Place(lessness)

2017

From Non-Places, Marc Auge

‘This is me in front ofthe Parthenon,' you will say later, forgetting that when the photo was taken you were wondering what on earth you were doing there, causes a break or discontinuity between the spectator-traveller and the space of the landscape he is contemplating or rushing through. This prevents him from perceiving it as a place, from being fully present in it, even though he may try to fill the gap with comprehensive and detailed information out of guidebooks or journey narratives.’

Place(lessness) is a site-specific research project investigating the dynamic boundary between space and place, specifically in Dungeness.

Place and space cannot be considered as absolutes but rather as a spectrum, where non-places have the potential to become places.

Through experimental research, I pushed the boundaries of Dungeness' sense of place. Interventions included creating the '2nd pub in Dungeness' and engaging in extended drawing sessions with residents and visitors. These interventions revealed that Dungeness' status as a place fluctuates: a constant home for residents and a distant, admired landscape for visitors often obscured behind cameras. Visitors often conform to Marc Auge's concept of Non-Places, where photography creates a disconnect between the spectator, traveler, and the landscape.

To enhance the sense of place for visitors, I developed devices encouraging closer engagement with the landscape during photography. These mechanisms break down the boundary described by Marc Auge, enabling wearers to deeply experience Dungeness' unique topology instead of perceiving it solely through a camera lens. Users now rely on Dungeness' distinctive features to capture landscape images.