From landscapes to lawscapes. Law, bodies and agencies of the border understood as an architectural apparatus

Abstract

Which is the role of Law in the production of contemporary border? Can we define Law as a non material vector or should we acknowledge is material dimension, embodied in certain architectures and agents as border show us? This paper proposes an approach to the contemporary border production logics through two case studies and two key concepts. The infamous Tarajal tragedy (Ceuta, 2014) and the riots in Aluche’s CIE (Foreigner Detention Centre) during 2010. We will analyse these events through the lawscape and assemblage logics. This will unveil not only spatial production mechanisms that connect laws, bodies and agencies, but also the implicit spatial violence inherent to each production.