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Alternative Atlas: A Counter-map of Boston Land-Forming
Abstract
Boston, the territory we are now habituating, has been glorified by humans conquering nature, creative reformation, and struggles of self-emancipation. The other narratives, from those nameless grassroots to our non-human cohabitants. Through tracing the city's land-forming history with a particular focus on critical moments that continuously shape the spatial and socio-political territory, we aim to excavate both the survival crisis and alternative narratives behind the mainstream history and claims. The project serves more than a reflection on the ethics for Anthropocene, or simply educating the audience about the past, but with a 'post-masculinist rationality'(Zylinsk) marked by the courage to embrace the uncertainty from the future and the past. And 'find a point of entry and connect to the process that shapes your daily environment'(Heeswijk). In the reflection and rehearsal of another historical narrative, participants reach a reconciliation with their ancestors, become aware of one's agency at the moment, and step further to an 'active co-producer(Heeswijk) for the not-yet-sure future.
By using the landscape, people selected the features that matters most to them, and draw their mental maps accordingly. Once they have labeled those maps in a particular way, natural and cultural landscape began to shade into and reshape one another. -------William Cronon
Prologue: A History of Land Reclamation
expand|flow|survive
a timeline of city-forming | a human Anthropocene
historical archives | maps and drawings
Actors: An Agents Matrix
agents matrix
an agents index
A Counter-map
"Counter-mapping is against dominant power structures, to further seemingly progressive goal." --------------Nancy Peluso
water memory
soil memory
Actors
{American Bumblebee}
counter-mapping
01 / 05
{Lobster}
counter-mapping
01 / 06
{Atlantic Sturgeon}
01 / 04
{Fungus}
MBTA network | mycelium network
01 / 04
{River Birch}
Boston high-rise | birch forest
01 / 07
Engagement
participation ladder
Alternative atlas: is designed to uncover the hidden agents as our co-habitators and their interwined relationship in the ongoing history of Boston landforming, hopefully to inspire local awareness and action towards a more egalitarian co-survivalism in a changing climate. It was developed for local decision-makers, conservation practitioners, large landowners, and community leaders across the state.