Mike Lawrie  

Bumpmap is an interactive installation which explores the experience of where, and more importantly how I ride my bicycle throughout Toronto.

On Cycling

Cycling is a source of some contention in our city. It is seen as a healthy, environmentally and socially friendly activity and actively encouraged by government and many advocacy groups. However, when hemmed between streetcar tracks, indifferent motorists and parked cars it is easy to lose sight of all that. Along with lacklustre legislation, poor road quality and growing traffic congestion, the road can be a hostile environment. Local politicians cite bicycles as an inexpensive, effective measure to combat smog and global warming, yet law enforcement and city planning inevitably fail to sponsor cycling effectively. Cycling in Toronto is a rough ride.

On Bumpmap

In an attempt to explore this issue, I have for some time been carrying with me a data recording device wherever I cycle. Similar to an aircraft’s ‘black box’ this device logs GPS coordinates, current time and acceleration in three dimensions. From the collected data, I have begun to create a map. However, I am not trying to map the city. I am mapping the experience.