In the cactus garden, Botanic Gardens, Sydney (left to right): Angharad, Matti, Molly, Melinda, Jacqui and Stephanie.

Molly’s map showing the route.

Walking in an Old World

By Jacqui O’Reilly

A musical sketch of a walk with Australian Walking Artists, 22 Nov 2025, translating place into tone, with friends and exploring spectral mapping to identify dominant frequencies, musical, spatial, and conceptual forms.

Artists speak…

As a disabled artists with walking isuues (but a constant desire to walk everywhere) I had some trepidation about doing an art walk at someone else's pace but I needn't have worried as Molly and Melinda set an easy tempo from the get go, giving us plenty of time to connect to the space and make art then take an easy stroll to our next location. The curation of our stops was great as it gave us a variety of landscapes to engage with, generating a wide variety of works and responses. Ending with a much needed lunch with free-flowing conversation followed by an low-stress show and tell was the perfect way to round out the day. I'm looking forward to the next time I can join in and explore.

Matti
MattiDoingArt.com

From the Fountain to the Gardens

A Walkshop with Molly Wagner and Melinda Hunt, Saturday 22 November, 10.30am-2pm

By Molly Wagner

Melinda and I devised a simple walk, accessible to most, that is rich with opportunities for creative responses. Our intention was to share with artists how walking can be an exciting and integral part of a creative practice. Melinda and I included five locations along the route where we paused to explore our surroundings and record our experiences. We wandered, sometimes sat, in each location for 15 minutes before coming together and walking to the next stop. This rhythm allowed for a slower, more attentive pace and time for making creative responses. Conversation was at its height during our walks between locations.

Four artists met us at the Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park. We explained our proposed route to the Botanic Gardens and the rhythm of walking, making and sharing. Everyone was eager to begin walking and making at the Fountain! From there we walked to Speakers Corner. The lectern sits beneath a tree across from the Art Gallery of New South Wales and is adjacent to the Domain, a large parkland. Again, all of us were eager to stroll in this place and respond in a creative manner. The notion of Walking Art quickly took hold as evidenced by everyone choosing some way of responding to the act of walking as we made our way to the Botanic Gardens. In the Gardens we went to the Fernery and the Cactus and Succulent Garden, (differing and contrasting sites) for times of pause and making.

Our walk concluded at the Botanic Gardens Café where we shared a picnic lunch, our walks and responses. The artists were generous with their work and enthusiasm for this experience with walking art. The creative works were varied and often experimental. There were drawings, photographs, videos, sound recordings, textiles and written words. We said our farewells with promises that we will do this again.

The participating artists were: