Gracing the Grass
Gracing the Grass is a guided art walk which introduces each of the UAL Principles for Climate and Racial Justice in the natural setting of Regents Park, London. Through storytelling and embodiment, participants are led through the UAL Principles which are playfully matched them with the ‘Five Pathways to Nature Connectedness’ theory.
Image: © Karina Abramova
Key information
- Participants: up to 12 people.
- Duration: 2 Hours.
- Location: Regents Park, London (During the summer season).
The guided art walk through Regents Park aims to provide a physical and digital meditation on the human relationship with the natural world, created in alignment to the UAL Principles for Climate and Racial Justice. The principles have been matched to the ‘Five Pathways to Nature Connectedness’ – contact, beauty, meaning, emotion, and compassion, a theory developed by the University of Derby in 2019. The five pathways are presented throughout the art walk via personal stories, alongside the use of mindfulness, somatic and embodiment methods.
Designed for up to 12 people, over 2 hours – the walk engages participants in locating and photographing digital sculptures using augmented reality (AR) technology. Created for use during the summer season in Regents Park, London. The walk aims to communicate climate information through an innovative, dynamic and memorable experience, intertwining education in natural spaces with creative technology. Throughout the experience mindfulness practices are shared, useful for participants’ personal development.
Images: © Karina Abramova
The activity requires multiple elements from access to an AR phone app, 3D sculptures designed and embedded in-app, to a map of the walk with 10 designated stops and a script for the facilitator to guide conversations. Gracing the Grass was designed, and delivered by Karina Abramova, an artist and Central Saint Martins’ UAL Climate Advocate for the Culture & Enterprise department in 2022-2023.
Key learnings from this activity include the importance of telecom signal at the location, the need for resourcing to prepare materials, and the benefit of more interactive discussion and additional support for participants during the walk. Avenues for success in the future were noted as further promotion, weather fallback plans and prioritisation of in-person information sharing to overcome tech issues.
Gracing the Grass was designed and delivered by Karina Abramova. Film by Nana Maiolini.
How you can take Gracing the Grass into your own work:
Reach out to Karina if you have questions about technology and frameworks used.
Considerations to be aware of:
- Designed for use in the summer term, in good weather.
- Telecommunication signal on location.
- Additional support to guide participants on technology would be recommended.
Image: © Karina Abramova
Contact
Karina Abramova, Artist and Central Saint Martins Climate Advocate, karin86@gmail.com.