Timestamp
Amber Chen
Timestamp is a web project collating the thoughts of participants onto a timeline map. Throughout history, maps have been used to delineate the territories of those in power. An atlas could be described as a story told by winners. In Timestamp, I wanted to redress this imbalance through a cartography of the lived experience from those right around me. Through the documentation, images and text can create a narrative of everyday life that will be told on maps.
Technology can construct a map which combines the perspectives of multiple individuals. As a platform for collaborative interactions, Timestamp could be populated by the thoughts of voluntary participants. Any person in a public space could record an entry for that precise time and location, as well as an anonymous personal note reflecting on the moment. While Google Maps describes geography for the purpose of navigation, Timestamp would record a glimpse of the inner, mental landscape of the individuals that all once populated the same space.