World Wide Wandering: e-drifting in Paris and London DAVID OVEREND Scottish Journal of Performance Volume 1, Issue 1; December 2013 ISSN: 2054-1953 (Print) ! ISSN: 2054-19"1 (Online Publication %et$ils: htt':!!((()scottishjournalof'er+orm$nce)or, To cite this article: #-erend, D), 2013) .orl% .i%e .$ndering: e-%ri+ting in P$ris $nd /ondon. Scottish Journal of Performance, 1(1), '')31–52) To link to this article: htt':!!%1)%oi)or,! 10.14439/sjop.2013.0101.03 2&is (or3 is license% un%er a 4reati-e 4ommons 5ttribution 4)0 Intern$tional /icense) See &tt':!!creati-ecommons)or,!licenses!b6!4)0! +or %etails) Overend (2013) DOI: 10.14439/sjop.2013.0101.03 World Wide Wandering: e-drifting in Paris and London DAVID OVEREND DOI: 10.14439/sjop.2013.0101.03 Publication dat!: 13 D!c!"b!# 2013 $%is a#ticl! docu"!nts an #!&l!cts on a se#i!s o& '!( #ifts’ conduct! in 2012 t%#ou*% t%! p%+sical an ,i#tual spac!s o& Pa#is and -on on. E( #i&tin* is p#opos! as a n!. &o#" o& cultu#al pat%&indin* fo# a cont!"po#a#+ cit+ t%at is inc#!asin*l+ *lobal/ n!t.o#0! an int!*#at! .it% ,i#tual spac!s. $%! p#i"a#+ "!t%odolo*+1.an !#in*—is un !#stoo as a #!sistant p#actic! t%at can in&o#" an shap! t%! .a+s in .%ic% .! use an in%abit bot% u#ban an c+b!# spac!s. Inc#!asin*l+/ ou# #!lationship .it% ou# p%+sical !n,i#on"!nt is also !t!#"in! b+ ou# acc!ss to/ an !2p!#i!nc! o&/ ,i#tual an *lobal #!al"s. $%is a#ticl! a#*u!s t%at t%! 'political in3ui#+) t%at .an !#in* can b#in* about %as to !,ol,! in o# !# to !nt!# an c%all!n*! t%is n!. !2pan ! spac!. $%!se i !as a#! !2plo#! t%#ou*% a na##at! account o& a su""!#)s !( #i&tin*. $%is is a p#actic!(bas! in3ui#+ into t%! .a+s in .%ic%/ in t%!se &lui / +na"ic !n,i#on"!nts, .an !#in* "i*%t b! #!i"a*in! an #!&ocusse in o# !# to #!tain its pot!ntiall+ #!sistant 3ualiti!s. 4!+.o#ds: !( #i&tin*/ .an !#in*/ cit+/ u#ban/ p!#fo#"anc!/ ,i#tual/ Int!#n!t Int#o uction 5#o" "obil! p%on!s to .i#!l!ss !,ic!s an 6P7 syst!"s, 31 Scottish Journ ! o" #er"or$ance %o!u$e 1& Issue 1 t%! .a+ .! n!*otiat! t%! u#ban !n,i#on"!nt is c%an*in* at an unp#!c! !nt!d #at!. As 8a"!s 9a#kin (2010/ p.284< walks t%#ou*% t%! st#!!ts o& -ondon .it% =illia" 8. >itc%!ll/ t%!+ discuss %o. 'a .%ol! #a*ba* o& n!. *a *!ts an .i#!l!ss t!c%nolo*i!s %ol up t%! p#o"ise o& na,i*atin* ou# .a+ t%#ou*% citi!s in !2citin* n!. .a+s’. $%is !2p!#i!nc! o& au*"!nt! .an !#in* is c%a#act!#ise b+ "ultipl! conn!ction points t%at constantl+ b#in* p%+sical an ,i#tual spac!s into a fo#"ati,! #!lationship .it% !ac% ot%!#. As Nicolas =%+b#o. (2010/ p.24?< su**!sts, 't%! Int!#n!t an !l!ct#onic "!dia *!n!#all+ %a,! not just &acilitat! *lobal co""unication n!t.o#ks but %a,!/ o& cou#se/ b!co"! sit!s t%!"sel,!s’. Con,!#sel+/ fo# >itc%!ll (2000/ p.12), t%! cont!"po#a#+ cit+ %as b!co"! inc#!asin*l+ !&in! b+ its ,i#tual topolo*+ t%#ou*% 'si"ultan!ousl+ un&oldin*/ casuall+ int!#t.in! p#oc!sses o& t!c%nolo*ical inno,ation/ capital "obilisation/ social #!o#*anisation/ an cultu#al t#ansfo#"ation). $%!s! c%an*!s to ou# social spac! %a,! ta0!n plac! bot% p%+sicall+ an ,i#tuall+/ an t%! bounda#+ b!t.!!n t%! t.o #!al"s shoul b! un !#stoo as po#ous, &luid and unstabl!. $%is a#ticl! docu"!nts an #!&l!cts on a s!#i!s o& !2plo#ato#+ jou#n!+s conduct! in >a+ an 8un! 2012 t%#ou*% ,a#ious p%+sical an ,i#tual spac!s. $%!s! '!( #i&ts’ a#! con !nse into a sho#t na##ati,! an co""!nta#+ lat!# in t%is a#ticl!. I %a,! coin! t%is t!#" to &o#!