ALESSANDRO CARBONI
art practice and research strategies

The research explores ‘subjective mapping’ process, using embodiment and performance practice as a strategy for reflection on, and representation of, urban space and takes account of ways in which cities are defined as complex systems. It also considers the mapping process as an embodied experience, as an antithesis to the traditional map, which is commonly a disembodied visual representation. The doctoral dissertation was conducted with the consultation of Prof. Jane Prophet, and examines, contextualises and describes the making and development of the novel EM Tools for urban mapping and performance art practices. The toolkit was created, designed and developed through iterative research conducted at the University of Aarhus, City University of Hong Kong, University of Malmö, ITU University of Copenhagen. By the end of the thesis, the completed EM Tools was presented as a guide for artists to use. The premise of the EM Tools is that artists can use their body as a device to capture urban space and to map what happens in a place, capturing the geometrical and temporal dimension of that place. The toolkit is designed using four principles: observe; capture (urban space mapping through corporal actions); extract (selective re-enactment of the actions in the studio); transmit (corporeal map into a choreographic score). I structured the research using a hybrid combination of artistic research and action research methodologies. As part of this I led a series of workshops to iteratively design, test, and apply the toolkit through a reflexive spiral of action research. In these workshops participants were also trained in a simple form of action research that is built into the toolkit design. These workshops, specifically the participants’ use of my novel EM Tools, enabled the participants to discover something new about their environment by using body actions, like walking, positioning, and fitting in the urban spaces, folding legs and arms, bending knees to make maps of their own urban exploration. The mapping practices of the individuals involved reportedly contributed to a deeper and more autobiographical understanding of place. EM Tools has been successfully used in many workshops and the final version of EM Tools is ready for future users. Preliminary findings of the research that have been disseminated through conferences and festivals, such as Media Architecture Biennale in Aarhus, Bi-city/Hong Kong Shenzhen Biennale of Architecture, Transmediale Festival in Berlin, Santarcangelo Festival and Crisalide Festival in Italy, and From Soil to Structure Festival in Malmö.  Specifically, EM Tools introduces novel thinking and creative corporeal practices of use to students, scholars and practitioners working in the fields of creative media, urban studies, critical cartography, site-specific performance, and experimental urban mapping research. More info about EM Tools: https://www.embodiedmaptools.com/   

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Phd Thesis - ABSTRACT