Artistic Research on Gravity Hills
(Mapaway, 2024)
In the border region of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, where the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium meet, the landscape subtly challenges our sense of orientation. Gravity Hills—roads that appear to slope uphill while actually descending—are natural optical illusions. During a residency at the Institute of Cartopology in November 2023, artist and photographer Hannah Schleifer conducted a site-specific investigation into this phenomenon, leading to the discovery of the first documented Gravity Hill in the region.
For Mapaway, this research was made accessible to the public through fieldwork, guided walks, and a symbolic opening moment of the site. A self-guided expedition offered visitors a field guide and tools to explore the illusion independently. The guide was available in three languages. Hannah Schleifer also led a walking seminar through the hilly landscape, discussing photography, perception, and orientation—culminating in the collective discovery of the Gravity Hill. The walk concluded with a small conceptual opening of Gravity Hill Aachen.
Gravity Hills reflects Schleifer’s ongoing interest in the intersection of visual perception, geography, and the limits of certainty in how we read the world around us.
︎︎︎ Mapaway
︎︎︎ Institute of Cartopology
︎︎︎ all works
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