by Agnes Poitevin-Navarre

The principle is quite simple. If you live in a London borough, please answer two questions in 10 words: 'What is your greatest achievement?' and 'What is the most important lesson life has taught you?'

Your answers will appear anonymously on two maps of your borough - Land of Achievement and Land of Wisdom - which will be shown at a London art gallery in 2008. You will be invited to the private view. 900 people have responded so far, and the project needs at least 50 per borough - a total of 1,650 people.

They include, to date - a woman who volunteered for the Tsunami Relief in 2005, a train driver who climbed K2, a mother who is raising two wonderful children, someone who created a play from scratch and made a room full of people laugh their socks off, someone who climbed the Eiffel Tower in heels, a man who tries to minimize his environmental footprint, someone who was crowned a beauty queen and had her photo on a postage stamp for her birth country, a man who lost 20 kg weight, a PhD student who kept herself together after a bad break-up and the London bombings outside her window, a young woman who is coping with the death of her sister, a student who interviewed Bob Geldof.

It's democratic. Each person's reply appears next to a dot that signifies their postcode. So if you live in Camden and your greatest achievement is 'Giving birth in 90 minutes' then on the map of 'Land of Achievement' in the NW1 section, one entry will say exactly that. If you live in Clapham and your second entry is 'Live for today', those words will appear on the 'Land of Wisdom' map for the borough of Lambeth. In total, 66 maps will be made as there are 33 boroughs in central and greater London - from Hillingdon to Havering, Enfield to Croydon.

I'm an artist with an impossible French name. I've lived in England for 18 years. I'm a graduate of the Slade School of Art. London is a great city where people from all over the world converge and live in harmony. Yet behind the veneer of the iconic city, some boroughs have specific reputations. The vision behind the work is to communicate a universal message of shared wisdom and personal development that transcends barriers or race, gender, class and age. Ultimately it is individuals who are the lungs of the city.

The art of map-making has traditionally been about recording land and its ownership. Instead of focusing on landmarks, I am interested in the individuals who create their neighbourhood. My gift to all the participants is to record the wealth of experiences that makes them who they are, by sharing a glimpse of their achievement and words of wisdom in a piece of art. Their gift to me is to champion the project and trust me. Ultimately, it is about one's legacy, one's personal life and geography. I want people to feel good about themselves and record it.

Questions are based on the Proust Questionnaire, a great technique for interviewing people. I chose these questions for the positive response they generate. Answers can be personal or professional. They can be deep, funny, emotional, dead-pan, mundane or truly exceptional succinct anecdotes. The maps act as visual vox pop - historical records of a sampled group and their life vision.

The initial trial in Croydon produced a surprising and exciting result. There were themes of family life, personal successes, the overcoming of tragedies - and enriched a perception of Croydon rarely publicized. That is why I decided to go London-wide.

I meet people all over the place - at private views, talks, community gatherings, book launches and networking events. I send emails, gave presentations at the Croydon Cultural Partnership and at the Royal Geographical Society (for a mapping project with the Institute of International Visual Arts). Anonymity is a gift for people to feel free to reveal something personal.

The project is playful and serious. Most importantly it is inclusive. It appeals to a variety of people, curious to see where they fit in within their geographical community and at their current stage of life. They include people from all walks of life - students, mothers, politicians, teachers, architects, actors, directors, artists, curators, writers, editors, novelists, poets, musicians, nurses, plumbers, security guards, office workers, green and community activists, volunteers, untidy teenagers.

The project culminates in a celebration where all respondents are invited to a private view to meet, discuss, engage and share. My vision is to make conceptual art more accessible; to help people see past their preconceptions; to foster a more central community spirit based on shared understanding.

END

(c) Agnes Poitevin-Navarre 28 April 07

If you would like to take part in the London mapping project, please see Agnes Poitevin-Navarre's website www.cushionculture.com

Agnes is part of two other shows in 2007. Mapping - Bury Art Gallery, Moss Street, Bury, BL9 0DR - 21 April - 14 July 07 - www.bury.gov.uk. Yes Yes Y'All - Hastings Museum and Art Gallery - 29 Sept - 11 Nov 07 - www.hmag.org.uk