7 posts tagged “map”
Which is really strange, since SL is a very spatial world, so the mapping and 'geographical' stories should be apparently abundant. Alas.
moon_aka_sun, a friend of mine from my ex-blog, shared this lovely map of 'inverted earth', from VladStudio. Nice map, working with a Gestaltists' figure vs background trick, well-designed and of course triggering many mind-boggling what-if questions.
cema, another LJ-friend, has recently pointed to a very interesting blog, called Strange Maps where this map would obviously fit.
PS: haha, they did publish it in the blog!
A short story about this painting and interpretations of its possible meanings can be found on pages 250-251, but it also placed on the cover of the book (Amazon's entry does not have the image, but it can be found on this site, closer to the bottom.)
Zanvliet writes that the painting was also know as Three scholars with the globe, and even as Czar Peter the Great visiting the Amsterdam burgomasters Hudde and Witsen (which he believes is a 19th century invention.)
His own version of the title (and therefore the meaning of the scene) is A discussion of the route to Asia. More specifically, it should be interpreted as a conversation of two patrons and a sailor who discuss possible new route to Asia.
The dress and especially the fur cap of a the man sitting and holding the map indicate that he is a sailor (or fisherman). His index finger points out something on the map, which can be identified as the map of Arctic Regions which allows Zanvliet to suggest that the man is in fact Willem Barents (or Barentsz), Dutch explorer and a leader of three expeditions sent out to find a northern route to Asia.
Barents died in 1597 during his last expedition, and after a heroic wintering on Nova Zembla; the map was published by Claesz in 1598, and shows the route of the last expedition (I don't know whether it is only on the painting, on the map itself as well.)
Open sea on the map should suggest that ships can sail further north, and then through the Strait of Anian (now Bering Strait) to Japan and China. The painting by de Man (1621-1706) dates ca. 1670 when Barents' expeditions were still in memory of Dutch, also because of the frequently reprinted journal by Gerrit de Veer, a survived member of the crew.
Around the 1660s the possibility to find the polar route to Asia was again widely discussed among certain Dutch merchants who wanted to break the monopoly of the VOC (and some of them could have commissioned the painting).
PS: I still don't know if it is possible to make a part the posting invisible at the first glance (like in case of use of the famous lj-cut tag in Livejournal); otherwise I would put the whole painting 'behind the cut'. In this format I have to just provide the link to the picture.
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"We must always make connections, ever more connections, since they are not already given. For to connect is to affirm, and to affirm, to connect." - John Rajchman, The Deleuze Connections
So, connect yourself!
PS: I just started to populate the map with my contacts (and in no way will be able to fill all the many hundreds of them); rather, I will perhaps put a few seeds, with the hope that in time the map will 'populates itself'. But his initial feeling, of seeing yourself alone in this world is both frustrating and energizing at the same time; once noticed this already, when opening this blog.
I found this poster (announcing some kind of DJ party) in Amsterdam, not
far from the Mediamatic's lobby. Perhaps, my perception was a bit
framed by the proximity of this new media research institute, and I
start thinking that it's not only a cool example of information
visualization, but of the use of organic, flesh & blood
(literally!) metaphors in IVZ in particularly.
Sweden is one of the first countries which decided, quite bravely, to open their Embassy in Second Life (technically speaking, Maldives were the first nations, but the size and complexity of the Swedish project makes them truly pioneers of virtual diplomacy (or is it a diplomatic virtuality?)
More about this project can be found in the article Sweden's virtual embassy in Second Life: Now featuring Geoglobe.I like the design and look&feel of the Swedish House's interior very appealing, and perfectly radiating the 'swedishness' of the Swedes. Those of us who come to Ikea shops frequently, will find themselves very well at home at this site.
Piece of good nice art, cozy furniture and tranquil nature are everywhere, but the real hit of virtual embassy is not am impressive (though a bit claustrophobic globe mentioned in the article). The real gem is the Wallenberg Room, that not just 'tells' but powerfully reconstruct the atmosphere, thrilling and depressing at the same time.
The Swedish Institute who is behind this historical project, managed to create a very powerful experience using a bunch of quite simple tools: you enter the room through a dark, almost black entry, the look&feel of the space is also much darker and sober compared to the rest of the Embassy; there is a background music playing somewhere in a background mixed with children voices which creates very mystical, Pink Floydian ambience. The room is full of the items of those times: a typewriter, an old telephone, posters and old photos on the walls. A fragment the 'street life' is visible from the window (a mere picture, but a very nice visual solution creating strong immersive effect).
The map on the wall is of the 'safe' Swedish houses in Budapest (where Raoul Wallenberg was rescuing Hungarian Jews from Nazis). There's also a link to a web-site describing the Gulag system (where some people believe Wallenberg actually died; though an 'official' version states he died in Lubyanka in Moscow.)
A really moving environment, and tragic story-telling. But also overall, one of the best serious projects I've seen so far in SL, kudos to the guys!
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