On mouse over - names are hyperlinked so is also the title "Walk with us"
Draft toward a text on WAP24
The attempt with this text is to bring forward individual artists from WAP24 and through this elaborate on reflections on what walking possibly brings into an artistic practice regardless medium.
Noticing the unnoticed
Walking with anticipation unlocks approaches to the landscape with a sense of expectation and openness. It involves walking without always having a fixed destination but rather with the understanding that something significant—an encounter, a discovery, a moment of insight—might emerge along the way. In the rural setting of Stockholm’s northern archipelago, walking with anticipation becomes a tool for artistic research. It transforms the landscape into anactive participant in the creative process, where the act of walking allows for a deep, embodied engagement with the environment. This is in contexts where we can afford to do so, ie when we dont have the burden of time and financial issues infesting our sphere.
By walking with anticipation, the artist cultivates a mindset that is alert to possibility, even in spaces that seem familiar and unchanging. This approach taps into the idea that the landscape is never truly static. Natural environments, especially rural ones surrounded by water, are in constant flux. The tides rise and fall, plants grow and decay, the weather changes, and animals move through the space, all of which alter the landscape on both small and large scales. The practice of walking with anticipation acknowledges this dynamic quality and positions the artist as a witness to these subtle transformations. Attention is key to unknowing the known paths. In a familiar environment, the mind tends to gloss over details, skipping from one known feature to the next. Re-learning how to pay attention—to each step, to each breath of wind, to each sound in the distance—invites a deeper engagement with the surroundings. Walking itself becomes a meditative practice, where mindfulness heightens the walker’s ability to perceive what might otherwise go unnoticed. Attention, in this context, means being present in the moment, resisting the urge to rely on memory or prior knowledge of the path. It means embracing uncertainty and being open to the possibility that something new will emerge, even in a place where every rock and tree seems familiar. Paradoxically, walking the same path repeatedly can also reveal newness. Each walk, even along the same route, is different from the last because the walker themselves is different. The weather, the light, the season, or even the walker’s mood can transform how the landscape is perceived. This speaks to the power of repetition as a tool in artistic research. By walking the same path over and over with an open mind, subtle variations become more noticeable, and patterns that were invisible on the first walk may emerge. Repetition also allows for a deepened understanding of the landscape. What seems like a limited area may, through repeated exploration, reveal itself as far richer and more complex than initially thought. This deepened understanding doesn’t come from novelty but from an ongoing, evolving relationship with the landscape, where each walk builds on the previous one, adding new layers of perception and insight. We see strands of various methods to obtain anticipation in walks.
- Changing the Route: One simple but effective method is to alter the path itself. Walking in the opposite direction or choosing a lesser-used side trail can dramatically change the perspective, revealing new details or creating unfamiliar visual compositions. Even in a limited area, small changes in direction or approach can lead to fresh observations.
- Changing the Time of Day: Light and weather conditions have a profound impact on how a landscape is perceived. Walking at dawn, dusk, or even in the rain or fog can transform a familiar path, emphasizing different elements—shadows, reflections, or sounds—that might go unnoticed under typical conditions.
- Changing the Pace: Slowing down or speeding up one’s pace changes the experience of the landscape. A slow, deliberate walk allows for a more detailed observation of textures, sounds, and small movements in nature, while a faster pace might reveal patterns of flow and spatial relationships.
- Sensory Exploration: Engaging the other senses besides sight—such as listening intently to the soundscape, touching the textures of bark or stone, or even paying attention to the smells of the environment—can open up new layers of the experience. This multi-sensory engagement with the landscape helps to unearth details that might have been ignored in previous walks
- Re-storying our Walking Experience: This we do as artworks, on site elaborations or sharing of deep thoughts or other attempts towards sharing with others who did not bear witness.
