Geometrías del Poder

02/24/23 • 29 min

El paisaje físico y político de un país es un reflejo de las relaciones de poder en la sociedad. ¿Es posible hacer que estas relaciones sean más igualitarias? ¿Es posible cambiar significativamente lo que Doreen Massey llamó "geometrías del poder" y crear espacios sociales que representen los intereses de los sectores históricamente excluidos de la sociedad?

Doreen Massey vio en Venezuela un intento prometedor de generar una nueva geometría del poder, más justa y democrática. En este episodio, el escritor venezolano Erick Moreno Superlano evalúa el éxito de esta iniciativa política una década después de la visita de Massey a Caracas. Para hacerlo, conversa sobre los proyectos de autogobierno impulsados por el gobierno de Hugo Chávez con dos expertos, María Eugenia Freitez y Reinaldo Iturriza.
Episode Credits
Host: Erick Moreno Superlano
Guests: María Eugenia Fréitez, Reinaldo Iturriza
Also Featured: Hugo Chávez
Writer: Erick Moreno Superlano
Producer: Agata Lisiak
Sound Producer: Jhiliem Miller
Music: Studio R
Artwork: Bose Sarmiento
In partnership with: The Sociological Review Foundation
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation & Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network

Find more about Spatial Delight at The Sociological Review.
Episode Resources

Doreen Massey’s work quoted or mentioned in this episode:

Geometrías internacionales del poder y la política de una «ciudad global»- pensamientos desde Londres, Cuadernos del CENDES, 2008
When Theory Meets Politics, Antipode, 2008
Espacio y sociedad: experimentos con la espacialidad del poder y democracia, La Oficina Ediciones, 2011
Learning From Latin America, Soundings, 2012

Also mentioned:

Venezuelan Social Conflict in a Global Context, Edgardo Lander, Latin American Perspectives, 2005
The Possibilities of a Politics of Place Beyond Place? A Conversation with Doreen Massey, Human Geography Research Group, Sophie Bond and David Featherstone, Scottish Geographical Journal, 2009
Golpe de Timón, Hugo Chávez, 2012
The Socialist Transformation of Venezuela: The Geographical Dimension of Political Strategy, Ricardo Menéndez in Spatial Politics: Essays For Doreen Massey, 2013
Doreen Massey and Latin America, Perla Zusman in Doreen Massey: Critical Dialogues, 2018

Find more about Spatial Delight at The Sociological Review.
Episode Resources

Doreen Massey’s work quoted or mentioned in this episode:

Geometrías internacionales del poder y la política de una «ciudad global»- pensamientos desde Londres, Cuadernos del CENDES, 2008
When Theory Meets Politics, Antipode, 2008
Espacio y sociedad: experimentos con la espacialidad del poder y democracia, La Oficina Ediciones, 2011
Learning From Latin America, Soundings, 2012

Also mentioned:

Venezuelan Social Conflict in a Global Context, Edgardo Lander, Latin American Perspectives, 2005
The Possibilities of a Politics of Place Beyond Place? A Conversation with Doreen Massey, Human Geography Research Group, Sophie Bond and David Featherstone, Scottish Geographical Journal, 2009
Golpe de Timón, Hugo Chávez, 2012
The Socialist Transformation of Venezuela: The Geographical Dimension of Political Strategy, Ricardo Menéndez in Spatial Politics: Essays For Doreen Massey, 2013
Doreen Massey and Latin America, Perla Zusman in Doreen Massey: Critical Dialogues, 2018

Previous Episode

Cities for the Many Not the Few

For Doreen Massey, every place poses a challenge, “the challenge of negotiating a here-and-now” – or what she called throwntogetherness. In this episode, we hear about different struggles to make cities more liveable – and more just – for the many, not the few. We discuss various limitations of the dominant political structures and why it is crucial to put continuous pressure on those who hold power.

Agata Lisiak and her co-host for this episode, Anna Richter, speak to geographer Ash Amin about urban commons and social empowerment. Urban scholar Carmel Christy K J tells us about the intersections of social and environmental justice in the port city of Kochi, and anthropologist Ayşe Çavdar uncovers the politics of mass housing projects in Turkey. Also, Anna and Agata make use of the sunny weather to go to a park and ask Berliners what they think makes a good city.

What do you think makes a good city? Please let us know by filling out this form.

