Art of Walking Course Outline - Cornerhouse

The Art of Walking – Course Outline
A mundane trip to the shops or an encounter with the sublime where every step creates an
imaginary universe Walking is an everyday activity with extraordinary resonances; it has
inspired a rich tradition of writers, artists, performers and activists.
This course will explore walking as a creative practise and will take us on a journey from
Blake and Wordsworth to Richard Long and Marina Abromovitch. We will unravel the
tangled routes of Situationists, Surrealists, psychographers, mythogeographers, deep
topographers and more. Along the way we will encounter flaneurs, fakers, poets, prophets,
ramblers and revolutionaries and share inspiring techniques for DIY derives that bring the
theory into multi-sensory reality. We will mostly be focusing on European practice although
a diverse range of artists wil be covered. The schedule is roughly chronological but expect
many deviations from the path.
Pease note this course takes place in the cosy surrounds of the Cornerhouse, with an
optional walking expedition in the final week. Each seminar will use a variety of teaching
methods, including presentations, film clips and guest speakers. We aim to create a
partipatory and informal atmosphere, folk are encouraged to ask questions and share their
knowledge and experiences. No prior knowledge is required, each week there will be
suggestions for further reading/ watching, ideas for practical exploration and alternative
walking exercises.
1 The Romantic History of Walking
This week will introduce the themes and why walking has inspired so many artists and
poets. We will explore the emergence of walking as a leisure activity and the work of
writers such as the Wordsworths, Blake, Benjamin, Baudelaire, Wolff and DeQuincy.
We will explore the character and meaning of The Flanuer, his relationship to
modernity and discuss the (im)possibilities of the flaneusse.
2 Walking as a Revolutionary Act
This week we will discuss walking with the Surrealists, Lettrists and – especially – The
Situationists. We will explore the spectacular city and psychography; how the derive
was designed as a tool for revolution. Can this still be relevant today We will also
discuss the history of protest walks, including the Jarrow marchers, the Kinder
trespass, Peace Pilgrim and more.
3 The Modern Art of Walking
This week will focus on modern, avant-garde and Land art. This will include work by
Tony Smith Richard Long, Hamish Fulton, Marina Abramovic, Fluxus, Stalker and
others. There will also be digressions to discuss the impact of architecture and urban
planning on walking, including the idealism of Constants New Babylon. We'll also think
about the challenges walking artists face trying to represent their multi-sensory
experience.
4 Secret Walking: The Esoteric Turn

This week we will be examining the expanded tradition of psychogeography and how
walking can be used to uncover occult meanings. We will discuss writers such as Iain
Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd and groups such as Manchester Area Psychgeographic.
There will be tales of levitating the corn exchange and dissolving the Beetham Tower.
We will also explore the deep topography of Nick Papadimitriou, the mapping of ley
lines and the connection between place, memory and identity.
5 Robinson in Ruins
We will discuss the films of Patrick Keiller before a screening of Robinson in Ruins
6 Contemporary Derives
We will be looking at a range of contemporary artists to see how the derive has
evolved. We'll explore mythogeography and counter tourism, Lottie Child's Street
Training, Writes and Sites Mis-Guides and many more. We will discuss the current
flourishing of diverse walking art practices and how the form may evolve with the
continued development of digital technologies, GIS and virtual imaginaries. We will
also step into the art of urban exploration.
7 Sunday 3 rd March - An expedition
We will be going for a walk together to put some of the theories discussed during the
course into practice; the exact details will be revealed nearer the time as they will be
shaped by participants on the course.
Suggested Reading:
Solnitt, R Wanderlust: A Short History of Walking (2001)
Careri, F Walkscapes: Walking as an Aesthetic Practice (2009)
Mock, R (ed) Walking, Writing and Performance (2009)
The Walking Artists Network http://walkingartistsnetwork.org/
Mythogeography http://www.mythogeography.com/
The London Perambulator http://londonperambulator.wordpress.com/