A Story To Tell: Seeing Through the Minds of Two Admirals
- Eda Ozyesilpinar -
The Context of the Reis Map
As Reis explains in his marginal note III on the map (see Appendix), this map was drawn in 1513, five hundred years ago. This time difference plays a significant role in understanding the context of the map and how it impacts the meaning of the map. On one hand, there is the context in which Reis structured his map in 1513; on the other hand, another context needing to be considered is the one the map continues to function in in the 21st century. Understanding these two contexts of different time periods provides the depth characterizing the meaning of the map and how its meaning adapts to different cultural and social contexts by considering its audience. This changing context applies a deeper meaning to the formal elements of the map.
The context the map was drawn in and the context the map is viewed through help us to identify this map as a heterotopia. First, the Reis map carries the impact of socio-cultural contexts from two different time periods. It shifts from being a map structured for practical uses to a map telling the story of great discoveries of the 16th century to the audience of the 21st century. Its Oriental-centric look maintains itself, but it has become stronger in the context of the 21st century. Through the united depiction of the Americas as a geographical space, Reis tells the story of great discoveries of his time period to the audience of the 21st century. The story told in this map provides different layers of meaning and identifies different places within the Americas. However, the socio-cultural context is not the only element which has shaped the meaning of this map; the individual and bodily experiences which took part in the creation process of this map also have a strong impact on the meaning the map carries.
