Undoing borders: a reflection on the expanded field of the walking arts via the artistic walk Imemorial: Passos no Cativeiro

Abstract

In this essay we aim to reflect on the walk as an “expanded” art form, a convergence practice entailing several artistic forms which include elements as varied as time, space, performance, set design, sound effects, dramaturgy, technology and audience participation, in order to create immersive and embodied experiences. We emphasize its potential as a multimodal and mobilizing event, capable of generating new layers of meaning in the public space, as well as its inherent capacity to involve the participants in an active reception process, due to its inclusion a contemporary artistic field which strains the relationship between body, history and urban landscape. We focus on a case study, the performative walk Imemorial – Passos no Cativeiro [Time Immemorial – Footsteps in Captivity], which in a structured path containing narrative stations, reflects on historical erasure through a narrative and sensorial apparatus that activates the collective memory and (re)configures the perception of the urban space. Following this analysis, we discuss the way in which performative art forms may be positioned at the intersection of aesthetics, politics and technology, thus evincing their relevance in the contemporary art landscape.