The Imaginary Patagonia

We have been working in an empirical example, in a sort of leading case to illustrate the issue of geo-epistemology, at least on what could be considered as historical evolution in Latin America. Under that premises, we have been working on the idea, concept and topography of ‘Patagonia’. Therefore, ‘Patagonia’ for us is not only a geographical place or destination but mainly a concept that informs all the other well-known meanings of the word and, more relevant, that informs the culture at local and non-local level.

The project that we call ‘The Imaginary Patagonia’ was started in 2005 and the aim was to generate a local example of the theory of geo-epistemology we were thinking/working about at the same time. The first part of the project will conclude with the publication of a single monograph (forthcoming 2010) that will present (i) the general approach to the problem, (ii) the main issues to be considered and (iii) a panoramic view of the subject in relation to other issues/matters of the concept/idea of what we call ‘Latin America’.

Related Information

The End of the World

Since his debut ‘Imaginary Patagonia’ became part of a way of thinking. It is not only and/or how a particular cultural evolution can be understood from a spatial/visual perspective. The ‘Imaginary Patagonia’ became, within our work, a model to follow on how it is possible to think about conceptual evolution, about territories and replacements of meanings and theories.

The Concept of Patagonia

‘Patagonia’ is not only a concept relevant in relation to the local Latin American environment. Another purpose of the project was to demonstrate that ‘Patagonia’ as a concept is at the core of the Western notion of space, territory and Imagination. Our hypothesis is that Patagonia’ affected in such a way the Western notion of space, imagination and territory (including travel, distance, etc.) that it became part of the colonial paradigm that we are studying today.