Behind the Cartographic Mirage

The online PhD seminar is dedicated to the discussion of a draft chapter of doctoral research by Salome Katamadze, developed within the PhD programme Urban Planning, Design and Policy at DAStU, Politecnico di Milano, alongside TU Delft, within the research group Border & Territories. The chapter focuses on cartographic collections, examining their role in the construction, control, and representation of territory, with particular attention to colonial contexts in the Caucasus region. The seminar will address three main themes: the theoretical framework of colonial cartography; the “backstage” of cartographic production, including institutions, practices, and power relations; and a critical commentary on a specific military cartographic collection. Conceived as a dialogic scholarly exchange, the event aims to foster open and constructive discussion rather than a formal presentation format.

Speakers: Salome Katamadze, Anna Casaglia Università di Trento, Luca Gaeta Politecnico di Milano, DAStU, Marc Schoonderbeek TU Delft.

Coordinated by: Katamadze Salome

Contact: salome.katamadze@polimi.it