Cosmographer Gerard Mercator engraved (world) maps, constructed globes, invented the Mercator projection named after him and coined the term ‘atlas’ to describe a collection of maps in book form. The atlas in question, Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabrica Figura, in English Atlas, or Cosmographic Meditations on the Fabric of the World and the Figure of the Fabrick'd, contains more than 150 maps coloured by hand which are, notable for their detailed depiction of the world then known to its makers. This is the first edition in which cartographer Jodocus Hondius signed his name under some of the Mercator maps that he edited.
Mapmaking can be seen as an attempt to form an understanding and an image of the world around us and our place within it – an imprint that has literally and figuratively been coloured by the worldview of its makers. A map is never an exact nor complete representation of reality. A map is a subjective interpretation of the cartographer, depending on the purpose of the map as well as the time and society in which it has been created. Questioning how a worldview comes about formed the basis for the light artwork. The work of art is embedded in the mezzanine of the University Library’s reading room, located at the Looierstraat. It invites to think through one's positions, not only in geographical but as much in socio-political dimensions, when studying and opening up perspectives on the world.
The artist’s intention to create a light artwork with a minimal environmental footprint ties in with the university’s aspiration towards sustainable energy consumption. Maastricht University has, for example, invested in a local solar park recently. Together the artist and the artwork-group initiated a development process to link information about the energy consumption of the university, and in particular the building in which the artwork has been embedded, to the amount of electricity generated by the solar park. The aim is to make this information visible on the general information screens to stimulate reflection on the environmental impact of our actions and thus make climate awareness part of daily routine. Furthermore part of the art budget is allocated to a foundation which plants trees and restores existing forests all over the world to (somewhat) increase CO2 capture and storage.
find out where you stand