Sara Pace
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City - Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City - Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Taping the City Derive Useless Fixing 2015
Derive - Psychogeography
My Dérive focused on the re-interpretation of the city, which led us (Leta Shtorr and myself) all around Valletta, reading it through a socio-geographical point of view. This led to an inherent need for intervention in a manner that did not really change anything apart from highlighting the present frame of mind of the inhabitants of the city. In a transgressive move we taped up collapsing parts of the city with duct tape, expecting a reaction from the inhabitants. Upon further exploration of this theme a realization of laissez-faire by the locals seemed to be predominant, which in turn further pointed out at the temporary fixtures practiced throughout Valletta, which may be linked to general passivity.
Although we experienced this weighty reading of the city, we decided to incorporate the playful aspect of psychogeography, the display of randomness, which is designed to throw one off course, helps one to become aware of one’s space. This we enacted through the moving within the city without a plan, but drifting according to what caught our interest, as well as asking tourists where to go next, taking direction from shoes in a windowsill and also highlighting a pseudo duct tape elimination of The Point in Sliema, recorded through our photos, taking the concept of fixing as the elimination of a problem.
A final intervention and interaction was practiced upon the telephone boxes in front of the law courts, this was accomplished to further highlight the practice of temporary fixing within the city, and also the ease of direction of the population through a simple task, this idea was brought on through the origin of the Dérive itself, whereby it was explained that the city has areas that direct the visitor to them whilst others seem to shun one out.