The rural landscape is not just a passive backdrop for artistic activity but a living, breathing system that artists interact with as they walk. The act of walking becomes a way to seasonal observations and responses to the ecology of the island. Walking the same paths repeatedly, rather than dulling the experience, can instead lead to a deepened understanding of the landscape’s complexity. Through careful attention, deliberate shifts in approach, and an attitude of curiosity, the familiar becomes unfamiliar, and the known paths reveal themselves as sites of endless discovery. Unknowing the known is not about discarding knowledge but about recognizing that, in art and life, there is always more to see, feel, and understand than what first meets the eye. The care-turst-readyness is an intimate act easy to feel as it happens but challenging to describe the core of artist Bernadita Bennet puts it "My aim was also to create a solemne atmosphere before coming all together to the water." Here one can understand what the gestural aspect of a walk. Junanma González position is similar "Through the act of walking, my mind, spirit, and body connect, allowing me to feel fully present." A quoat from Cliff Andrade in regards to the experince of the shared walks. "The emotions of calm, contentment and comaraderie. The feeling of the sun and wind on my skin. But it is fuitle. In a moment this moment will be the past, tomorrow a memory. And eventually, like Ernaux constantly reminds us, everything will disappear. But maybe that is not the point. Maybe the point is to generate that positive energy in the universe whilst you have the ability."
Walking with anticipation unlocks encounters, these layers and engage with the stories and narratives they contain. They become points of entry into larger artistic inquiries about place, memory, and human interaction with nature. Walking thus becomes a way to connect the present moment with the deeper histories that shape the landscape. Layers of time and memory are evoked by artistic interventions. Ami Skånbergs Suriashi walks where she asks the participants to invite someone no longer of this world not only evokes the memory of the specific place but asks the walker to through the special invitation and the specific time and place move into a space that is no longer the one we standing in nor the one of a specific memory but to combine impressions from both sensory and memory. Skånberg askes the participants to invite an ancestor to walk with them. During the walk the group moves together with their significant invitee. Post walk Skånberg invites to a gentle dialogue on whom were invited and opens up for a conversation on emotional and sensory aspects of the experience.
In artistic research, this method emphasizes the importance of process over outcome, where the walk itself becomes an exploratory act that generates new ideas and ways of seeing. Walking through the rural setting of Stockholm’s northern archipelago, Sweden, also brings to light the historical and cultural layers embedded in the landscape. The islands have been inhabited for centuries, and traces of past human activities—fishing villages, old cottages, or boat routes—interact with the natural environment. For WAP24 September Edition artist and urban anthropologist Arba Bekteshi has this approach as she is mesmerized by bedrock rising and how this affects and affects inhabitants as well as the shaping of place. This is also intertwined in artist and lanscape architect Hazel Mei´spractice of Shadow Walk and also the works of Freddie Maria Tetzlaff whos practice revolves around themes of queerness, gender identities, nature and friendships, and to explore these concepts through drawings and object. Tetzlaff does not self identify as a walking artist but perhaps since walking per definition have fixed points and styles are fluid, walking with in WAP bringsforeard new approaches.
Artistic research processes encourages a practice of noticing the unnoticed in a state of becomeing attuned to the subtle differences and opens up for the reflective state of being, in a circular approach of becoming as one walks with instead of merely through. This ecological awareness is there as a parallell contingency. Being explored through mycelium, lichen who seems to be able to tell us stories on structural secureness to environmental aspects with catastrophe in the horizons (if not already here). Contemporary artistic research, engaging with environmental issues in a form that does not put us in a state of panic, provides a sensitive fabric where the act of walking reminds us of that we are all part of if but not necessarily responsible on an individual plane. We see such an example in John Schuermans “Walking Where the Shore Would Be if Not for Climate Change” where a walk infront of camera brings us to core of the environmental problem that of responsibility and what are we doing as society and individuals. Walking allows for a direct, embodied encounter with the land (and its waters), here fosters a deepening understanding of the interconnections between humans and nature. The walking based practices, suggests a contribution to larger conversations about sustainability, conservation, and our relationship with the natural world. In artistic research, this method emphasizes the importance of process over outcome, where the walk itself becomes an exploratory act that generates new ideas and ways of seeing. The walks of Hayley Whelan puts emphasis on the female walker in urban and other spaces. She grasps towards unveiling the routine walk often in urban space but for WAP24 September edition it was in the back drop of the rural scenario.
