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Counter-Atlas · field method · brief

The route, as a scaffold.

Derive Across the Path of Stars, a provisional field archive from Marrakesh to Lagos.

Premise

This prototype adapts the route-companion pattern to Invisible Borders: five provisional chapters, one estimated corridor, and a daily practice of photography, field sound, writing, short video and counter-mapping.

The map is a scaffold, not an authority. Replace the estimated route with verified traces as the journey unfolds. The road, the group and the people encountered can overrule what any line pretends to know.

Timeline

10 October to 26 November 2026
  • StartMarrakesh, Morocco · departure and orientation
  • Ch.01Marrakesh · Official start · 10 Oct
  • Ch.02Essaouira · Morocco · coast · 12 Oct
  • Ch.03Agadir · Morocco · coast · 14 Oct
  • Ch.04Tan-Tan · Morocco · desert threshold · 16 Oct
  • Ch.05Laayoune · Western Sahara · administered by Morocco · 18 Oct
  • Ch.06Dakhla · Western Sahara · administered by Morocco · 20 Oct
  • Ch.07Nouadhibou · Mauritania · after the Guerguerat crossing · 23 Oct
  • Ch.08Nouakchott · Mauritania · capital · 26 Oct
  • Ch.09Saint-Louis · Senegal · after the Rosso crossing · 29 Oct
  • Ch.10Dakar · Senegal · Atlantic hinge · 1 Nov
  • Ch.11Tambacounda · Senegal · inland turn · 4 Nov
  • Ch.12Bamako · Mali · after the Kéniéba crossing · 7 Nov
  • Ch.13Ouagadougou · Burkina Faso · the longest leg · 11 Nov
  • Ch.14Kumasi · Ghana · after the Paga crossing · 16 Nov
  • Ch.15Accra · Ghana · Gulf of Guinea coast · 19 Nov
  • Ch.16Lomé · Togo · after the Aflao crossing · 21 Nov
  • Ch.17Cotonou · Benin · last stop before Nigeria · 23 Nov
  • Ch.18Lagos · Official end · 26 Nov
  • EndLagos, Nigeria · installation material · Lagos Biennial 2026

House rules

Rule 01
No extractive capture.

Identifiable images, voices and stories need consent. Some material belongs in the notebook, not online.

Rule 02
Keep uncertainty visible.

If a note is partial, mark it as partial. Do not turn a passing observation into an explanation.

Rule 03
One fragment, one context.

Every image, sound, route mark or quote needs date, place, method and consent status.

Rule 04
Correct the map daily.

The estimated route is a scaffold. The road, the group and local knowledge can overrule it.

Rule 05
Publish slowly.

Daily blogging is a rhythm, not a pressure to expose everything immediately.

Rule 06
The road is collective.

The archive should show relation, negotiation and shared production, not a solitary narrator conquering distance.

Authorship

Prototype prepared by Gerardo Ezequiel for Invisible Borders 2026. The route data is provisional and should not be taken as the official Invisible Borders itinerary.

Connectivity plans

Field fallback
When the route conditions change

The companion should stay useful under weak signal, fatigue, border pressure or safety constraints. Capture less, annotate better.

Low-connectivity plan
Patchy signal

Keep collecting locally. The route companion should still work as a field notebook when the network is weak.

  • Write the route note in the journal before trying to upload anything.
  • Capture photos and audio locally, then tag them when signal returns.
  • Mark uncertain locations as approximate rather than forcing precision.
  • Prioritise consent notes over public posting.
  • Back up the day's fragments when the group reaches stable connectivity.
High-pressure day plan
Border, fatigue or safety pressure

Reduce capture. Preserve care, group coherence and essential route notes.

  • Stop recording identifiable people unless consent is already clear.
  • Collect only one image, one sound and one route note for the day.
  • Log delays and conditions after the pressure has passed.
  • Treat missing data as evidence of the road conditions, not a failure.
  • Review before publishing. Some days should remain private or partial.