Night Season: Van Gogh House Night Walk
In November 2023 Tool/Toy Project were invited by the Van Gogh House to host a Night Walk as part of the 150th anniversary celebrating Van Gogh’s time living in South London.
Nightwalking - or noctambulation - offers us another perspective on the places and social structures we think we know. In darkened, abstracted conditions where everything looks subtly different, it becomes easier to imagine and discuss the past and present, as well as possible futures.
For so many artists, writers, poets, walking is and was a core part of their creative methodology. From Johnson, to Wordsworth, Van Gogh, Woolf and the Situationists, countless artists, poets and writers have sought solace, inspiration, freedom, and adventure through the act of walking.
On our journey we passed through locations whose nocturnal histories bring to the fore some important questions. Who has access to the city spaces at night? // How does the city change after dark? // How does the nighttime change our perception, and stimulate our creative imagination? // And how might being present in the nighttime / darkness change how we are able to imagine our futures?
Each participant received a box with a pencil and a set of prompts - quotes and images from artists and writers who have used the night time, walking, or both for inspiration.
We finished at the Van Gogh House to warm our hands and noses with tea and biscuits, and to share the observations collected on our voyage.
With great thanks to all who came, and the Van Gogh House for inviting us to be part of the celebration.
