The Atlas of Invented Identities A daring itinerary between volatile identities and deep-rooted stereotypes

The contribution is the incipit of a just begun research, that questions about the relation between the designed for competitive purposes identities of places and the private and collective narratives, to suggest a reflection about the impermanence, mutability and unstable balances connected to the concept of invented identity, in order to reflect on the collective and, therefore, public spaces of cities, as places in which to experience coexistence. The research intends, therefore, to propose tools for comparing the images and values of city branding and territorial marketing projects with the established narratives and experiences of individuals; from the perspective that private narratives and individual stories are – in opposition to or in harmony with official and collective history – valuable material for not eliding the complexity inherent in the processes that operate around the concept of identity. The aim of the research is to structure a space of relationships in which, according to the indications of Actor-Network Theory, it is possible to deduce the premises for small and medium-scale Urban Interaction Design projects within urban and territorial settings. The Atlas of Invented Identities constitutes a relational space, intended as the first outcome of the research: an open and participatory observatory – realized through the use of a digital platform and workshop and seminar activities – for the confrontation between the official identities of promoting places, the stories of individuals or small communities, and the narratives that come from the worlds on the sidelines of the project, such as literature, film, and art experiences. Desired outcome of the research is the establishment of project briefs that have urban areas as their place of application and coexistence as their goal.