Report: Unplaces in the Periphery

THE SETTING

A rainy Saturday afternoon where it is hard to imagine that something like warm cosy sun-bathing exists. A small group of rain-coated umbrella-protected people gather in front of the geography university building.

Wrong time? They are there. Wrong place?

14:04

A huge travel bus stops in front of the university building. People are guided to enter the bus. They follow the guidance, a little reluctantly but curious enough to join the journey.

“This is not a Party. This is a scientific experiment. Let’s go exploring together: Unplaces in the Periphery. Please do not leave the bus without clear instructions. We will end the journey where we started it.”

14:17

We stop. It is raining. Helpful hands providing rain ponchos. The task is clear: Let’s find Luís. People spread out on a parking lot for travel busses. A transit place. An unplace that fosters the desire to leave it again as soon as possible. But we stay. We feel the waiting. The excitement before going on holidays. Or is it the fear of crossing borders? The sore neck, the tiredness after a long bus ride. We find Luís, soaking wet, but dancing in the rain.

14:31

We find shelter in the bus again, finding our way to collective identity as the Party Bus crew. Luís invites us to clap and stomp. We are in a tunnel and don’t see anything. But we hear each other and find a little comfort in the joint awkwardness.

14:43

We stop again. This time the whole crew is guided outside and equipped with tools: Sticks, shovels, a broom. Lots of potting soil. Earth. Dirt. Guided by Luís, we start drawing. Leaving our traces in the soil, our footprints on the earth we spilled out in front of us. It is raining. But we make the best of the situation. And we are nearly too occupied to really take in the breathtaking view on the square kilometres and square kilometres of contaminated soil. A landfill where our most toxic residues are dumped.

Are we doomed, too?

14:49

We had enough. It is cold and we are soaked. We make our way back to the bus. A solid anchor in the storm. A safe shelter in the rain. We are in competent hands. The bus is about to leave. But this time we stop before we go. Three cars with beautifully blinking blue lights join us on our trip. They want us to stay where we are. They want it very much and because they feel like a law and external force, we obey.

Wrong time. They are there. Wrong place.

We shouldn’t be there. Are we unsolicited like the advice of random white old men on subjects that are none of their concern?

Is this a joke? Confusion – and a wave of solidarity.

We wait.

We wait.

We wait.

15:11

We wait.

We wait.

15:17

They want us very much to go out in the rain with a broom. We follow their invitation. We sweep and brush in the pouring rain. Is this a dance?

Blue lights blinking in dancing solidarity, aren’t they?

15:23

The path in front of the bus is free to roll. We don’t know what we feel. Our trip went more off-track than expected. But did we expect anything? Some explanations coming from the front. We feel confused, but safe enough. We hear about unplaces and queerness. It’s hard to make sense of it all.

We are left with more questions. How do bodies and practices produce places? And how can places enable and disable us? In what spaces do we feel observed and out of place? Maybe even odd or in danger? Where do we feel at ease and why?

And what does that all have to do with geography, world politics, hierarchies? How is it that some bodies, some places are valuable and other disposable?

15:25

Some blue-blinking lights accompany us a little. We assume to make sure we are safe. But then again: who is we?

15:31

We stop again. This time we feel a different atmosphere. An old bridge with a roof. We feel protected. Before we leave the bus, some of us are given golden disco balls. We split up into two groups: the golden ones and the others.

The golden ones go with Luís and his joyful tunes. What a great fun to hide away what we were given randomly. We run and climb and dance. We are the golden ones.

We see the others joining from the other side of the bridge. Time for a hot beverage and some relaxation. Why are we here and how is this bridge still standing? Right next to its younger concrete sibling?

The others want to get golden, too. They spread out searching and seeking. Some of them get lucky. Others don’t.

At least we have the same joyful soundtrack to our quests – and aren’t we all crossing the same bridge? And how easy to say that you should make an effort for your golden ball from the perspective of a member of the golden group…

The others have the right to a tea as well, of course. But hurry up, people, we need to get going.

16:01

We drive on and we finally manage to reach the final station of our trip.

This is not a party. Or are we too late for the party?

It’s an empty office building. Or at least it looks like one from the outside.

Inside we find: music, food, drinks, glitter, joy and sparkles.

The room feels a little messy though. But isn’t this a compliment in retro-hipster slang?

Beats moving us, vibrating in our bodies. Shaking, turning, stamping. We are letting go.

16:47

One last time we enter the bus, which became something like home in the last few hours.

Smoothness is not the motto of our trip. So we manage to get a little stuck in too narrow streets. Are we just too narrow in our minds to get through?

We make it out again and – quite uneventfully – we drive back to the point where we began.

Wrong time. Wrong Place. We were there.