maps is not the network is the territory

In 2018 I co-facilitated the workshop “maps is not the network the territory” at AMRO 2018.

The workshop description is below:

This workshop consists of a collective walk-through to the question “where are we on the net?”, with the aim to develop a critical understanding of the “wheres” of networks.

The representation of Internet links as flattened on a geographical map, suggested by the localization of an IP address with GPS coordinates, further conceals the relation between network and territory. While the intention of reaffirming the materiality of networks is admirable, we need to develop mapping methodologies that are able to grasp how Internet infrastructure ‘works’, what power structures it reinforces, and what legacy comes with it.

To do so, we will combine an introduction to basic networking tools with an effort to think in terms of topology and situology. Topology is concerned with the relations between the points in a space rather than their position, so it will be the starting point to attempt ways of mapping network infrastructures that reflect their political economy.