I have been thinking a lot about claiming place.  Does place have its own, intrinsic value; or does space become place based on the human definition of it?  In what ways do we claim space?  In what ways do we have a right to?

When traveling, especially when staying in one place for an extended time, it is important for me to find a way to define “my” place – to lay claim.  When first arriving to UCD campus, one of the first things I did was unpack.  I put pictures up on my board, set my computer on the desk, draped headbands from a hook, etc.  I hate living out of a suitcase; it feels too transient.  I have a need to feel grounded, even when in a new place. I need to create a “home.”

Today, I spent more time in the apartment than I have in previous days.  Most of the group came together and made a spaghetti dinner.  Afterwards, we sat around and stayed up too late having in-depth conversations.  This, too, has made this space feel like home.  Much like hanging up my clothes and displaying my pictures, having good food and making good friends has really helped me feel grounded in this place.  Of course, this apartment and city cannot feel like home in only 5 days, but it is beginning to feel “homey.”

I have been on group trips before, and the dynamic of this group is better than any I have been with previously.  We stay in contact with each other, keep track of and take care of each other, and have even enjoyed making meals for the rest of the group.  This energy has really helped the group, both those of us who have travelled before and those who haven’t.  Even after my other traveling experience, I still usually tend to homesickness, but I haven’t really experienced that on this trip.  Of course I miss my family (hi mom!) and husband, but the kindness and energy of this group has really helped to make this feel like a home-space.

Yesterday we visited the Hugh Lane Gallery that includes a striking installation of Francis Bacon’s studio. The gallery removed each item from the studio’s original location and reproduced the space piece for piece within the museum.  When considering theories of place in conjunction with this studio, we might begin by asking questions about the changes that a place undergoes when it is dis-placed.  However, I want to go in a slightly different direction and consider the experience of the visitor.  Under what circumstances can one claim to have been to or been in a place?

My family has a rule that you can’t say you’ve been to a country if you don’t leave the airport.  If you have a layover and go out into the city, then it counts whether or not you spend the night.  This family rule informs the way that I feel about experiencing place.  One must experience a place to be able to claim it.  At the Francis Bacon studio, there is small space where one can “go in” to the room.  There is about a 3’x3′ glass alcove that allows one to have a simulated feeling of entering the space.  But does this count as entering?  How many of the 5 senses must be awaken?  Does seeing a place counting as “going”?  Or must one touch, smell, taste, and hear in order to experience?  Where is the line drawn?  I would argue that the hermetic seal between the visitor and the Francis Bacon studio keeps the individual from being able to claim having truly “been” in that place.  But what about a room that is simply roped off?  Does that count as “being” in a place?  It’s closer.  Maybe, in the end, it doesn’t matter.  The way we lay claim to places is perhaps arbitrary to begin with.  But I will say that I have seen the Francis Bacon studio.