As part of the walking with anticipation process, artists often engage in various forms of documentation—whether through sketching, photography, writing, or sound recording. During WAP24 June Edition the walk of Anna Viola Hallberg an artist at the cusp of documentary and community driven art invited to a public walk “Walk with Us”. Hallberg divided the walk in to three stretches and invited the artists; Ami Skånberg, Juanma González and John Schuerman to relate to walking as artists on a pilgrimage trail. Scholar Lena Gemzöe was an invited guest walker with the task to unfold walking as pilgrim and walking as artist. Hallberg pays attention to the witnessing aspect of the walk. The shared experience of walking and exploring together. We were there and we shared that which we encountered as we are in a context that is not enforced by the grid shaped life where both architecture and time are forceful regulators. The landscpe is somthing the walker passes through this is explored by involves experimenting with different methods to depict landscape and movement while walking, focusing on the perception of surroundings, depicting shapes, structures and movement in relation to space. Rebeckah Dean took on the mission to via a metaphore explore and unpin what walking it self is."The repetitive action of unpicking a man’s suit offers a method for tracking and reading a different kind of landscape, much in the same way that walking tracks the geographical landscape, as one foot follows the other" To register this and to expand up on it Janice Jensen designed a drawing is then adapted into drawing and painting mediums as well as animation and 3D VR-Landscapes which transform and combine the drawings into an interactive visual experience.
Ways of walking or rather ways of thinking around the artist as a walker varies, can be part of a body based practice as in the case of Ami Skånberg or as in performative drawing by program co-curator Antonia Aitken who uses walks as a way of finding sites for drawing based explorations. Some of the artists were not prior to the program engaging in a reflective practice around walking itself but used walking as a thinking space. Shi Tou and Ming Ming and their "Micro Walk" belong to that category being foremost documentary film makers but also visual artists. For them the walking became a space for unknowing as it involves consciously setting aside assumptions and expectations to create space for new experiences. In the context of walking, this means reimagining the landscape (and its creatures) with a mindset that is open to seeing what has been overlooked or dismissed both in the actual landscape one passes through but also in the thought based scenarios. It requires a mental shift from familiarity to curiosity—an intentional act of undoing the certainty that comes with repeated exposure (to nature or culture).
Walking with anticipation transforms the act of moving through space into an act of waiting for something to happen. This might not be a dramatic event but a subtle shift—a change in the way light filters through the trees, the unexpected flight of a bird, or a new perspective revealed by shifting one’s gaze. The careful movement with the space walking becomes brings forward aspects of respect, trust and also that which underlines that, hence very little spectacle that it is something important going on. Walking like art itself is filled of meaning if we defocus from the fuzz and if we witness each other´s practice. This method of inquiry fosters attentiveness, openness, and a sense of discovery, encouraging artists to explore the subtle, often overlooked aspects of the natural world. Berg Duo as instigators and Curators for WAP and other programs points out the importance of opening up for return visits by artists. As this creates an oppertunaty to return to ones way of thinking. WAP23 held only artists new to Björkö where as in 2024 we engaged with returning artists and thos who were at early stage on in their walking practice or artists not identifying as walking artists but looks at walking as something needed for ones well being (both physical and mentall). WAP23 held a focus on Attentative Walking, for WAP24 it was Spaces of Anticipation. WAP24 did not entail site-specific installations or lasting land art. this is something that WAP25 will focus on building on an initiative of an artwork. With artist Elisabeth Billanders words " here I was, finding my self being in exactly the right place, at the right time with the right people, to unfold the theme "Spaces of Anticipation", using Walking as an artistic methodology and practice." Art production beyond the artefact needs its contexts as well as that producing art works to be reshared.
Walking As Practice and (methodology): The becoming
WAP is a process-based art program at BKN an art node set on Björkö, where the simple yet profound act of walking serves as both a physical and conceptual foundation for artistic exploration. The residency and program is designed to foster an environment where participants engage deeply with each other’s knowledge and the natural landscape, allowing for a unique integration of personal practice, collaborative dialogue, and site-specific inquiry. Through a series of interventions, fieldworks, and seminars, WAP invites artists to explore how walking intersects with their creative processes and unlocks new dimensions of artistic thinking.
Walking as a form of artistic research in rural settings offers unique opportunities for exploration, reflection, and connection to the environment. In the northern archipelago of Stockholm, where rugged landscapes of islands, forests, and waterways create a rich backdrop, walking becomes not only a means of traversing these spaces but a way of actively engaging with the land, its histories, and the subtle transformations that occur in nature. In this context, the concept of walking with anticipation introduces a heightened sense of awareness and openness, where the act of walking invites the possibility of discovery—both artistic and personal in acts of artistic research. The northern archipelago of Stockholm, with its scattered islands, rocky shores, and forests, forms a dynamic and unpredictable environment for artistic research. Unlike urban spaces, where the landscape is more controlled and constructed, rural settings are often seen as wild, open, and full of natural elements that invite interpretation. Here, walking allows artists to slow down and attune themselves to the rhythms of the natural world, fostering a deep sensory and emotional connection to the landscape.
