Monday, June 22, 2026
16.45-18.15
Institut für Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie, Universitätsstr. 7 (NIG), 4. Stock, 1010 Wien
Cara Flores
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University
(hosted by the Austro-Philippine Society)
Counter-mapping is a practice that seeks to map against dominant narratives of place. Across different Filipino communities, this practice is used as a method to organize, tell stories, and advocate for social and ecological justice. This lecture introduces the varied use of creative and participatory counter-mapping practices across the Philippines and how these maps create decolonial perspectives of the archipelago. Creative and participatory mapping refer to the use of artistic approaches, such as drawing, oral storytelling, and writing together with communities to create maps. I share two of my counter-mapping projects with different parts of Philippine society from Overseas Filipino migrant Workers (OFW), to agricultural, artisan and youth communities. While these mapping projects vary in context, from rural to urban, diaspora, and locally based, what they illustrate is the power of collaborative mapping to create first-hand accounts, and nuanced place-based storytelling that allow for a deepened understanding of issues in Philippine society. These maps show stories that are often left out of dominant mapping and narratives. They touch on the effects of migration, climate change, and overtourism, but more importantly, they also show the hopes, dreams, and future desires of the community. Thus, I aim to introduce issues within the archipelago through the lens of these handmade maps, with the hope of giving a community centered account that describes not only the social and cultural context of the Philippine islands but also showcase the creativity across Filipino communities.