Usurpers

Usurpers was a research project that examined the nature of maritime space and its interface with the city. It advanced a framework for thinking through ocean-going vessels by appraising historic and contemporary thinking on the sea, the vessel, and the shore. To push this framework, the project took three case studies, all concerning cruise liners: an incident aboard the Disney Dream in 2012, the 6-month voyage of the Artania, and the fate of the Ruby Princess. Each case demonstrated some of the particular qualities of ocean-going vessels: how they confound terrestrial authorities, traverse jurisdictions, and function as discrete spatial constructs.

The research was presented through an online essay, three drawings describing the case studies, and a pamphlet (which, when folded up, could also take the form of a small vessel of sorts).