How to Relay Relay; or, to Follow Andromeda is to Follow the World
AA Files 79
2023
Writing
Andromeda
Outer Space
Relay
AA Files 79
2023
Writing
Andromeda
Outer Space
Relay
Kaasa, Adam, 2023, ‘How to Relay Relay; or, to Follow Andromeda is to Follow the World’ AA Files, 79 (1). pp. 103-115. ISSN 0261-6823
This essay explores the concept of "relay" as a creative and interdisciplinary research methodology, analyzing its spatial, temporal, material, and translational dimensions. By positioning relay as both a method and a conceptual framework, the text examines its capacity to facilitate discovery and interpretation across diverse contexts, from everyday mark-making to astronomical phenomena.
The discussion unfolds across four thematic axes: spatial relations, illustrated through the relay race, highlighting the fragility and significance of connections; material conduits, such as telegraphs and optical systems, which have historically extended communication across distances; repetition in time, embodied in anniversaries that evoke memory, challenge dominant narratives, and enable counter-histories; and interpretation, exemplified by relayed translations that mediate languages and histories. These dimensions collectively reveal relay as a medium of exchange and transformation, fostering novel insights across disciplines.
The essay concludes by engaging with the Andromeda galaxy as an archetype of relay, reflecting both its mythological and astronomical significance. The light from Andromeda, relayed over 2.5 million years, is framed as an evolving archive of cosmic history. Through this metaphor, the concept of relay is presented as a dynamic process that reconfigures our understanding of connection, continuity, and emergence in space, time, and knowledge. This work challenges conventional methodologies, proposing relay as a pivotal framework for transdisciplinary research and creative practice.
Download here.
Journal website.
This essay explores the concept of "relay" as a creative and interdisciplinary research methodology, analyzing its spatial, temporal, material, and translational dimensions. By positioning relay as both a method and a conceptual framework, the text examines its capacity to facilitate discovery and interpretation across diverse contexts, from everyday mark-making to astronomical phenomena.
The discussion unfolds across four thematic axes: spatial relations, illustrated through the relay race, highlighting the fragility and significance of connections; material conduits, such as telegraphs and optical systems, which have historically extended communication across distances; repetition in time, embodied in anniversaries that evoke memory, challenge dominant narratives, and enable counter-histories; and interpretation, exemplified by relayed translations that mediate languages and histories. These dimensions collectively reveal relay as a medium of exchange and transformation, fostering novel insights across disciplines.
The essay concludes by engaging with the Andromeda galaxy as an archetype of relay, reflecting both its mythological and astronomical significance. The light from Andromeda, relayed over 2.5 million years, is framed as an evolving archive of cosmic history. Through this metaphor, the concept of relay is presented as a dynamic process that reconfigures our understanding of connection, continuity, and emergence in space, time, and knowledge. This work challenges conventional methodologies, proposing relay as a pivotal framework for transdisciplinary research and creative practice.
Download here.
Journal website.
‘How to Relay Relay; or, to Follow Andromeda is to Follow the World’ AA Files, 79 (1). pp. 103-115.