Preparing for the first walk and a bit of background

These signs lead participants from Rt 218 to the Storm King trail head on Mountain Road.

Background
Contextualizing the Silent Walks as an artistic experience allows participants to “turn on their art light.” They will consider their sensory experience in a consciously aesthetic way. That is also the reason to walk in silence. Sharing without words will allow participants to pay attention to the ambient sounds, smells, colors and weather rather than their conversations. Not talking does not mean not sharing, as each participant will be part of a large group walking silently along a trail. Perhaps they will even feel like a herd, and while that may seem humorous, the identification with what is animal about us, and our collective experience, is the core concept of the Silent Walks.
Skrzynski considers the walks as combining inspirational elements from several artists' works. She has always admired Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long, two artists who essentially point to nature and say, “Notice this!” while making works that are both exquisitely formal and collaborate with natural elements. The Silent Walks also pay homage to the venerable tradition of the Hudson River School of landscape painters. Importantly, these events intend to build community. Skrzynski attributes the collaborative performances by the artist Rirkrit Tarivanija, who cooked meals for people in his gallery performances, as perhaps the most important influence. Mountain, river, community, sharing, access, creating memory rather than evoking it--fostering a connection to a place--this is art.

Skrzynski believes participants in the Silent Walks will retain a potent memory of this specific place at this particular time. Especially for those who walk each month, memories of seasonal ambience, discomfort and pleasure will form a profound awareness of the Storm King Mountain over time. She intends for these experiences to permeate into a daily awareness of our connections to our surroundings. Skrzynski also believes in the power of the ephemeral. Each performance survives only in memory, yet these memories can change behavior. Her community is proud of its relationship to the Hudson River and has fought to keep it unspoiled. These performances participate in that tradition, creating a chance to form lasting connections within the simple act of taking a walk.

With the Silent Walks, Skrzynski creates a context, naming a walk through the woods as ‘Art’ to alter concepts of what and who is nature, and what and who makes art.

For locals, these walks will foster a “pride of place” as they share the unique qualities of where they live and pay homage to it. As part of the “Celebrate New York 400” events, the walks will have a historical context as well. For example, 30 years ago the Hudson Valley community fought to save Storm King Mountain from being the site of a huge power plant. (This gave birth to the Scenic Hudson organization and most consider it the birth of the environmental movement.) The post-walk reception, the blog and the facebook page will provide another layer of community interaction. Because the artwork is fundamentally participatory, each walk will engender a shared experience that will connect people not only to their environment, but also to each other.

In a larger sense, Skrzynski hopes this project will be the first of many community-based Silent Walks started by other artists anywhere in the world.