Grassroots Mapping is a series of participatory mapping projects involving communities in cartographic dispute. Seeking to invert the traditional power structure of cartography, the grassroots mappers used helium balloons and kites to loft their own “community satellites” made with inexpensive digital cameras.

Balloon-mapping a protest in Jerusalem

July 21st, 2011 by Jeffrey Warren

protest against the occupation, Jerusalem, 15/72011.

Grassroots Mapping בשיתוף עם חגית קיסר ושי אפרתי, הטיסו מספר פעמים מצלמה מותקנת על בלון הליום מעל ראשיהם של למעלה מ-3000 משתתפי צעדת “צועדים לעצמאות” בירושלים. הצעדה עברה ממערב העיר למזרחה, ביום שישי, ה-15 ליולי 2011. הצילומים נעשו בהשראת Vota Inteligente שלאחרונה שידרו שידור חי מעל להפגנת מחאה בסנטיאגו, צ’ילה, ו BIT Balloon documentation שנעשה על ידי נטלי ג’רמיג’נקו במהלך גלי מחאות סביב הכנס הרפובליקאי הלאומי בארה”ב, 2004.

Grassroots Mapping together with Shai Efrati and Hagit Keysar launched a balloon several times over the heads of more than 3000 people in the march for Palestinian Independence, in Jerusalem. The march went from west to east Jerusalem, Friday July, 15 2011. Taking inspiration from Vota Inteligente’s recent balloon live-streaming of protests in Santiago Chile, and Natalie Jeremijenko’s BIT Balloon documentation of the RNC protests in New York City in 2004.

You can read more about the protest here: http://www.en.justjlm.org/557

http://publiclaboratory.org/place/santiago-chile

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64720, Bit Balloon, 2004

Balloon map of demonstration against Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank

The completed stitched map is here:

One Response to “Balloon-mapping a protest in Jerusalem”

  1. Mediated Cityscapes 03: DIY Cartography - Guest post on CAN by Greg J. Smith (@serial_consign) | CreativeApplications.Net Says:

    […] ranging from observing how public space is used in downtown Philadelphia to documenting a recent march for Palestinian independence that took place in Jerusalem – depending what individual or collective is at the helm, this […]

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