PacRim Traders

By Sarah Lowe, Vera Fainshtein, and Thomas Asmuth   In approaching the Pacific Rim as a theme, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the topic. Attempting to extrude cultural, social or political definition from this broad geographic catchall can lead to cultural/social/political anxiety and migraines, particularly when that personal imperative to define comes in conflict with the desire to avoid inappropriate discordance with autonomous processes of self-definition taking place within Pacific Rim communities. As such, we have provided a framework through which a consensual definition process can take place: the PacRim Traders project. Each country within the Pacific Rim has been provided with an individual two-sided trading card, with a color scheme based upon that country's flag and heraldry. The fronts are a frame left blank for the insertion of users' defining images and information; the backs of the cards show the location of the country within its continental "league". Upon completion, cards can , and we will be providing a forum for self-definintion and a printable, portable visual aid for understanding the region. Download the Original Trading Pack (3.1MB Zip File)