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BURGAGE
Multiplayer web-based virtual world & EVENT, 2022
Made in the midst of the national lockdowns, Burgage is a web-based multiplayer virtual world that uses topographical data from Google Maps to simulate the landscape of Alnmouth, Northumberland, UK. Inspired by the medieval law of Burgage Rights, which still gives Alnmouth villagers the legal right to use and share the produce of local land, the work emerged from direct participation in the village’s contemporary activities, including ecological restoration and charity projects.
The piece culminated in a virtual event bringing over fifty participants together to collectively explore the simulated landscape and discuss questions around digital spaces, surveillance and ownership.