Art cartography and situated design: Experiences with mangrove women from Las Gilces, Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1iEspecial_3.4099Keywords:
Situated design, Art cartography, Social mapping, Gender and territory, Ancestral knowledgeAbstract
This study analyzes the contribution of art cartography to the visibility, documentation, and representation of the ancestral knowledge of mangrove women in the community of Las Gilces, Manabí, Ecuador. A qualitative case study was conducted using a research-creation design. Data were collected through participatory social mapping workshops, participant observation, in-depth interviews, photographic documentation, and community inventories involving women recognized as custodians of ancestral knowledge. The data were analyzed thematically and translated into art cartography outputs. Social mapping enabled the identification of practices related to artisanal salt production, fishing, pinchagua fish processing, agroecology, and community-based tourism, while documenting the relationships among territory, memory, identity, and community organization. The resulting outputs included an artistic cartographic map, a series of illustrated postcards, a visual inventory of women knowledge holders, and a photo-ethnographic book. The findings demonstrate that art cartography enhances the visual representation of local knowledge and strengthens its recognition as intangible cultural heritage. It is concluded that art cartography extends beyond the production of visual representations to become a situated design methodology that integrates research, community participation, and heritage communication. Its application contributes to documenting and safeguarding ancestral knowledge, highlights the leadership of women in knowledge transmission, and provides a transferable methodological strategy for research conducted in territories with similar sociocultural characteristics.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mirian Mariela Coral López, Marcela Raquel Triviño Tauriz, María Raquel Freire Bravo
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