So this is it, the topic of my webexhibition, to be developed in relation to the upcoming exhibition at Diamanten. The opening of the exhibition coincides with the ICHC2009 conference on the history of cartography in July.
Actually, the blogpost title is the title of the conference; the title of the exhibition is as yet unknown, but the themes of the conference and the exhibtion are closely connected. The exhibition will concentrate on the mapping of North East Greenland. It tells a story of challenges and drama, but also of the blurring of the boundaries between fact and fiction and the interplay between cartography and the written word. Handcarved and handdrawn maps and directives will be on display, as well as wonderfully colourful geological maps, taxidermised (?) arctic animals and more maps and artifacts from the cartographical expeditions. Some of the story has already been told in a previous exhibition at Det Kongelige Bibliotek on the mapping of Denmark, now only available as a webexhibition, see Kortlægningen af Nordgrønland og Peary Kanalen under Temaudstillinger.
As of yet, I only have a limited set of information on the actual stories and content of the exhibtion. I have had a tour on the layout of the exhibition on site and have been sent some notes and visuals; I am now waiting for to meet up with the researchers on the project and should also be invited to upcoming meetings concerning the exhibition.
Still, I have enough to get on with, and will get started on the development of a concept for how to represent the exhibition online, and how to make the connection between the virtual and the physical exhibition.
I am actually quite excited about this exhibition, and think it’s a perfect fit for my project: the stories and the visuals are genuinely spectacular and appealing, yet the whole thing is not so damn sexy; it’s still a challenge to find the right way of capturing the audience. Here’s hoping I’ll be up to the task!