Designboom_ A curious figure weaves through the streets of London: an Art Walker guiding a large framed painting of a woman through parks, alleyways, and urban corners. This is the premise of Art Walk, a video project that follows a fictional but deeply symbolic role: a person whose job is to move art through the real world. Created by artist Tayfun Sarier and directed by Zeynep Oğuz, the project blurs the line between performance, public intervention, and moving image. But the story doesn’t end there. In a moment of surreal coincidence, the painting encounters an identical version of itself, this time not in a frame, but walking free.
Over the course of two intensive days, Tayfun Sarier and Zeynep Oğuz brought Art Walk to life without permits, staged crowds, or scripted reactions. The choreography was designed to interact with London’s diverse urban fabric, inviting chance as a central creative force. The painting, set within a hand-built, reinforced frame, was carried through the city by the Art Walker, whose journey unfolds silently but meaningfully across bustling sidewalks, quiet paths, and unexpected vistas.
The multidisciplinary artist and the director team embraced spontaneity, capturing unscripted moments of confusion, intrigue, and quiet wonder. By removing the art from its traditional gallery context, Art Walk challenges our perception of both artwork and audience. Passersby, caught off guard, become accidental participants in a fleeting performance. And when the painting meets its human doppelgänger — subtly staged but never explained — the project takes a surreal turn, prompting reflection on identity, repetition, and the quiet power of surprise. In blending fiction with live cityscape, Art Walk offers more than visual spectacle: it’s a meditation on visibility, presence, and the role of art in public life.
