Walking and experiencing space with Anna Kholina

Anna told us about her doctoral thesis work and questions concerning design of urban space - and then experiencing urban space. Anna said:

What transforms our being in the urban space into an experience? Can every encounter with the surroundings be considered an experience, or is our perception only a fragmented sequence of fleeting moments lost in time and space?

According to John Dewey, an experience includes an active aspect (not just “Having an experience”) and these two — having an experience and being active — are interconnected. An experience happens when means are aligned with ends, it includes the sense-giving consciousness (typical for human beings) by which meanings are assigned to events.

Although Dewey points towards the very important features that characterise an experience, it is difficult to link his philosophical reflections with the daily practice. One way to bridge this gap is to create an active state of the experience artificially, for example, though a walk in the urban space guided by a game-like set of cards, each containing a task that transforms an ordinary routine into an active search for new perspectives. Documenting the journey with the help of collage made of drawings and tangible objects allows to uncover the tacit layer of the experience: what was meaningful and sense-containing. It sheds light on the most important aspects of the urban space which contribute to our experiential knowledge.

And then everybody did a walk, equipped with a set of tasks and questions like:

Walk where you normally don't.

Do you see an unusual color?

Where are most of the people? go there and do what they're doing.

Can you find somewhere to rest?







And then we drew maps of our walks.