I shared my project in a few ways. First I sent my portfolio to two people who have created exhibitions about and work as food delivery riders. Brazilian artist Allan Weber and Austrian designer Fabio Hofer both have first-hand experience doing the same work as my interviewees, and have expert knowledge regarding exhibitions, so their feedback would be invaluable.
Final writing for Unit 2.
The Shipping Forecast map was the starting point of my Unit 2 research, when I delved into the possibilities of mapping, and countermapping. I aimed to show the artificiality of borders and further challenge the map’s neutrality. Studying Forensic Architecture’s (2025) practice I saw an even stronger correlation between mapping and power. They tell stories of conflicts from the point of view of everyday people instead of governments and institutions. This inspired me to shift from a macro to a micro scale. Consuegra (2025) uses Google Street View to show the presence of food delivery riders, whose work goes unseen in the context of platform capitalism. Analysing his work made me reflect on the stories behind these workers. Exploring the amplitude of mapping led me to Knight’s (2021) abstract maps. The use of overlayed tracing paper added the time dimension, suitable for analysing workers who are always moving through space. This approach inspired my following experiment, when I observed and traced the paths of riders on Granary Square. Creating something from my point of view instead of secondary research, and doing field work made me feel closer to the subject.
Reference Point: State of Matter
Vienna based State of Matter is an artist duo composed of Fabio Hofer and Ana Mikadze, who research the work of delivery riders in the city from a unique position, since Fabio is a rider himself, while also considering the broader context of platform capitalism. Their main project, We Wish You A Safe Ride (2024), happened as part of the Wienwoche Arts Festival, when volunteers were called to work as delivery riders. This gave the workers paid time off to connect and socialise with other workers, and attend workshops on themes like labour rights, healthcare, and collective organising. The event took place at the Riders Collective’s headquarters, which also featured open-access bike repair workshops, and a walking tour of the invisible food delivery infrastructures of Vienna. The duo also curated the exhibition Between Pick-up And Drop-off (2025) at the Wien Museum, which featured video portraits of riders telling their stories, alongside objects, maps and other visuals showing what it’s like to work as a food delivery rider in Vienna.
Continue reading Positions Through TriangulatingWhen I created the maps of delivery riders on Granary Square, I noticed how people inhabit the same space in very different ways. Riders were always moving — except for one or two who stopped briefly to check their phones — while other people sat around eating, drinking, and enjoying the sun and the water fountains. People were in the same physical location, but in different social spaces. I saw a link with maps as I saw these social borders between them. Additionally the time dimension of the maps I created made me want to explore what time means for delivery riders in the context of platform capitalism. The conversation with Nina Paim made me realise the need to be more specific about my research. At that point I wanted to keep researching delivery riders, which was too broad. Which riders? Brazilian, migrants, or any rider? What do I want to know about them? Am I only interested in their work, or also where they came from and how was life before? How and where will I get this information? Through interviews, secondary sources, or both? What do I want to do with this information? What is my audience?
Continue reading Positions Through DialogueThe six texts below are references gathered during the Positions Through Contextualising brief.
Maps are projections. They project the surface of the Earth and displaying useful information like geographic locations and borders.
But these projections are not neutral. From the choice of projection method to translate spherical information into a plane and its resulting distortions, to the choice of information to be included, maps are tools of power that have helped shape nations, naturalise borders and territory. Therefore, instead of a representation of reality, maps project the intention of those who create them.
They are typically seen as a definitive piece of information, but we often forget that countries are fictions, and every border was once a disputed one.
How can mapping, or counter-mapping, interfere in this power dynamics? Can it show the nuances and reveal new knowledge behind apparently objective data?
Continue reading Written Response for Positions Through Iterating