The Map and the Territory

Readers with certain expectations when it comes to Houellebecq's work are in for a surprise – there is not a single sex scene in the book. The author has clearly decided to shock once again, but in the least expected way: he is calm and successfully pays tribute to 19th-century realists. Houellebecq tells the story of painter and photographer Jed Martin. His mother committed suicide, and he only sees his father sporadically. He began his artistic career at the Beaux-Arts academy by photographing inanimate objects, but then discovered how fascinating maps can be and began to focus particularly on the relationship between a map and the territory it represents. He discovered a completely original creative process involving photographing Michelin maps from various angles – when enlarged and properly installed, the resulting artistic photos take on the dimension of an extraordinary work of art…