In anthropology and the social sciences, walking as a method has experienced a resurgence in the last decade. This revival has brought back experiments from psychogeography, dérive, and sensobiographical walking—methods that have influenced ethnography, particularly in urban and sociological approaches to walking. This renewed interest has also impacted artistic practice, with 'Walking Art', a practice dating back to Dadaism and Surrealism, once again gaining prominence. This artistic and performative practice offers critical social reflections influenced by the social sciences and anthropology.
In this course, we will delve into Walking Art and its relationship with methods explored by the social sciences and geography. We will examine walking as an aesthetic and performative practice, exploring the interplay between body, mind, space, and time. Drawing on literature from the social sciences and geography that explores walking and its sensorial aspects, we will also analyze references from art performances and Walking Art.
The first part of the course will focus on exploring different walking methods from the social sciences, geography, and the arts. These methods will be put into practice on the streets of Berlin, uncovering historically, culturally, and artistically significant routes. The second part of the course will involve producing a multimodal work documenting a walk, utilising the diverse forms of expression offered by multimodal discourse. Students will have the option to use text for documentation and conceptualisation, while also exploring non-academic forms of writing.
The course will adopt a "mobile lab" structure, combining discussions and explorations of methods and theories in the classroom with practical experiences in Berlin's urban space. Students will critically engage with existing literature on walking as a method and Walking Art. Finally, students will have the opportunity to exhibit their multimodal work in a co-curated exhibition in the IfEE Institute's spaces, such as the Amo-Salon, Amo GartEEn, Kiosk, and/or Living Archive.
- Course owner: Melanye Ann Garland