The Mapping of Sensemaking Territories Through Physical and Social Media: A Case of the Historical Bazaar of Kemeraltı, Izmir

The paper aims to analyze and make visible the intertwined layers of a palimpsest territory, such as the historical bazaar of Kemeraltı in Izmir, Turkey, through the lens of architecture students concerning their perceptions of producing Instagrammable visual data to influence and attract the prospective visitors and to compensate the lack of interest in the bazaar as mentioned by local institutions. Through this analysis, we also aim to conduct a methodological experiment that recognizes social media as a cognitive tool by combining digital and physical representations. The study encompasses a one-month workshop for students of the visualization in an elective architecture course. The technique of theme-based cognitive mapping both in the space of places and the space of flows in Manuel Castells’ sense was utilized to investigate how the students perceive the historical and socio-cultural qualities of the region through different realms. The workshop briefs were accompanied by Instagram hashtag research and the design of visual journals, consisting of the photographs and videos taken by the students to share their influencer/sensemaker routes specific to the selected themes. The students tailored various influencer/sensemaker roles and generated place-based scenarios in combination with the themes. Ultimately, Kemeraltı’s multifaceted genius could be reflected on cognitive and sensory grounds through digital and physical cognitive maps, social media journals, and analyses. It was observed that the students could integrate the intersubjective character of the readily presented data on social media into the subjective and authentic character of the data produced mindfully on the site.