The space of Utopia: utopian impulse and cognitive mapping in TAZ – Temporary Autonomous Zone

Abstract

In this work, we offer a reading of the book TAZ, written by Hakim Bey, according to the notion of “utopian impulse” (our reference here will be Ernst Bloch and Fredric Jameson) and to the concept of “cognitive mapping”, which have been worked by Jameson. Our analyses will show that TAZ, as an utopian construction, show some lacunas and inconsistencies which will guide our cognitive effort due to the fact that they will be read as “instructive symptoms” of the present crisis of the historical imagination.