About walking was a series of performative and participatory walks that traveled across Auckland with Te Hau ā Uru – the West Wind.

The walks were artworks – guided experiences leading audiences and participants across Auckland – created by twelve artists and one writer: Rodney Bell, Suzanne Cowan, Vanessa Crofskey, Christina Houghton, Melissa Laing, Jeremy Leatinu’u, Lana Lopesi, Andrew McMillan, Richard Orjis, val smith, Pīta Turei, Layne Waerea and Becca Wood.

About walking mapped cartographies outside the everyday routes of transport. Its walks-as-artworks followed stories, pathways of the imagination and the senses, awa (rivers) and maunga (volcanic hills), uncovering the hidden trajectories of our urban and bush terrain.

Using seasonal and astronomical calendars the walks were originally planned to spread across the year beginning in Mahuru (September) 2019 as the pīpīwharauroa begin to sing for spring and finishing in Aponga (August) as winter blows its last gusts. Four walks were postponed due to Covid19 and took place between September and November 2020.

A publication documenting the 15 month project was published by Te Uru in January 2021. The soft cover can be purchased from Te Uru and a free epub can be downloaded here. A further response to val smith’s walk written by Alys Longley can be downloaded here.

Walking about was presented by Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery in partnership with curators Christina Houghton and Melissa Laing. It received support from Auckland Council, Unitec, Albert-Eden Local Board and Whau Local Board.