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Pocket Map 'The Regime of the Visible' Explores Cannerberg's Layered Histories

publication · 2026-04-19

Kristina Benjocki's work, 'The Regime of the Visible,' offers a detailed map that delves into Cannerberg’s intricate past, a hill positioned between Maastricht in the Netherlands and Kanne in Belgium. One side of the map displays ownership of land through cadaster parcels and the layout of tunnels, while the other details geological and historical aspects from the nearby Caestert plateau. Since Neolithic times, flint nodules were gathered for tools and weapons, followed by extensive limestone extraction that supported Limburg's infrastructure until industrialization drained resources. During WWII, German troops repurposed local tunnels for V-1 rocket operations, and later, NATO used them until 1992, the same year the Maastricht Treaty was signed. Released on June 5, 2017, this project sets the stage for the upcoming video essay 'Portrait of the Mountain' and is part of ongoing research on the plateau, available through MIT Press with a subscription.

Key facts

  • The Regime of the Visible is a pocket map by Kristina Benjocki published on June 5, 2017.
  • It explores Cannerberg, a hill between Maastricht, Netherlands, and Kanne, Belgium.
  • One side maps land ownership, cadaster parcels, buildings, and underground tunnels.
  • The other side traces history and geology of the Caestert plateau, focusing on Cannerberg.
  • Flint nodules were mined from Neolithic times for tools and weapons, and limestone was hand-extracted for centuries until industrialization.
  • German troops used the tunnels for V-1 rocket storage and assembly during World War II.
  • NATO used the site as a Cold War headquarters until 1992, the same year the Treaty of the European Union was ratified in Maastricht.
  • The map is part of long-term research and introduces the upcoming video essay 'Portrait of the Mountain'.

Entities

Artists

  • Kristina Benjocki

Institutions

  • MIT Press
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
  • NATO

Locations

  • Maastricht
  • Netherlands
  • Kanne
  • Belgium
  • Limburg province

Sources