Non-Place Publication Design
Non-place: Anthropological spaces of transience where human beings remain anonymous, and that do not hold enough significance to be regarded as places.
Non-places are spaces of transit such as airports, hotels and asylum camps. They are characterised by the permanency of transience, spaces to pass through—with homogenous architecture and a strange mix of ‘the camp’ (surveillance, control, exclusivity) and ‘the spectacle’ (VIP lounges, luxury shops, media saturation). The non-place is purified and pacified, devoid of any distinctive markings that link it to the geography or culture of the world outside its walls, except for the locals that clean and service it.
The non-place is filled with people who’s identity is irrelevant, they are reduced to the label of consumer, citizen, terrorist, or frequent flyer. The ‘panopticon’ effect is prevalent in the non-place, where power is visible but unverifiable, causing those being surveilled to regulate their behaviour.
This publication is designed to reflect the delocalised, homogenous nature of the non-place—which acts as a canvas for the complexities of human life and politics to play out within. The publication’s style is devoid of references to time or culture, instead existing in the world of the non-place, as described in the written text. The inevitable human presence, and local labour essential to maintaining the purified non-place, is represented by fields populated by handwriting
Written Text Credit:
‘Baring Life and Lifestyle in the Non-Place’ by Sarah Sharma
Published in Cultural Studies (2009)
Published in Cultural Studies (2009)
