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FREEBIE!!!

A World Without Borders

Agustina Woodgate

(b. 1981, Argentina)

The Times Atlas of The World (Book)

2012

Sanded World Atlas (515 pages) 

(I at least tried)

During a recent trip to CAM Raleigh I spent time painstakingly looking over art exhibits comprised of pieces of sand paper, painted envelopes, videos of window washing, etc. At first glance many of the exhibits did not hold a lot of value to me, until I was presented with background and allowed the opportunity to dive deep into the piece as a whole. When the "tour guide," first presented my group with the sanded atlas I was surprised that it was even an exhibit. From a distance all I saw were blank pages, nothing of value. I questioned why Agustina Woodgate chose to spend hours upon hours bent over with a piece of sandpaper scrubbing away at the glossy surface of an atlas. I stood there dumbfounded. Why? Why would you waste hours of your life removing the color from a usable book? However, as I moved on to the next exhibit I could not stop thinking about the atlas and its creator. 

I stood and examined the Atlas and its contents. The smooth yet dusty pages were covered in the faint lines of country borders, faded blues for bodies of water, and vague identifications of cities and towns. It was in this moment while examining the atlas that I realized this piece held not only artistic value but political value as well. In a society steaming with political conflicts between democrats and republicans, religious groups, cultural groups, cliques, and countries this sanded down atlas proves to be important. What would the world be like without borders? How about a world without conflicts that stem from national boundaries or nationality? Through her hours of sanding Woodgate presents unity by erasing borders and presenting countries that seem to blend into each other. Boundaries that keep people in (or out) are erased. As Woodgate sanded down borders she dissolved the conflicts that come with it. The world as I know it resides in the presence of national borders and separate cultures. I love to think about the world in the future where unity will exist and there will be an erasure of borders, both physical and mental. 

Woodgate visually dissolves borders and fuses together countries through the removal of borders. In addition, she presents the end to racial conflicts. All of the colors present in the atlas are subdued. In a normal atlas the colors are vibrant and each country is a different color, to separate each specific shape. This creates separation between the citizens of each country. Woodgate's subdued colors prevent the separation of people and nations. 

As I thought of the concept of "A World Without Borders," I was reminded of the organization Doctor's Without Borders. This group provides assistance to people experiencing disasters (both man-made and natural). They act without regard to race, religion, political views, etc. By providing service to other members of the human race, regardless of nationality, they become beacons of hope. Through examining this organization along side Agustina Woodgate's atlas we are presented an idea about what the world can look like when borders are erased.