Walking in an urban environment as a form of activism is what I am interested in because it can leave a great impact on social events. Walking as a form of activism engages the whole body and psyche of a person and it leads to major changes on one’s personality as well as on the cause of the activism. I have chosen walking as a form of activism because I believe that human body is an instrument through which one’s mind can be employed and that can make impact on the environment.
People are unique when it comes to walking and they can be recognized by it. “Just as you might recognize a long-lost friend by the way she walks, you too are recognized by your walking posture, energy, rhythm, and use of space” (Bond, 2007, p. 24). Therefore, each person has their personal way of walking that leaves trace and has a social impact. There is also the involvement of human interaction related to walking as a form of activism. Also, walking has been used to raise awareness about particular social issues for centuries. Walking is the most basic form of movement and only people are able to walk using their two legs which makes them a unique species. However, when walking is seen as movement combined with a goal, it becomes a form of activism.
Body is in constant movement because of its design and that fact is fascinating. In order to be in a straight position, people’s bodies are in movement. There is motion even when people are sitting or standing and not moving in a way that is visible. The reason of this is the design of the body. It is exciting to be aware of the fact that motion is natural for people and that it makes them feel alive. This information means that walking is like breathing and people use it in order to survive. However, the meaning of walking can be put in numerous contexts, which depends on the purpose of walking.
Breathing is a significant component of the living process and people have to pay attention to it. Breathing is an integral part of spiritual practice and it is necessary to control it in order to achieve balance in life and to be more conscious about the world in general. There is a connection between body and the meaning of its movement and that is why this is a form of activism. It is important to have a message to convey through movement and it can be communicated through creative organization.
Walking has always been a part of human expression and non-verbal communication which is essentially based on movement. For thousands of years, people used walking as a means of transportation and to get from one point to another. This was the case since the Paleolithic man. Walking can be a spiritual movement as well, not only physical and it can be practiced on various tracks in nature as well as in urban surroundings. Turner mentions walking as a form of ritual and he says that there is “dvizhenie, a vanishing ritual from the Bulgaria” (Turner, 2012). This activity involved people walking down the streets without any particular occasion. The purpose is for the people to show their presence in the streets of their cities and to make it clear that they are the residents of the urban areas.
The current event related to walking is also related to art. Walking can be used as a form of activism in the artistic way as well. There is a question whether walking can have any kind of impact on the events in the world. Ai Weiwei often practices walking as a form of activism and he occasionally does it with colleagues. Walking as an artistic act or a performance makes a change in everyday lives and it raises public awareness about the purpose of walking. Walking can be seen as a performance and as art in such a way which means that change is possible through motion. Walking is also a means of expression as well as speaking one’s mind and art has an impact on social and political issues. Everything is combined and it includes human nature, walking, breathing, art and the freedom of expression through movement.
The point is to raise awareness: “Performative activism imagines change” (Harvie, 2015). This kind of activism evokes emotions and makes people want to start a change on a global level because they feel inspired. Art involves motion and walking is a form of activism and art which fosters social changes because it stimulates the way people think about certain matters. It is possible to have influence on the positive changes in the world through physical movement. Another current event of walking as activism is from Australia: “By walking the restricted and declared zones of Brisbane during G20 and placing paper boats along these borders, a plea for Australia’s abhorrent treatment of asylum seekers to cease was made perpetually visible throughout the G20 summit” (Phillps & Gutierrez-Sanfeliu, 2015). The connection between walking and art is powerful and it can have a great impact on global changes. Both walking and art are forms of activism because they inspire people to think and to change opinions. Voices of people matter and the situation is more likely to change if those voices are heard though an original way. Art is the way to convey different ideas and to point out to the interconnectedness of various different elements. Walking as art can provoke the action of other people with creative ideas and this can inspire masses.
Moreover, there are urban areas where people do not walk and one of the most famous is Los Angeles. “To walk in LA can be a political, almost profound act, and yet incredibly, almost absurdly simple” (Lange, 2006, p. 11). It is obvious that walking always makes a difference because it cannot go unnoticed. LA is very urban and walking around it can be physically engaging and will make people wonder about the purpose of it. In the modern world and urban architecture, walking has become obsolete because of the advancement of technology. However, “the bodily experience of moving recognizes that breathing and walking give access to something tangible and deflates the importance of abstraction” (Jacks, 2006, p. 5). Walking in urban environment is activism because it always has a profound meaning which can vary from socializing to political causes.
References
Bond, M. (2007). The New Rules of Posture. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
Turner, C. (2012). Is walking a form of activism? Mother Nature Network. Retrieved from http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/is-walking-a-form-of-activism
Harvie, J. (2015). Art and activism: can it change the world? In The Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ai-weiwei-can-art-change-the-world
Phillips, L., & Guttierez-Sanfeliu, C. (2015). Walking Borders: Arts activism for refugee rights. In Right Now. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://rightnow.org.au/artwork/walking-borders-arts-activism-for-refugee-rights/
Lange, C. (2006). Walking the Land. Afterall: A Journal of Art, Context and Enquiry, 10-17.
Jacks, B. (2004). Reimagining Walking: Four Practices. Journal of Architectural Education, 57(3), 5-9.
