Inventing worlds by walking

Use

To give relief, loosen tongues, spice up fantasies, create adventures, channel and implode ideas.

Protocol

You have prepared a core question. You have even drawn your axes (see the Scenario buildings (p. )).

You now have four world embryos at your disposal.

You choose one and go for a walk, as a team. Three or four persons is a good number.

On your walk, you simply pretend that from now on you are visiting this world. You will soon pick up on signals, more or less obvious, that can be interesting supports for ideas.

If you know the town or countryside where you are located well enough, go directly to a landscape that evokes the world in question. It might be like visiting it or at least be inspiring. Sometimes it's a seemingly insignificant or totally abstract detail that triggers an idea.

If it's possible, jump from one foot to the other. Be absolutely literal. Be totally impressionistic. The most important thing is that the story moves forward, by sharing observations and sensations with your peers. Record yourselves or take notes.

On your return, play the 'Interstellar Scouts' game to share your experience with the rest of the group.

Musical variant

I wonder if the same result could be achieved by creating an inspirational and inspirational playlist from an embryonic world. We listen to some songs in the dark. From time to time we stop the music and draw conclusions about what we've listened to together. Well, we've never tried it, but the choice of acoustic or electronic instruments, the vocal expression, the gender of the performers can all be probing cues.

Physical variant

Walk around with a specific gait. For example, the whole group walks with one bare foot, the other with shoes on. See how this influences your imagination of this world, with this new touch.

Variant with closed eyes

Sadly, this variant has only been described in the French version of this text.

Testimonies

With Yvonne Harder, from the Swiss branch of experimental futurology, we practised this activity a lot in Geneva, on the banks of the Rhône. Sometimes, the discussion ricochets off a detail we came across during the walk. It also happens that we no longer calculate the landscape so much as the walk and the conversation takes over independently. It becomes a journey between the here and now and the future you are visiting. The feeling that reality and fiction are blurring is pleasant. Walking in the open air undoubtedly releases flows. Walking is like lying down and having visions, and it goes well with a small group, but beyond 4 people, this concoction loses its spark.

Anna Cz.

Credits

Mathilde M., Anna Cz. and Sarah M. invented this activity during a residency in Jurmala in september 2021. The 'variant with closed eyes' has been inspired by the artistic practice of Myriam Lefkowitz.

These instructions were put down here by Mathilde M. and Anna Cz.