Art
FreeWalk On: From Richard Long to Janet Cardiff – 40 Years of Art Walking
Walk On: From Richard Long to Janet Cardiff – 40 Years of Art Walking gives an insight into the recent art practice of nearly 40 artists.
Several are internationally acclaimed. Others are bright new talents. All have made new work simply by taking a journey on foot. Walk On shows that from land art to conceptual art and from street photography to film, much of the important art of our time has been created through an act of walking.
The exhibition at Plymouth Arts Centre features the work of Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff, Bradley Davies, Melanie Manchot, Pat Naldi & Wendy Kirkup, plan b, Jeremy Wood and walkwalkwalk. In the selection of these works there is a strong sense that we are not on our own. Following strangers, walking with others, collaboration, coordinated manoeuvres and public participation, are the processes involved in making these works. Couples, duos, regiments and members of the public take to the streets, many of them captured by the omnipresent CCTV camera, others sending signals about their position to recording stations in the sky. Several of the artists shown here directly employ this technology whilst others mimic it, together these films, etchings and works on paper highlight an increasing acceptance that all of our movements are tracked and traced, ensuring that we’ll never walk alone.
Walk On is brought to Plymouth thanks to a partnership between Peninsula Arts, Plymouth University; Plymouth Arts Centre; Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery and the Gallery at Plymouth College of Art. The exhibition is displayed across these four city centre sites and is backed by an extensive education and events programme. For more information visit walkonplymouth.org
Walk On is curated by Cynthia Morrison-Bell and Mike Collier with the collaboration of Alistair Robinson and Janet Ross.
In addition to Walk On, the Looe Street Detectives Soundwalk is also available throughout Walk On. This is the latest outcome of the project initiated by artist Sara Bowler who worked with a group of residents to investigate the history of Plymouth Arts Centre and the surrounding area. This work led to an exhibition and has continued, resulting in the soundwalk that recounts local history as uncovered by the Looe Street Detectives. Supported by Visual Arts South West, Engage South West and with additional backing from Cllr Chris Penberthy’s Community Grant Fund.
