Free the map

We are thrilled to announce the release of the Second Edition of ‘Free the Map’ 🎉 Due to popular demand, the first edition sold out quickly, leading to this exciting reprint. By the end of this week, the book will be available again on our website and in bookstores worldwide. Secure your copy and help free the map from its territorial trap! In ‘Free the Map’, border professor @henkvanhoutum argues for a new cartographic narrative. A map is a visual story of the world. It feeds our imagination and shapes our view of the world. A standard atlas, however, predominantly tells only one story, that of the nation-state. It depicts a world in which people are uniformly packed into national containers, enclosed by borders, and in which migration is often represented as threatening invasion arrows. Beautifully designed by @de_vormforensen , ‘Free the Map’ goes beyond this narrow, state-centric cartography and makes a plea to foreground human relationships, experiences, and connections in our maps 🌍 The book explores several visually compelling, alternative cartographic representations of borders and migration. Moreover, it is a call to action. Various artists and cartographers offer exciting, ready-to-use mapping challenges for education and public Maplabs.

🗺️ Redrawing Borders & Reimagining Cities with Henk van Houtum (maplab) 📅12 June 2025, 13:00-16:00 📍Independent School for the City, Rotterdam   Join us during Rotterdam Architecture Month for a provocative lecture and hands-on MapLab that invites you to see the map—and the world—differently. Based on his book Free the Map, Prof. Henk van Houtum challenges conventional cartographies that reduce countries to linearly enclosed, static containers and cities to anonymous dots. Such maps do not reflect reality—they shape it.   For more information about the event and tickets, see #linkinbio @henkvanhoutum @free_the_map @school_for_the_city @rotterdamarchitectuurmaand @de_vormforensen @vereniging_deltametropool 📸 Maplab with Annelys de Vet

/en/product/free-the-map/

/en/product/free-the-map/

🌍 Lecture by Henk van Houtum. All welcome. 📅 Monday 13 May ⏰ 8 pm 📍 Academy Building, University Groningen (tickets: check site Studium Generale, RUG)

Lecture: Free the map, towards a more humane and inclusive cartography of the world, organized by @isec_radboud . 15.04.2024, 1315-1330. @free_the_map

In part 1 of the book Free the Map it is analysed how migration is usually represented, namely as thick, red, straight arrows entering a territory (see Frontex map above). This is the visual language of an enemy invasion, a military encirclement (see the German invasion map). Also the frame is fallacious. The arrow map suggests that all migration goes to the EU. If one were to zoom out, a completely different picture emerges (see the zooming-out map and global map). The EU only receives a fraction of the global refugees. For more, see Free the Map. Order at @nai010_publishers The book and accompanying website ( ) are made possible with the support from @stimuleringsfonds and @pictoright @HenkvanHoutum @de_vormforensen

Yesterday’s book launch @nieuweinstituut together with our publisher @nai010_publishers ! Thanks for celebrating with us!

Free the map book launch 08.02.2024 | 19.30 @nieuweinstituut Rotterdam We cordially invite you to the book launch of Free the map. Free the map is a plea for a new cartographic narrative. A powerful and inspiring statement that encourages the creation of a new inclusive and human cartographic window on the world. Author Prof. @henkvanhoutum will present the contents of the book. @de_vormforensen (Anne-Marie Geurink & Annelou van Griensven) will explain the design of the book. Without the contributions of projects and the map labs, we worked on with various designers and scientists, this book would not have been created. We welcome everyone to celebrate the realization of the book and to say cheers with us. The presentation is in English. For rsvp https://nieuweinstituut.nl/en/events/omnibus-1 Published @nai010_publishers The book and website are made possible with the support from @stimuleringsfonds and @pictoright

We are excited with this great start of the year! Tomorrow a new book, Free the map, will be available in your favorite bookstore! 💫 Save the date: the 8th of February @henkvanhoutum (author) and @de_vormforensen (designers) will present ‘Free the map’ at @nieuweinstituut Free the Map is a radical shift in how we view and use maps. It offers a new cartography of borders and migration. The book ends with a call to action. Various artists, designers, and cartographers offer exciting ready-to-use briefings for education and public Maplabs. This platform includes 15 briefings of Maplabs to collectively create new insights and pathways for the emancipation and liberation of the map. With contributions from: @tofe.alobaidi , Catalogtree, @yishaygarbasz , @henkvanhoutum , Susanne Khalil Yusef, Nicolas Lambert, Sarah Mekdjian @unlisted_roots Philippe Rekacewicz, Malkit Shoshan, @jonas_staal @irenestracuzzi @devetann @jasbollah and Denis Wood. order at @nai010_publishers The book and website are made possible with the support from @stimuleringsfonds and @pictoright

We are celebrating!✨🎉 Today, on the International Day of the Migrant, we are launching the website . The website is a call to action to move beyond the narrow state-centric cartographic visualisation of migration and borders. The platform includes 15 briefings for concrete Maplabs to collectively create new insights and pathways for the emancipation and liberation of the map. With contributions from the following designers, cartographers and artists : @tofe.alobaidi Catalogtree, @yishaygarbasz @henkvanhoutum , Susanne Khalil Yusef, Nicolas Lambert, Sarah Mekdjian, @unlisted_roots Philippe Rekacewicz, Malkit Shoshan, @jonas_staal @irenestracuzzi @devetann Jasmijn Visser and Denis Wood. Free the Map, from Atlas to Hermes, is a book, written by @HenkvanHoutum and designed by @de_vormforensen , that argues for a new cartography beyond the dominant state-centric cartography of the regular Atlas. It analyses the consequences of standard cartography that fallaciously depicts borders as lines and migration as arrows; and it shows the rich collection of existing alternative cartographies such as counter-maps and cartographic visualisations of human experiences, connections and interactions. Save the date: The book presentation is at @nieuweinstituut on February 8, 2024. In a wonderful evening programme (together with @japsambooks ), professor of Political Geography and Geopolitics and author of the book, @henkvanhoutum will explain the contents and context of the book. The @de_vormforensen (book designers) will elaborate on the design choices of the book. Pre-ordering of the book is now possible at  @nai010_publishers Follow us @free_the_map The book and website are made possible with the support from @stimuleringsfonds and @pictoright  #countermapping #cartography #mapping #borders #migration #graphicdesign #devormforensen #bookdesign #radicalmapping #freethemap #nai010 #workshops #maplabs

Free the map, website sneak peek Next Monday the 18th of December on the day of the migrant we will publish our website: . This platform will include 15 briefings of Maplabs to collectively create new insights and pathways for the emancipation and liberation of the map. With contributions from Tofe Al-Obaidi, Catalogtree, Yishay Garbasz, @HenkvanHoutum , Susanne Khalil Yusef, Nicolas Lambert, Sarah Mekdjian, Ruben Pater, Philippe Rekacewicz, Malkit Shoshan, Jonas Staal, Irene Straccuzi, Annelys de Vet, Jasmijn Visser and Denis Wood.