To help celebrate Walk’tober 2008, Rethinking Cities teamed up with Talking Walking to offer visitors a light hearted quiz to tease out those walking brain boxes amongst us. Talking Walking & Rethinking Cities Ltd. created this quiz – we hope you enjoyed it.
1. Sylvain Dorvan of Landes walked from Paris to Moscow in 1891, what was so special about his walk?
He walked all the way on stilts.
2. Francis Alys, the Belgian artist who resides in Mexico City, devised an art installation around a walk in 1995 called “The Leak” – what took place?
He punctured a hole in a can of blue paint and walked on a circular path leaving a trail of blue paint, returning to the gallery from where he started. He argued that when one walks in the countryside one leaves a trail of footprints, but when we walk in the city our footfall leaves no mark on the pavement or sidewalk. He chose to walk this way and leave a trail.
3. 40 years ago, Richard Long the British land artist created a temporary outdoor sculpture what was it called?
A line made by walking.
4. Who wrote to whom: “I walk therefore I am.”?
Philosopher Gassendi in response to Descartes.
5. Etienne-Jules Marey published an “Investigation into walking” in 1884 – for what purpose is his work used today?
Marey used an early form of time lapse (known as chrono) photography to isolate the movement of the human body as it makes steps – his work is still used as a fundamental study in orthopaedics.
6. George Baker, a Canadian photographer created a walking self portrait – why haven’t others copied his unique style?
Baker composed his self-portrait by walking on a tightrope across the Niagara Falls.
7. Peter Gibson, an avid walker from Montreal was arrested in 2005 because his artwork distracted car drivers – what could he have been doing?
Gibson (aka as Roadsworth) was arrested for applying his own interpretation of road lines on the streets of Montreal – art or vandalism http://spacing.ca/art-roadsworth.htm
8. He is the author of several books, but one is called “psychogeography”. He chooses to walk to and from the airport? Who is he?
Will Self
9. Moon Walk was undertaken by 12 astronauts during the Apollo endeavours in the 1960s and 70s, but ask anyone in the street who created the Moon Walk, and they will tell you one of the world’s most prolific pop singers – who could that be?
Michael Jackson
10. Jaywalking is an illegal manoeuvre in many countries including Singapore, but not in the UK – provide a simple definition that you could use to explain Jaywalking.
Crossing a street outside a designated crossing area.
11. The Green Chain and the Silver Jubilee Walkway are both found in which European City?
London
12. Dorothy was recommended to walk along the Yellow Brick Road to seek the aid of the Wizard of Oz – do you remember from where she should travel?
Munchkin Country
13. The Ten Tors is a team challenge adventure that takes place every year on Dartmoor – how old do you have to be take part?
14
14. In Grandmother’s Footsteps what must you not be doing when Granny turns round?
Moving – the game is all about creeping up on the Granny who has their back turned away from the participants. The Granny can choose to turn round at any time, and anyone caught moving towards her, has to retreat to the start.
15. What does the word “Dromomaniac” describe?
Someone who has a compulsive disorder that causes them to walk or to wander.
16. San Francisco based artist Anne Devine completed a Crosswalk Marathon in 2006 – what did this entail?
Anne walked around one block more than one hundred times to protest about the lack of a crosswalk: http://www.greenscene.org/crosswalk/ Hear Anne’s account of this and her other unusual endeavours.
17. Which British artist was honoured with a retrospective at Tate Britain in 2002 – the exhibition was called “Walking Journey”?
Hamish Fulton – listen to an interview with Hamish
18. If you undertake the Skywalk in Minneapolis what does it entail?
The Skywalk is an elevated enclosed walking route that links blocks around the city, and provides protection to pedestrians from Minneapolis’ harsh weather. Viv Corringham chose it as one of her favourite walks.
19. What will be the key destination on London’s Jubilee Greenway?
The Olympic stadium
20. One key popular walking route in London has a printed Code of Conduct – where might this be and why is there a need for it?
The Regent’s Canal Towpath – it is heavily used by both pedestrians and cyclists.
21. John Cleese made the Ministry of Silly Walks famous, but from which city is the birthplace of the Ministry of Walking?
Calgary in Canada – find out more about the Ministry here:
22. Which International movement coined the phrase “Walk’tober”?
VicHealth in Australia to encourage walking to schools.
23. Louis Hennepin and René-Robert Cavelier were famous for walking around which waterfall?
Niagara Falls – they went on to discover the St Lawrence, and the great lakes. Einor Whidden, a Canadian artist re-enacted their portage – listen to how she did this.
24. The Walking School Bus has proved popular in many countries, but who was the person who first coined the idea and where is he from?
David Engwicht from Brisbane in Australia
25. The 2002 Stockholm Partnership for Sustainable Communities award was presented to which walking initiative?
26. Who is the Doctor who brought us the Green Gym?
Dr William Bird – he was also the man behind the Sonning Health Walks, and was one of the key movers and shakers behind Walking the Way to Health initiative in England. Listen to William here
27. “To Costco and IKEA without a car” is an unusual title for a movie – who was the creator of it?
Peter Tombrowski – his documentary was honoured at Canada’s Hot Docs Festival. You can find out more about Peter and his urban camping lifestyle, by listening to him here:
28. What is the most ubiquitous shoe?
The Flip Flop – why not buy an original pair and donate money to a great cause? Check out http://www.flipflopart.net
29. “London Walking” is a technical survival manual – who wrote it?
Simon Pope – it is now available as an on-line wiki: http://londonwalking.pbwiki.com
Hear how London Walking came about.
30. What is Walk It?
It is an on-line walk journey planner set up by social entrepreneur Jamie Wallace – look up a route at http://www.walkit.com
Hear how Jamie has championed walking.
31. ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ was a hit for which artist and what was it all about?
Lou Reed, and the song was about heroin and Andy Warhol’s super heroes.