contribute to a rich mosaic of experiences and perspectives.

Project facilitators are Dr. Lindsey Drury and Dr. Laura Hellsten. In addition, the study circle serves as a platform for building structures for future work beyond 2025.

“The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world”

Complementary readings

Ibn Khaldun, “The Muqaddimah”

Marco Polo, “The Travels”

Study circle material (and additional readings)

Books
Gerald of Wales: Topographia Hibernica (1188), Itinerarium Cambriae (1191)
William of Rubruck: The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck (13th century, first printed edition 1599)
Marco Polo: Travels, complete Yule-Cordier edition (1300, edited 1903-1920)
Ibn Khaldun: The Muqaddimah (1377)
Bartolomé de las Casas: A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (16th century, first printed edition 1875)
Olaus Magnus: A Description of the Northern Peoples (1555)