Reflections on the concept of maritorium and its relevance for contemporary Chiloé studies

Abstract

The concept of maritorium, as an image of ‘territory’ from and on the sea, is contextualized in the so-called nissology or islands studies. Ever since it was first proposed in the PUCV School of Architecture of the 70’s, its use has spread towards multiple reflections and discourses, frequently related to the archipelagic complexity –geographical and human– that characterizes Chile. In this paper, we discuss the history of the concept and its capacity to foster reflections within and from this condition of insularity, in accordance to dominant as well as alternative modes of development. Within this framework, the concept goes back to its original essence: being a constructive critique and not just a term used to describe a landscape.