Mapping
the System

Mapping the System is an artistic research project that explores authoritarian regimes and their influence on the private lives of dissenters, both within and beyond their borders. Political systems are often analyzed through formal structures of laws, courts, parties, etc. In contrast, this project develops a visual sociological study of authoritarianism based solely on a private conversation that might occur between two citizens.

Following a dialogue performed by two actors, 24 viewers were invited to map their understanding of the political system in which the characters exist. These collected diagrams are presented in the book, offering visual interpretations of a regime that typically hides behind orders, silences, and fractured relationships.