A Walking Tour of Matridottir, 2010

Written as instructions for performance.

 

Back

 

A Walking Tour of Matridottir

Distance: 3.5 miles.
Start: Site of the Amalgamation.
Finish: Sanctuary of the Neutre.

Start...

The town of Matridottir is known as the most fascinating perceptual anomaly in the Northern Hemisphere. It's geological personality is evenly split between modernity and untouched nature. Myths surrounding the small community describe the world through the lives of its seemingly otherworldly inhabitants. But the backstory of this small insulated town is weaved so closely with its mythology, that the residents of Matridotir have redefined their own history in terms of fabricated memories and incidents that seem all to rational to ignore. In other words, the residents of Matridottir find that shifts in perception bring the otherworldly closer to home. The most popular way to tour Matridottir is on foot, though there are many people who bike through the city to experience the legendary "Breath of Fibonacci", which is said to be the fragrant breeze of a spirit forever moving through the town reciting the famous sequence of numbers.

One...

We'll start at the Site of the Amalgamation, located in the city center at the Statue of the Librarian. There is no missing this living sculpture which stands 180 feet tall, covered in sod (if you're touring in the spring, that is). You'll notice that the Librarian is holding a large book with pages that literally drip to the ground. Visitors state that they feel a sense of great weight when they look at this piece of art. And they should! This statue is a visual retelling of the history of this community. Legend has it the first two inhabitants arrived to Matridottir simultaneously, but on opposing sides of this small patch of land. To get a full view of the Librarian, you must stand 300 steps away from her, but this is intentional. Now glance at the center of the book, where the pages fall away from each other. Use this as the center point of her body. Now walk forward, following this center line down as you get closer. When you are about 10 feet away from her, look at your feet. You'll notice that the ground beneath you is actually a small panel of brilliant led's. This is the actual Site of the Amalgamation. If you are fortunate enough to revisit this site in the cooler months of fall and winter, you'll notice that the materials are switched so that the sod gives way to a glimmering body of led technology and the patch under your feet is a surprising bed of lush greenery. Now that we've witnessed an example of the duality of this city, let's continue on our tour. We've been greeted by the Librarian, but now we must leave her behind in order to experience the secrets that lie between the covers of her book.

Two...

The city center was constructed to mimic the equality of ideas. You'll notice that we're walking on a path that is literally carved from the middle of a hill. You'll also notice that the trees that bank the path are increasing in height as we get closer to the building that stands directly in front of us. We're about 200 feet away from the Librarian now, and the hills surrounding us disappear behind the height of the trees. These evergreens directs our focus to the Museum of Artificial and Natural Intelligences (MAN). This was the first building that was erected in the town. The interesting thing about this building is that you must pass through it before you can enter the city. It is the gate into the world of Matridottir. Housed within it are products of both the internal and external forms of technology. It makes sense then, that the medical facilities are housed in this building as well. It'll take at least 3 visits to digest this incredible museum, and a lifetime to understand the concepts and artifacts it contains. In the center of the building there is a grand staircase that leads to the roof, on which there is a terrace that gives visitors a preview of the world which is hidden from view. This is the where the annual International Studies for Alternate Awareness Conference (ISAAC, named after Isaac Asimov) is held. Absorb the view before making the long descent down the grand staircase back to the main level. Continue straight ahead to the colossal double doors and open them to the beautiful storybook landscape that is right outside.

Three...

Those who planned this community wanted to represent levels of human curiosity by strategically placing structures in specific places. Once we leave the walls of the Museum of Artificial and Natural Intelligences, we travel straight ahead to a glorious waterfall. It is about 25 feet from the museum. Once we reach it, we veer right and follow the road about 75 feet until you reach a small garden of pyramids. Constructed of neon, steel and glass, it was commissioned by the museum and created by the students at the Institute for Potentiality, our next stop. If you look closely at the collection of pyramids, you see that only one of them is not pointed toward the sky. It is the one that points in the direction of academia. Walk five steps in the direction of the fallen pyramid, and look right. The Institute is 50 feet ahead. This is the premier place of study in the fields of art and technology. It's founders wanted to create a place where researchers and students could focus their attentions on mental technologies as well as new developments in software and hardware all for the purpose of studying shifts in perception. Assuming that every day spent in this institution stretches perception even a little bit, we are able to visit our next site, a mythological landmark.

Four...

With our backs to the institute, we make a slight left and walk downhill until we reach a field of wildflowers at the bottom. The field stretches on for about a quarter of a mile before you break through the tall foliage and come upon the Gods Labyrinth. This is our next stop. The residents refers to this site as "the church". Legend states that the first students of the Institute for Potentiality wanted to create a monument that would serve as a focusing tool. When you walk in one direction, one side of the mind is activated. When you walk the labyrinth in the opposing direction, the other side of the mind is activated. Reaching the center of the labyrinth represents the full potential of the human mind, body and spirit and all the forms of intelligence therein. Every group that tours this site is asked to walk the labyrinth for a glimpse of the experience. Take your time, focus your attention and enjoy.

Last...

At this point, you're probably thinking that this community doesn't have any fun. The truth is that we are on our way to the last stop, one where the community comes together to socialize. We are en route to an unmarked building affectionately named The Sanctuary. To get there, we need to walk east, one half mile from the Gods Labyrinth and make a slight left at the metal obelisk. If we continue straight ahead, we'll dead end into an unmarked brick building. There are several doors, but to get to the Sanctuary we need to make our way around the right side of the building, walk 15 steps parallel to the building and look left. Here we are. The history of this site leads us back to the original inhabitants of this community. When we started our tour at the Statue of the Librarian, I mentioned that there were two people who met at the Site of the Amalgamation. These two people are referred to as The Emo and The Logo and they represent polar opposite paths of knowing, The pair produced a child, who is referred to as the first of the Pure Strand Potentials. It is said that the Pure Strands exist as a result of the joining of extremes, and are the best example of balance that we have today. As per legend, other extremes were led to this community and so the population grew. But the extremes, by the very nature of being extreme, were the source of misunderstandings and disagreements amongst each other. The Sanctuary was built as a watering hole, a cafe and a place for entertainment. But most importantly, The Sanctuary a safe haven where everyone must remain neutral. Having told you this story, I believe this is the appropriate place to end our walking tour. We've been invited into this safe haven, on the condition that we leave all conflict at the door.