Exquisite Dérive

[squirmelia]

Would anyone like to complete an Exquisite Dérive with me?

The instructions from SFZero are:

"Walk a short route alone, then send a collaborator the last segment of your trip so that they can pick up where you left off. You may complete this in separate cities by using more generic instructions (e.g. walk three blocks, then turn left). Finally, walk the complete route you and your collaborators have created."

Comments

[spiralsheep]

I'm up for almost any shared-instruction walks in separate urban areas as long as the instructions would work in smaller cities or larger towns (and as long as the temperature outside is about 5C or above so I can breath, heh). I can't volunteer to complete a walk in any of your usual haunts at the moment though as I probably won't be in the South-East again for at least a couple of months.

This offer is also negotiably open to people who're not squirmelia, if I have time and a suitable venue.

[squirmelia]

Shared instructions in separate urban areas was what I was thinking of, yep.

Trying to figure out how it can work..

If there were 3 people:

1. Person1 walks a short route, then shares the last bits with Person2.
2. Person2 walks the last bits of Person1's route, then walks a short route, then shares the last bits with Person3.
3. Person3 walks the last bits of Person3's route, then walks a short route.

Or if there were 2 people, you could follow the pattern and go around again, so instead of sharing the last bit with Person3, they would just share with Person1, or it could also work with more people.

Then I guess you attempt to walk all of Person1's route, all of Person2's route and all of Person3's route, thus revealing the complete walk, like if you're playing the picture version and unfold the paper to reveal the picture?

So, Person1's route could be:
Walk along the river, turn right, turn left, cross the road at the traffic lights.

Person2's could be:
Cross the road at the traffic lights, turn right, turn left at the shop.

Person3's could be:
Turn left at the shop, turn right, climb the steps.

Then the combined route could be:
Walk along the river, turn right, turn left, cross the road at the traffic lights, turn right, turn left at the shop, turn right, climb the steps.

Something like that? Admittedly there are examples to look at from the link also.

[spiralsheep]

Yes, when I've used shared instructions before they've usually been based on spatial movement (i.e. first left, second right &c) and/or landmarks (towards the tallest thing, towards the red thing, change direction after the pub/newsagent/cafe &c) and/or scavenger hunting (keep going until you reach the park with the pond, read the sign and move in response &c).

As I've done this before, I'm fine with the person ahead of me generating ANY description of their walk so I can pick up the last few moves and walk on, although start/finish points are easier to locate via landmarks or utter randomness than spatial directions ime. I'm also fine with redescribing my walk in more/different detail, and answering any questions, so anyone following me can find a starting point for their leg of the journey.

[squirmelia]

I've not done this before, so any advice on how best to make this work would be appreciated!

Shared instructions based on spatial movement, landmarks or scavenger hunting sound like they would work.

[spiralsheep]

I think setting too many rules beforehand would make it more rather than less difficult. Each walker will vary in the emphases we bring to the walk in addition to the different spaces we'll be walking in, but we've all spoken to each other before so if we need to talk about anything during the handovers from each walker to the next then we can just ask each other whatever we need to know.

You could just decide on a maximum (with no minimum) time limit for each segment and then do the first walk (so it begins as your project in your place), decide which order the rest of us will walk in (not that it matters too much if we have to swap around because [reasons] ), and then assume you'll also do the last segment so you have an opportunity to receive change-over instructions (for the fun/interest of that experience). You can let each segment walker decide whether they want to walk a wholly spontaneous derive after their beginning point (as long as they note what they're doing enough to generate a set of instructions from it for the change-over point and next walker) or whether they want pre-generated instructions of some sort (which we already know all of us are capable of generating for ourselves or from asking someone else). I suppose you could pick an overall theme/title for the walk in advance, such as a colour or a common urban feature, and see if we all notice it or not while we're walking, if you want something other than pre-planned structure to bring possible coherence to the overall project? Or we could wait and see if a common theme happens spontaneously?

Any and every shared walk is always going to be experimental to some degree so we have to just try it and find out what happens. :-)

[nou]

I like this low-rules idea.

[spiralsheep]

It occurs to me that you might also want to set a time limit for each segment of the walk. The more segments and changeovers between walkers you want then probably the shorter each segment should be, especially if you're aiming to retrace a whole reconstruction of the walk at the end.

[squirmelia]

I have finally attempted to complete a section of the walk!

If you're still interested in doing this, I will send you my last instruction, so that you can start a walk too. :)

[spiralsheep]

Yes!

[spiralsheep]

Done. :-)

(I've PMed squirmelia in addition to this comment.)

[nanila]

I would like to participate! Should note that the most accessible places for me at the moment are Birmingham and Worcester, although I will be in London several times in the next four months (and then regularly once I'm no longer on maternity leave).

[squirmelia]

Great! I think location won't matter too much. :)

[squirmelia]

I have completed a section, and now

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<user=spiralsheep>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I have completed a section, and now <user=spiralsheep> has also! :)

If you're still interested in participating, <user=spiralsheep> will send you a starting instruction, so that you can do your section next.

[nanila]

Definitely still interested! Yes please, I await my starting instruction.

[spiralsheep]

Secret agent instructions sent by pm. :-)

[nanila]

Message received. :) Thank you!

[squirmelia]

Hi! Did you ever manage to complete your section of the walk? If not, are you still planning to, or should we pass this on to someone else?

[nanila]

Yes I did! And very soon after the initial challenge. Unfortunately I failed utterly to write it down & have since forgotten exactly what I did.

If you're willing to wait a week or so I have an excellent opportunity to try again coming up, as I will be on holiday. Is that okay? Sorry for taking so long & then asking for an extension. I hope it's not too annoying.

[squirmelia]

Ah, shame you forgot what you did before!

But yes, happy for you to try again, if you'd like to. :)

[nou]

I'm up for this! I'm a bit confused about how it works though. Is the "walk a short route alone" part meant to be algorithmic/generated or spontaneous?

[squirmelia]

I'm also trying to figure out how it works.

The short route alone could be either algorithmic/generated or spontaneous, I suspect?

[spiralsheep]

As it's been nearly a year since I did this, and my computer tends to eat files that have been around for a while, I'd like to post my write-up of my section of this soon (i.e. before the end of this month). I will of course put it under a cut with a warning explaining what it is.

Done: WARNING http://spiralsheep.dreamwidth.org/577253.html DON'T CLICK unless you want to... ;-)