The act of walking through these environments becomes a method for exploring themes such as time, memory, and ecological cycles. As the seasons shift, the light changes, or the tides rise and fall, the landscape continually transforms, offering new insights and perspectives. Walking through this rural terrain encourages a direct, embodied experience of these changes, allowing artists to engage with the forces of nature in real-time.
Walking as Methodology: Weaving Across Time and Site
At the heart of WAP is the notion that walking is not just a mode of transportation but an immersive method of understanding and interacting with the environment. The residency encourages artists to explore Burch Island’s diverse landscapes—the forests, lakes, and seas that shape the island—by walking through these spaces as a means of inquiry. Interventions during these walks weave across different registers of time and site, acknowledging the histories, ecological systems, and cultural narratives that permeate the landscape.
The process of walking, particularly in the context of a rural island, invites a slower, more reflective approach to both art-making and thinking. By walking, artists are able to move through the layers of the island’s past and present, uncovering connections that might otherwise remain hidden. These connections, whether they are related to the natural world or to human life on the island, become entangled with the artist’s own creative process, resulting in work that is deeply informed by place.
Interdisciplinary Exploration: Fieldworks and Seminars
A key component of the residency is the collaborative nature of the fieldworks and seminars that take place. These activities provide artists with the opportunity to “thinking together, learning together,” as the residency fosters a peer-based environment where ideas and practices are shared openly. The focus is on locating and disentangling the structures, narratives, and forces that shape both the landscape and the artists' responses to it.
Fieldworks involve walking through the island with a critical and poetic lens, often combining artistic, ecological, and historical perspectives. The seminars, on the other hand, offer a more structured format for discussion, allowing participants to reflect on their experiences and delve deeper into the theoretical aspects of walking as a practice. The combination of these activities creates a rich tapestry of engagement with both the landscape and the intellectual currents that flow through the residency.
Walking as a Tool for Safe and Friendly Artistic Exchange
One of the guiding principles of WAP is the belief in a safe and friendly attitude as part of the art scene shared by participants. Walking, in its communal form, fosters dialogue, openness, and mutual respect. As artists walk together through the landscape, they form bonds, exchange ideas, and challenge each other’s perspectives in a setting that promotes collaboration over competition.
This spirit of generosity and care extends beyond the immediate group of artists, as the residency’s program dissemination also engages with the local community through open studios and walks. By inviting community members to participate, the residency creates a bridge between the artistic process and the lived realities of those who inhabit the island. This engagement not only enriches the work produced by the artists but also embeds their creative practice within the social and cultural fabric of the island.
Transformative Space for Art and Life
The island’s forests, lakes, and sea are not merely a backdrop for artistic practice—they are integral to it. The residency’s emphasis on walking through and interacting with these environments allows artists to engage with life and nature in ways that are both critical and poetic. The landscape becomes a dynamic space where ideas, materials, and experiences are in constant dialogue with the surroundings.
This immersion in nature is transformative, not only for the artistic work being produced but for the artists themselves. The residency encourages a sense of fluidity between art and life, where the boundaries between the two become less distinct. Artists are invited to see their practice as part of a larger ecosystem, where human creativity is interwoven with the rhythms and forces of the natural world.
Conclusion: A Residency of Critical and Poetic Exploration
The WAP, carried out at BKN on Björkö 2023-24 is an unique, process-based program that offers artists the opportunity to explore walking as a fundamental aspect of their creative practice. Through a combination of fieldworks, seminars, and communal walking, participants engage deeply with the island’s landscape, history, and community, creating work that is both rooted in place and expansive in its intellectual and artistic scope.
The WAP/BKN fosters a peer-based, collaborative environment, where artists support each other in their explorations, learning and thinking together. This spirit of openness extends beyond the residency itself, as participants engage with the local community through open studios and public walks. Ultimately, WAP is a transformative space where art and life converge, creating opportunities for critical and poetic exploration that are informed by the rhythms of walking and the richness of the location where the forest meets the sea.