Episode Credits

Host: Agata Lisiak
Co-host: Anna Richter
Guests: Ash Amin, Carmel Christy, Ayşe Çavdar
Also Featured: Doreen Massey
Writer and Producer: Agata Lisiak
Senior Editor: Susan Stone
Sound Producer: Reece Cox
Production Assistant: Adèle Martin
Music: Studio R
Artwork: Bose Sarmiento
Special Thanks: Serpentine Gallery
In partnership with: The Sociological Review Foundation
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation

Find more about Spatial Delight at The Sociological Review.

Episode Resources
Doreen Massey’s work quoted or mentioned in this episode:
Doreen Massey interviewed at London’s Serpentine Gallery, 2006
Cities for the Many Not the Few, with Ash Amin and Nigel Thrift (Policy Press, 2000)
For Space (Sage, 2003)
On Space and the City. In: City Worlds, edited by John Allen, Doreen Massey and Steve Pile (Routledge, 1999)

Recommended resources:
Land of Strangers, Ash Amin (Polity, 2013)
Grammars of the Urban Ground, edited by Ash Amin and Michele Lancione (Duke UP, 2022)
Ekümenopolis, dir. Ucu Olmayan Şehir (2012)
Geniş Zaman – a weekly YouTube program on contemporary political issues hosted by Ayşe Çavdar and Aysuda Kölemen (in Turkish)
The ‘Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen’ initiative
Housing Expropriation Referendum in Berlin: How it was won and what comes next?, Urban Political podcast, 2021
Housing Struggles in Berlin: Part I Rent Cap, Urban Political podcast, 2021
Housing struggles in Berlin: Part II Grassroots Expropriation Activism, Urban Political podcast, 2021
Richter, A. and D. Humphry. 2021. Ja! Damit Berlin unser Zuhause bleibt! That Berlin will remain our home! حتى تظل برلين بيتنا Berlin evimiz k

Next Episode

Geographical Imaginations

Host Agata Lisiak meets with artist and academic Heba Y. Amin at the Zilberman Gallery in Berlin. Professor Amin gives us a tour of her exhibition, When I See the Future, I Close My Eyes, and discusses how colonial and imperialist violence continues to shape our present. Her art demonstrates that technologies – even, or perhaps especially, those that appear to be “objective” – are inherently biased in favour of some populations and actually violent against others. Her art practice involves meticulous research and rigorous, subversive engagement with archives. She uses simulation, appropriation, restaging and humour to contest and disrupt dominant geographical imaginations.
We'd love to hear how art inspires you to question geographical imaginations. Is there an art piece that made you reflect on how you imagine the world and your place in it? A performance, photograph or film that has prompted a shift in your perspective? Please take a moment to fill out this form and share your thoughts with us.
Episode Credits

Host: Agata Lisiak
Guest: Heba Y. Amin
Writer and Producer: Agata Lisiak
Senior Editor: Susan Stone
Sound Producer: Reece Cox
Production Assistant: Adèle Martin
Music: Studio R
Artwork: Bose Sarmiento
Special thanks to: Zilberman Gallery
In partnership with: The Sociological Review Foundation
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation
Find more about Spatial Delight at The Sociological Review.
Episode Resources
Doreen Massey’s work quoted or mentioned in this episode:

The Shape of the World (The Open University, 1995)
A Place in the World, edited by Doreen Massey and Pat Jess (The Open University, 1995)
World City (Wiley, 2007)

Heba Y. Amin’s work:

Windows on the West, hand-woven Jacquard textile, 2019
Marseille’s Pyramid, sculpture and video work, 2019
Atom Elegy, miniature model and live photo reconstruction, 2022
Operation Sunken Sea, installation, performance, video, 2018
The Earth is an Imperfect Ellipsoid, photography, text, projection, 2016
The General’s Stork, mixed media, 2016 - ongoing
The General’s Stork (Sternberg Press 2020)
As Birds Flying كما تحلق الطيور video, 2016
Heba Y. Amin’s website
Zilberman Gallery website

Find more about Heba Y. Amin's work at The Sociological Review

Spatial Delight - Geometrías del Poder

Transcript

00:00:03.040

This episode of Spatial Delight is entirely in Spanish. If you don't understand Spanish but would like to learn about Doreen Massey's concept of "power geometries" and how it has been put to use in Venezuela, you can access a translated version of the script on our podcast page at thesociologicalreview.org. Y si entienden español, esperamos que disfruten este episodio.

00:00:32.840

Latinoamérica es sin duda en este momento un laboratorio mundial,