Politics of Walking
1994, 14:00 minutes, Polish, English, French, Persian, Farsi, Italian
TAPECODE 507.00
Politics of Walking is about a contemporary nomadic identity formed through the experiences of traveling by foot. The video is visually divided into three major sections: introduction, middle and conclusion.
Introduction: The introduction presents black & white images of the feet, the hero of the video, that prepare themselves for a walk. These images are accompanied by a Schumann's soothing music. In addition, there are several different statements regarding walking recorded from telephone conversations. These short and informal discussions are conducted in Polish, English, French, Persian and Italian.
Middle: This is the longest part of the video which is presented in colour and in slow motion. The display of several short images, recorded in Italy, illustrate different European grounds marked by History. For example, the feet touch some of the oldest and culturally charged sites: via Appia Antica, Forum Romanum and medieval floor mosaics. Mozart's Requiem complements these images and elevates the whole experience of walking into a unique apprehension of who we are. In the middle of the second part there is an unexpected interruption - a "commercial break". Assembled from Italian T.V. messages, these breaks invert the viewer's anticipation of an advertisement onto themselves thus introducing the other context of Politics of Walking, that of an artist video piece.
Conclusion: Like the introduction, the concluding part is in black & white. The final scene of the video shows the feet, as they travel back home, in slow motion. The speed articulates the weight of each step revealing the transformation of the hero through the enriching and empowering journey into the European past.
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