We are very pleased that scholar and independent curator Elena Biserna is presenting her book “Going out - Walking, Listening, Soundmaking”, which was published by Umland Editions about 2 years ago. The book is an almost infinite source of inspiration for anyone interested in the intersection of sound, listening and walking.
Since the 1960s, the act of walking has provided a way for artists and musicians to escape the formality of the concert hall or institutional venue, engaging with shifting public spaces, natural environments, and the social and political sphere. Walking redefines notions of composer, performer, public, and music itself, while opening new modes of perception and action.
Going Out addresses these developments by exploring the relationship between walking, listening, and soundmaking in the arts—from the first soundwalks and itinerant performances in the 1960s to today's manifold ambulatory projects.
The book consists of an extensive essay by Elena Biserna followed by an anthology of historical and contemporary contributions in the form of documentation, essays, interviews, manifestos, scores, narratives, and reflections. Through the variety of these contributions, the book makes an argument that at the intersection of walking, listening, and soundmaking there is both a long legacy of interdisciplinary experimentations and a broad field that resounds with urgent issues in critical spatial thinking and practice.
Contributions come from Hildegard Westerkamp, Beatrice Ferrara, Brandon LaBelle, Viv Corringham, Christina Kubisch, Tim Ingold - and many many more.
