Locative Media Walks

Abstract

In this paper, I attempt to express the connection between (i) audio walks—that is, movement-based geo-locative or technologically-mediated sound interventions in public spaces— and (ii) the Deleuzian and Guattarian concepts of nomadism and the rhizome. On the one hand, I seek to illustrate how site-specific, interactive artistic works that draw on geo-locative media technology produce an environment of augmented aurality within public space. On the other, I aim to describe how nomad- and Minor-art theories can find expression in artistic practices that focus on walking and listening (in) to the city as a smooth space, including narratives, stories, soundscapes, and minor historiographies, using recent GPS technologies. Finally, I draw on a combination of several theories on art, space, embodiment, walking, and technology to explore new aesthetic directions in public space geo-locative walking art.