*#oun t%! #ol! o& !l!ct#onic t!c%nolo*+ in shi&tin* t%! #an*! an possibiliti!s o& cultu#al .an !#in*. $.o capital citi!s p#o,i ! t%! p%+sical di"!nsion o& t%!s! !2p!ditions: Pa#is an -on on. $%!+ %a,! b!!n c%osen as "ajo# cultu#al an &inancial c!nt#!s .it% a #ic% %isto#+ o& #!sistant .an !#in* :7olnit/ 2001/ p.212). Alon*si !/ an du#in*/ s!,!#al .alks in t%!s! citi!s, ,i#tual '.an !#in*) too0 plac! on a !sktop co"put!# in a &lat in 6lasgo./ a laptop in ,a#ious %ot!ls an a flat in No#t% -ondon/ an an iP%on! t%at p#o,i !d constant acc!ss to t%! Int!#n!t .%!#!,!# an+ u#ban !2p!ditions too0 plac!. $%! !( #i&ts use sma#tp%on! t!c%nolo*+ to blu# t%! 32 Overend (2013) DOI: 10.14439/sjop.2013.0101.03 spac!s b!t.!!n t%! cit+ an t%! Int!#n!t an att!"pt! to na,i*at! t%! cit+ as =o#l =i ! =!b/ sea#c%in* fo# p#oducti,! .a+s to b#in* ,i#tual an p%+sical #!al"s to*!t%!#. In t%! account t%at follo.s/ I %a,! c%osen to a,oi a &i#st p!#son na##ati,! in o# !# to !2p!#i"!nt wit% t%! use of ‘!) as an un*!n !#!d p#onoun. W%il! t%is is not to !n+ t%at in t%is case t%! wan !#!# is mal! :D!i# #! :D!!) 9! don and Cat%+ $u#n!# (2010A 2012) point out t%at t%is is p#obl!"aticall+ t#u! o& "ost o& t%! &a"ous .an !#!#s o& t%! last c!ntu#+</ t%is app#oac% is int!n ! to #!spon to t%! !lusi,! natu#! o& i !ntit+ in t%!s! #i&ts, su**!stin* t%at a !*#!! o& anon+"it+ "a+ b! possibl! in "o,in* t%#ou*% u#ban an c+b!# spac!s. $%! Int!#n!t %as no. facilitat! a n!. l!,!l o& anon+"it+ an sinc! t%! !a#l+ nin!ti!s/ t%! =o#l =i ! =!b %as b!co"! t%! #!al" o& t%! 'c+b!#&lBn!u#)A a t!c%nolo*ical !2t!nsion o& @%a#l!s Cau !lai#!)s u#ban .an !#!# :9a#t"an/ 2004/ p.122). $%! s!l& o!s not disapp!a# co"pl!t!l+ in t%!s! #i&ts but it %as t%! pot!ntial to &a ! into t%! bac0*#oun as an !l!"!nt o& cont#ol is *#ant! to t%! .an !#!# to c%oos! %o. t%!+ a#! p!#c!i,! an .%!#! t%!+ *o. 9o.!,!#/ it is i"po#tant to ackno.l! *! t%at t%is anon+"it+/ .%ic% 4!it% $!st!# (1994/ p.4< #!&!#s to as a 'p#inc!l+ inco*nito)/ can b! ,i!.! as p#obl!"atic. 5o# Cau !lai#! (19D2, p.399</ t%! cit+ st#!!ts a#! a bac0 #op &o# t%os! .an !#!#s an obs!#,!#s o& "o !#n li&!/ .%os! passion an p#o&!ssion is 'to "!#*! .it% t%! c#o. ). Li0! Cau !lai#!)s &lBn!u#/ t%!#! is a #isk t%at t%! !( #i&t!# assu"!s a p#i,il!*! position t%at is a&fo# ! b+ t%! sa"! syst!"s an st#uctu#!s t%at "uc% o& t%is .an !#in* is int!n ! to c%all!n*!. In t%is s!ns!/ t%! !( #i&t!# #isks assu"in* t%! position o& t%! 'info#"ation !lit!) :9a#t"an/ 2004/ p.123). E( #i&tin* t%!#!fo#! ackno.l! *!s an a,o.s a pa#a o2ical #!lations%ip to t%! !n,i#on"!nts t%at it "o,!s t%#ou*%. It is conc!i,! as a p#oc!ss o& in3ui#+/ not o&&!#! as a political solution. 33 Scottish Journ ! o" #er"or$ance %o!u$e 1& Issue 1 I !ntit+ on t%! Int!#n!t is a co"pl!2 an cont#adicto#+ p%!no"!non. On on! %an / t%! !&inin* condition o& =!b su#&in* is to r!,!al v!#+ littl! about on!s!l&. T%! Int!#n!t can b! un !#stoo as 'a sa&! spac! .%!#! .! a#! &#!! to p!#fo#" i !ntit+) :4#otoski/ 2010a</ o# a labo#ato#+ &o# !2p!#i"!ntation on t%! s!l& t%at is #!"o,! &#o" ou# '#!al( li&! s!l,!s’ :$u#kl!/ 199E/ p.1;0). On t%! ot%!# %an / t%! =!b %as b!!n conc!i,! as an '!c%o c%a"b!#) t%at ulti"at!l+ functions to clos! o.n ou# possibl! s!l,!s as '.! consu"! in&o#"ation an "a0! !cisions about .%ic% se#,ic!s an p#oducts to t#ust b+ sel!ctin* t%! info#"ation t%at con&i#"s ou# b!li!fs/ t%at "a0!s us "o#! li0! us’ :4#otoski/ 2010aA s!! also 6ilb!#t/ C!#*st#o" an 4a#a%alios/ 2009).