LA MARCHE (est haute) #05. Andra McCartney ; Soundwalking Home. (dir. David Madden)

HERE BE DRAGONS. Andra McCartney. June 04 Juin, 2015

HERE BE DRAGONS. Andra McCartney. June 04 Juin, 2015

Une prochaine Marche (est haute) :::::::

HERE BE DRAGONS

by / with Andra McCartney

June 4, 2015

lt is a journey towards unexplored regions. Each creative work explores some themes and leaves others untouched, even as they may lurk there, ghostly, too raw or dangerous to be approached at that moment. If a project is thought of as a walk or a journey, represented on a map, this would be the part of the map where in medieval times there were drawings of sea monsters, lions and dragons, even the feared Basilisk that could kill with merely a glare into a traveller's eyes. Hic sunt dracones et leones.

The project has three parts at the moment. The first is a pair of recorded walks, made in January-February 2015, that explore a theme that has lurked beneath my soundwalking practice for years: that because of physical limitations, I have trouble with the act of walking. A few months ago, I began using a cane in the city and nordic walking sticks in the country, as aids. One recorded urban walk takes me through Montreal streets and transit lines to work. A country walk near Eastman, QC on a very cold day highlights the creaking of sticks through snow. Listening to these recordings brings me in touch again with the bodily sensations of walking with sticks.

The second part will be a response to a current medical situation that takes me away from the city. I will have surgery within the next few weeks. The tentative date is June 4, but that is unlikely to be confirmed until around May 30. I want to ask people to do a walk on the day of my surgery, and write to me about it on Facebook. This could be any kind of walk: a soundwalk, an art walk, a sense walk, a walk with the dog, a walk on the beach, a walk in the woods, a walk to the mall. And any kinds of commentary on the walk, or documentation of it, would be welcome. I will then read these comments and think about them. I have asked a friend, David Madden, to do a walk in Montreal on that day, to which people could be invited through La marche - est haute. We could set this definitely for June 4.

The third part of the project would be a piece of reflective writing, which would be ready by early fall.

HERE BE DRAGONS. Andra McCartney. June 04 Juin, 2015

Une prochaine Marche (est haute) :::::::

HERE BE DRAGONS

by / with Andra McCartney

June 4, 2015

lt is a journey towards unexplored regions. Each creative work explores some themes and leaves others untouched, even as they may lurk there, ghostly, too raw or dangerous to be approached at that moment. If a project is thought of as a walk or a journey, represented on a map, this would be the part of the map where in medieval times there were drawings of sea monsters, lions and dragons, even the feared Basilisk that could kill with merely a glare into a traveller's eyes. Hic sunt dracones et leones.

The project has three parts at the moment. The first is a pair of recorded walks, made in January-February 2015, that explore a theme that has lurked beneath my soundwalking practice for years: that because of physical limitations, I have trouble with the act of walking. A few months ago, I began using a cane in the city and nordic walking sticks in the country, as aids. One recorded urban walk takes me through Montreal streets and transit lines to work. A country walk near Eastman, QC on a very cold day highlights the creaking of sticks through snow. Listening to these recordings brings me in touch again with the bodily sensations of walking with sticks.

The second part will be a response to a current medical situation that takes me away from the city. I will have surgery within the next few weeks. The tentative date is June 4, but that is unlikely to be confirmed until around May 30. I want to ask people to do a walk on the day of my surgery, and write to me about it on Facebook. This could be any kind of walk: a soundwalk, an art walk, a sense walk, a walk with the dog, a walk on the beach, a walk in the woods, a walk to the mall. And any kinds of commentary on the walk, or documentation of it, would be welcome. I will then read these comments and think about them. I have asked a friend, David Madden, to do a walk in Montreal on that day, to which people could be invited through La marche - est haute. We could set this definitely for June 4.

The third part of the project would be a piece of reflective writing, which would be ready by early fall.

Une cinquième Marche, elle publique !

Title: Soundwalking Home

Date: Thursday, June 4 at 3PM–rain or shine (unless there is thunder)
Location: Outremont Park (corner of St. Viateur and Avenue Outremont)

I will be leading a public soundwalk through the neighbourhood that I live in (Outremont) and moving north towards Park Extension. My friend and collaborator, soundwalk artist Andra McCartney (www.youtube.com/andrasound) lives in the neighbourhood and I have walked there many times from my home, taking many different routes.The title alludes to an earlier project by Andra McCartney, Soundwalk to home (1999), which explores themes of sonic belonging and migration through repetitive walks in home neighbourhoods. We use soundwalks as a way to experience and become familiar with the sounding environments of Montreal’s neighbourhoods. Our approach involves repeated walks through an area while engaging with various ways of listening—evocative, political, historical, to name a few. For me, this walk is a chance to consider my ongoing relationship with Outremont and Park Extension, how the walk has changed through the passage of time and why it remains so important to my sounding practice and everyday life.

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BY / avec : David Madden, PhD
FQRSC Postdoctoral Fellow
Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art and Culture
Carleton University
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Postdoctoral Researcher
Ageing + Communication + Technologies (ACT)
Concordia University
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Associate Researcher
Mobile Media Lab
Concordia University

Photos : Eric Mattson.

Photos : Catherine Béchard.