Reading Response: Michel de Certeau

Space and places cannot be easily separated.
According to my understanding, “space is a practiced place” refers to that a place is gradually developed and stabilized (or changed) through successively appearing spaces. An example is the formation of some spontaneously formed internet-famous sites. The famous blue dome church in Santorini, Greece, at first, is not a must-see for the tourists. Someone took a nice picture there, and then more and more people took photos at the same spot, copying the same camera angle. Through the repetition of the process, this specific church inadvertently becomes a golden photography destination and even a landmark (though itself may be common among many similar churches).
Meanwhile, the word “practice” in the latter sentence indicates the involvement of people, along with their mood and actions, which are all “mobile elements.” When a young girl took a photo and sent it to her lover on the other side of the earth, a new space is created on the spot. The actualization of space happens when something more than material and motionless happens.

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1 thought on “Reading Response: Michel de Certeau

  1. Jen Lam says:

    Your example is very cinematic, by how you describe people use the same angle taking photos of Santorini, reproducing the city repetitively. (In fact, your example here rings the bells of the Generic City, when Santorini is collapsed to a photogenic image of the blue/white houses on the seaside.) It would be more elaborate if you could explain the creation of new space by sending photos.

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