Cathleen Grado

Ageotropic

Filed under Self-guided Walk/Tour, Ongoing Event, projects

PLEASE NOTE: This event is ongoing between the hours of 10:00am and 4:30pm each day of the Conflux festival. Pick up a map at the HQ.

A walking tour through Ridgewood to Middle Village, guided by both the elevated M train Line (which covers and preserves antiquated open land and forgotten architecture) as well as a home made map. Participants will be accompanied by a voluntary experimental broadcast which they can choose to engage in, and disengange in, at their own discretion. At the end of the line, participants will find themselves at the gates to All Faiths Cemetery. From there, they can pocket the guide map and headphones, pass through the gates and explore one of the last vestiges of natural open space in the five boroughs. During this walk, skipping from stop to stop on the M line train is encouraged for those unable to complete the entire distance without breaks, about a 20 minute total walking time.

“In a society of increasing control and formulated predictability, one may find inspiration in the beauty of irrationality in nature. Much of our surroundings still do not adhere to the rules and restrictions we set up for ourselves. The simplicity of spontaneous thought and imagination is still part of our humanity, but becoming less and less a part of our conscious selves. Harnessing personal associations, the sound and visuals of the enviornment will be more delightful and exploratory than artisticaly deliberative. The hope is to slowly remind us of the elements outside our daily grind, of the things that are too easy to forget; illogical things, impractical things. The opportunity intended is to induce participants to become open to these quiet, hiding parts of their surroundings.”