PROJECT DESCRIPTION

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"City Stories" was an ethnographic/art project in Edinburgh I took part in a few years ago. It was an example of a site-specific ethnography (one that focuses on a specific location).

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The aim was to bring together representatives of different fields, mostly artists, researchers and writers, and to produce a creative response to a walk through Edinburgh in the form of a map. Each participant picked a spot on the map, went to observe “their” place several times during the week and then produced ethnographic & site-specific artwork in a digital form (it could be anything from written text and poetry to photos, video recordings or drawings). The idea was to come up with something that would reflect the ambience, the mood, the uniqueness of the place and our perception of it. The artwork was then added to the map with the help of tags.

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Below is the artistic map of Edinburgh that resulted from this collaboration: https://sites.eca.ed.ac.uk/citystories/

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RESEARCH SITE

 

“My” spot was the Waverley railway station – the famous tourist attraction in Edinburgh named after the 1814 novel by Walter Scott. Waverley turned out to be a brilliant site for ethnographic research: its amazing architecture evoked a lot of romantic associations with the Scottish past. At the same time it was an interesting spot to observe the everyday life of Edinburghers and register the fluctuating rhymes, soundscapes and moods as the trains arrived and departed from the station. 

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APPROACH

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I used a bricolage approach in this project, which combines different methods and materials.

 

At first, I went to the station with a notebook and a camera and made observations of what was going on there. I made notes of my impressions and associations and those of my companion, took photographs and recorded the sounds, smells and the haptic. I also noted the focal points and key objects that determined the logic and inner workings of the railway station. I observed how they affected different categories of people at the station and their behaviour (e.g. those who work there, passengers, tourists, locals, etc.). These materials were meant to provide an in-depth perspective on what a railway station is as a cultural and artistic phenomenon - instead of seeing it as merely a transport facility.

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INSIGHTS AND RESEARCH IMPACT

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What is the cultural meaning and application of a map like this?

These ‘artistic responses’ to a city walk give a new, imaginative dimension to the city spaces, investing the seemingly impersonal walls with new meanings and narratives. As a result, the city becomes a more multilayered and meaningful place. The extra "layers" give an insight into the 'urban imaginary', the lived experiences of the city inhabitants and how they view their environment. We can get a better idea of how various districts are perceived by different stakeholders depending on their perspective, background, artistic vision, etc. This data is especially useful when it comes to making urban planning decisions with people's needs and perspectives in mind.

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