Performance of the in-between region: an affective methodology to reflect on Cyprus’s exceptional bi-communal buffer zone village

<p dir="ltr">In this paper, I argue that the categorization and normalization processes of the UN mandate can be understood through the established image schemas in Pyla which circulate within the social body. Johnson introduced the idea of image schema as a fundamental model for individuals’ spatial experiences. At the same time, he emphasized the relationship between the establishment of the individuals’ reality and power relations. As a result, bodily experiences are formed unconsciously by the consequences of power relations and its objects. Furthermore, this paper aims to consider the concept of ‘regions’ by Goffman as an affective methodology to explore how the normalized buffer zone village becomes part of a social-architectural performance. Goffman defined region as ‘any place that is bounded to some degree by barriers to perception’. By introducing Goffman’s concepts of region, this paper aims to uncover the multiplicity of performance and to critically reflect on the complexity.</p>