About walking

About walking is a series of performative and participatory walks that travel across Auckland with Te Hau ā Uru – the West Wind.

The walks are artworks – guided experiences leading audiences and participants across Auckland – created by twelve artists and one writer: Rodney Bell, Suzanne Cowan, Vanessa Crofskey, Christina Houghton, Melissa Laing, Jeremy Leatinu’u, Lana Lopesi, Andrew McMillan, Richard Orjis, val smith, Pīta Turei, Layne Waerea and Becca Wood.

About walking maps cartographies outside the everyday routes of transport. Its walks-as-artworks follow stories, pathways of the imagination and the senses, awa (rivers) and maunga (volcanic hills), uncovering the hidden trajectories of our urban and bush terrain.

Using seasonal and astronomical calendars the walks will spread across the year beginning in Mahuru (September) 2019 as the pīpīwharauroa begin to sing for Spring and finishing in Aponga (August) as Winter blows its last gusts. Three walks were postponed due to Covid19 and will take place between October and November 2020.

More information is available on the About walking website, including details on our Covid19 response and the updated project name.

We are pleased to announce the Kōanga/Spring 2020 About walking performances: 

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Becca Wood: The public stand (pt II)

Artist Becca Wood invites you to join her at the edge of Avondale Racecourse for an audio guided walk through the Racecourse grounds. The Public Stand is a choreoauratic walk that brings attention to the uncertainty of what lies ahead for the Avondale Racecourse.

Saturday 12 September, afternoon

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Christina Houghton: Wayfinding Waikumete (pt II)

Christina Houghton leads a guided walk that navigates the urban environment of Glen Eden. Following the subtle signs that locate us while noticing the seasonal markers, this walk moves through Glen Eden towards Waikumete Stream.

Saturday 10 October, 11am

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Jeremy Leatinu’u: Mauria

Mauria is the second walking project presented by Jeremy Leatinu’u that invites participants to traverse the urbanscape of Ōwairaka. The name, Mauria, translates as ‘to take’ or ‘to carry’. Participants are asked to bring a small packet of plant seeds or seedlings which will be carried during the journey.

Saturday 31 October, 12noon

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Richard Orjis: cruising, lazing, leaning

Drawing on queer histories of cruising for intimate encounters in parks, artist Richard Orjis invites you to gather by the Waters of the Eel, Te Wai Orea / Western Springs Park for a night time cruise. Together we will explore how passive, promiscuous, temporary and transient modes may lead to meaningful alliances and intimacies between humans and the more-than-human.

Saturday 21 November, 9pm

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September 2019 – November 2020