Heterotopic City

heterotopia

1. misplacement of displacement, as of an organ
2. the formation of tissue in part where its presence is abnormal

In a project that began as the mapping of the layers of Rome, a project was devised in which Roman ruins project up, the past site pixelates, new materials seep in, and urban itineraries and intensities are gathered into Rome’s new heterotopia.

A magnifying glass hovers over a vacant, overgrown site just outside of the Roman Walls. Interested, the archaeologist reads and misreads the ruins he discovers, uncovering and fabricating a history. He imagines that it is a place where people and activities layer on top of those that came before; a place where materials are added using the past with a forward eye; a place to interact with layers; a place like Rome.