#mindyourspace – exploring personal space by Larissa Berghofer and Aitana Kugeler

Our personal space is part of our identity and therefore highly unique. These boundaries we build shape not only our current relationships but also how we build connections around us. We were especially interested in the dialogue between two people’s personal spaces when approaching each other that basically results in a constant negotiation of our boundaries. Taking into consideration our research and our own experiences, we concluded that gender plays an important role in the perception of personal space, as does body height and cultural background. We asked ourselves: how much of our space are we willing to give up for someone else? And who does our body belong to if we get invaded without our consent? These intrusions happen not only through touch, but also through vision, sound, and movement. It can cause traumatic psychological and physical consequences. While physical consequences like theft, harassment, or rape leave obvious visible marks on the body, psychological consequences like anxiety, distress, and panic, stay invisible, leaving no proof, and making it harder to be taken seriously.