About,
Subjective Atlases are bottom-up cartographic publications mapping a country, region or city by the inhabitants themselves. Subjective Editions is the publishing platform that develops participative production processes and distributes these engaged publications.
We support communities in mapping their environments from the inside out, starting from a place-based understanding, and grounded in lived experiences.
Method
We work on the basis of invitations by local partners with whom we co-develop a mapping trajectory. Over several workshops, inhabitants of a place are invited to participate in the mapping process by creating a visual representation of what that region personally means to them. Together with the local partner we coordinate the editing, designing, printing, publishing and distribution process of their edition of the Subjective Atlas.
Impact
The project offers a platform for collective visual dialogue to challenge social, political and cultural circumstances of our day to day realities. The bottom-up approach questions dominant ways of representing territories and demystifies map-making itself. It is an exploration of the individual in relation to the collective, the subjective in relation to the apparently objective, the personal in relation to the political. This is an emotional geography of lived experiences that opens up political scopes, and contributes to a more pluralistic and sensitive territorial identification.
Creative Commons
All contributions are developed under a Creative Commons approach, because we wish to engage more platforms to distribute the subjective mapping dynamics. It is an open invitation to join and assimilate counter narratives. This implies that we grant permission to you to distribute the work of the participants and share it with others following these principles:
Attribution: You are allowed to copy, distribute and display specific contributions but only if the creator is listed as the author.
Noncommercial: You are allowed to copy, distribute, and display specific contributions, provided it is not for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works: You are allowed to copy, distribute and display specific contributions as long as the work remains in its original condition.
The copyright of a Subjective Atlas as a specific publication on its own, remains for Subjective Editions.
History
The concept of a subjective atlas was developed during a workshop by designer Annelys Devet in 2003, where she invited Estonian design students to map the EU from their perspective. The following year she engaged her students at the Design Academy Eindhoven to map The Netherlands from their experience. Soon after invitations came from international partners (like Kitchen Budapest in Hungary, or the University of Karachi in Pakistan) to collectively develop similar atlases of their geographies. In 2018, Kurt Vanbelleghem and Annelys de Vet joined forces and set up their own publishing platform to spread their efforts in sensitising our worlds through subjective cartographies.
Organisation
Subjective Editions is registered as a Belgian non-profit organisation (vzw), with our office in Lokeren, studio in Sint Pieters Leeuw and a team operating internationally. For each atlas we work with local partners and international distributors. Our organisation consists of Annelys de Vet (founder & editor-in-chief), Sana Ghobbeh (coordinator) and Kurt Vanbelleghem (producer & publisher).
people,
Annelys Devet is a Belgium based Dutch designer, researcher and educator. She initiated the subjective atlas series from a belief in the importance of visualising place-based understanding of our worlds. She is the editor in chief of the series and coordinates workshops and design processes.
www.bureaudevet.be
Kurt Vanbelleghem is a Belgian curator, publisher and cultural entrepreneur. He focuses on the development and implementation of artistic strategies within societal contexts. He is co-founder of Subjective Editions and coordinates the operational, presentation and distribution processes.
www.presentfuture.be
Atilla Bujodoso, Subjective Atlas of Hungary
Moniek Driesse, Subjective Atlas of Mexico, Subjective Atlas of Colombia
Hugo Herrera Tobon, Subjective atlas of Colombia, Subjective Atlas of Garliava, Subjective Atlas of Kaunas
Khaled Hourani, Subjective Atlas of Palestine
Marija Kovač, Subjective Atlas of Serbia
Veronique Kessler, Subjective Atlas of Luxembourg
Roelof Koster, Subjective Atlas of Fryslân
Kristjan Mandmaa, Subjective Atlas of the EU
Grand-Hornu Images (Marie Pok), Subjective Atlas of Hainaut
Taqi Shaheen, Subjective Atlas of Pakistan
Analía Solomonoff, Subjective Atlas of Mexico
Wouter Stroet, Subjective Atlas of Amsterdam
Anne Vera Veen, Subjective Atlas of Amsterdam
presentations,
awards,
The Subjective atlas of Palestine has been awarded as one of the ‘Best Book Design' 2007’. The Subjective atlas of Hungary and the Subjective altas of Mexico received a Henry van de Velde Label 2011. The Subjective atlas of Fryslân was nominated for the Vredeman De Vriesprijs 2013.