Atlasimises

Atlasimises refers to the physical maps of imaginary worlds created by contemporary artists and cartographers. These maps often elaborate fictional landscapes, politics, and geography that serve more as visual artistic expressions than practical navigational tools. Atlasimises can range from the fantastical to the whimsical, incorporating mythology, folklore, and science fiction.

Some artists have become well-known for their creative atlasimises, crafting elaborate designs that often accompany stories, novels, or video games. In various contexts, atlasimises are viewed as a powerful tool for world-building as they allow artists and writers to establish and diversify fictional settings, such as fictional countries, mythical realms, and alternate realities.

Historical precursors of atlasimises include medieval alpine maps, allegorical maps created by medieval cartographers and Renaissance artists. These maps not only served as navigational aids but as means to comment on society, culture, and politics. They employed symbolism, representation, and exaggeration to convey meaning and sometimes feature fables, prophecies, or the conjectured outcomes of future events.

Atlasimises have their roots in Gothic cartography and Renaissance idealography which blended myth and reality, leaving doubt about what authentic and authenticating map characteristics were. More recent examples of atlasimises are rooted in the concept of fabulous representation. Dianne Mishler Leding, a medieval cartographic historian, notes that atlasimises reflect societal or ideologically tinted representations that establish how certain myths, legends, and speculations are signified through cartographic presentation.