FINE-204 Walking Art invites you to embrace walking as a creative method for multi-sensory observations, storytelling, and social engagement. Through walking pieces, you will critically examine layered temporalities and more-than-human perspectives by experimenting with time-based media alongside materials that evoke deep time. Projects culminate in a reimagining of how we move through and make meaning in the world around us, to relearn our ties to the environment in the Anthropocene and transcend colonial notions of landscape.

this course is inspired by a number of writers, artists and research projects which are compiled into a living archive "walking as a method" on are.na

All course materials designed by Xuan Ye on this site are licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, otherwise noted. All copyrights for student artworks exhibited remain with the individual creators, per the University of Waterloo’s Policy 73 (Intellectual Property Rights). Any exceptions will be explicitly noted with written consent and credits.

Contact XY: email / discord

a walk is ___

the course is structured in intersected modules, each of which is a walking piece that may consist of multiple walking pieces. each term or iteration of the course would be a different mix of the modules, due to weather conditions and class partners such as guest artists and cross-departmental collaborations.

walking piece ⓪ a walk is ___

learning objectives:
event score

instructions

mark down the words "a walk is" on the bag and radiate from there

Prompts

1. what does walking mean to you?

2. what symbols, patterns, or words represent your relationship to walking, environment, or place?

learning outcome

Decorate a canvas tote that you can use throughout the course to carry walking essentials and collect observations during your walks.

walking piece ⓪ a walk is ___