Places and Non places

Non places [os Não Lugares]

Marc Augé defines non places as having no identity, no history and no urban relationships. Non-places are temporary spaces for passage, communication and consumption; the motorways seen from car interiors, motorway restaurants/service/petrol stations, large supermarkets, duty-free shops and the passenger transit lounges of world airports.

Non-places are contrary to places. They represent the decline of the public man and the rise of the self-obsessed man. Non-places are such due to their solitary arrangement, shielded by pin and credit-card numbers, as well as passwords that create safety as well as solitude and alienation.

When I first got to Japan - and even while I was traveling - I was constantly reminded of this definition I had read about 5 years ago. It stuck it with me. Waiting. Poising under my skin of thought. As soon as I got to Tokyo, it flourished. almost taking me by assault. That's why I'm starting two new tags - places and non places - because I believe that, even though Augé is partially right, I also believe that the world - as well as places - are composed by multicoloured shades of grey. Not by mere one sensed biased labeled black OR white.

Tokyo might be crawling with non places. But I believe there also places inside this multicity metropolis. And once I get my camera (probably this weekend) I'll try and find them for you, so we can share both realities. Nothing is comprised of a single lensed view. Still, I'll not limit it to Tokyo, and we'll actually start of by sharing some of Portuguese places.