Mapping the Unseen, 2025
Petra Hudcová
Installation, disused noticeboards, project involving public participation
Alternative Cartography (Mapping the Unseen) reactivates disused noticeboards to create a new kind of map—one shaped by memory, emotion, and lived experience rather than official design. It asks what becomes visible when we turn from the planned and polished to the improvised and overlooked, and when we listen to everyday users—passersby, dog walkers, local residents.
The project begins with conversations, not city plans. People who spend time in Krejcárek Park—walking, resting, or simply being—reveal an alternative geography: shaded corners, hidden trails, and informal meeting spots that carry quiet meaning. Their stories transform the old noticeboards from tools of announcement into sites of reflection and shared understanding.
Set in Krejcárek Park, an in-between space on the city’s edge, the work unfolds amid contrasts: nature and infrastructure, visibility and neglect. While parts of the park are maintained, others remain raw and shaped by everyday use. Among birds, plants, and forgotten corners are also those experiencing housing insecurity—lives that unfold quietly, without record.
By mapping what is usually unseen, Alternative Cartography gently challenges how value is assigned in urban space. It invites us to pause, to notice, and to see through someone else’s eyes.
Special thanks to friends and family for helping me with feedback about the park, and anonymous dog walkers, runners, and walkers I met in the park
On Site
About the Artist
Petra Hudcová was born in Prague, where she currently lives and works. She studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London, and has participated in several international residency programs.
The central theme of Hudcová’s work is the role of symbols, signs, and landmarks in the formation of identity. In recent years, her installations have often been situated in public spaces and activated through interaction with viewers. The materials she uses range from found everyday objects and construction materials to simple chalk drawings and objects directly tied to the location of the installation. She has also explored the power and significance of games—their revolutionary, liberating potential and their ability to push boundaries, as well as the restrictive systems they can impose.
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