Walking is thinking in motion

Join us in Zurich for 3 days of talks, walks, exchanges and shared questions on walking as artistic practice, research method and cultural tool.

WALKING. Thinking in Motion.
Symposium and Walkshops.
5 to 7 June 2026.
Zurich, Oerlikon.

A few places are still available for listeners and participants.

Apply now with: ✍️ short letter of motivation and CV > HERE

Participation is free of charge. An administrative fee of CHF 80 applies.
Food and drink vouchers are included.

We are happy to announce the full list of contributors:

Annemarie Bucher
Violeta Burckhardt
Francesco Careri
Sharon Chan
Gabriyel Dari
Denkstatt Sarl
Anke Domschky
Fabian Gutscher
Dennis Häusler
Johannes M. Hedinger
Charles Kwong
Marie Anne Lerjen
Anneke Lubkowitz
Manuela Morales Délano
Mona Neubauer
Aisling O’Carroll
Jana Orb
Ella Prokkola
Julia Rüegger
Heiko Schmid
Young Jae Shin
Franziska Spring
Jan Noëll Thon
Nazli Tümerdem
Geert Vermeire
Moritz Wahl
Nikolaus Wyss
Maxime Zaugg
Mingyue Zhang

Full program

WALKING – Thinking in Motion.

Symposium and Walkshops

A transdisciplinary conference on walking as an artistic practice, a spatial experience, and a knowledge-generating method in the spirit of Lucius and Annemarie Burckhardt.

 ZURICH: June 5 to 7, 2026
 Labör at MFO-Areal, Oerlikon, Zürich

 BASEL: September 11 to 13, 2026
 Holzpark, Klybeck, Basel

WALKING continues in 2026. Following the successful first edition in 2025, two further editions will take place, each featuring a symposium and walkshops. Each gathering has its own distinct program and setting, and they can be attended independently. Drawing on the concept of promenadology, the science of walking developed by Lucius and Annemarie Burckhardt, we invite artists, researchers, and walkers to explore walking as a critical, spatial, and artistic practice.

Participation
 Participation is limited to a maximum of 30 people per location.
 Those interested in attending must apply with a short letter of motivation and CV. Participation is largely free of charge. A CHF 80 administrative fee will be charged, which includes meal and beverage vouchers.

Registration for Zurich by April 30, 2026                 > Participation Form EN
 Registration for Basel by June 30, 2026                   > Participation Form EN

Participants must arrange their own travel, accommodations, and meals. A meal option will be available at the conference venue, and snacks will be provided free of charge. Participants may also make a voluntary contribution.

Own Contribution
  Teilnehmende können sich mit einem eigenen Beitrag (Talk oder Walkshop) für das Programm bewerben.
Honoraria: short talk (30 min): CHF 250 / walkshop (60 to 90 min): CHF 400 / project presentation (20 min): CHF 200 / keynote (45 min): by arrangement
In addition, meals and travel costs (ideally by environmentally responsible means) will be covered, as well as one overnight stay if needed.

Proposal for Zurich or Basel: by April 30, 2026       > Call for Contribution EN

Detailed info: https://ilea.art/walking-denken-in-bewegung-3/

Walkt & Talk: Limmat

Audiowalk with Ernst Bromeis and Johannes M. Hedinger.
Duration: 50 min 

Sound file:

Site-specific, immersive audio walk featuring a conversation between Johannes M. Hedinger and water ambassador Ernst Bromeis. During the walk along the River Limmat, the extreme swimmer and activist speaks about his water projects. The sounds of the river landscape flow into the dialogue. The result is an immersive listening experience that connects the everyday presence of water with questions of ecological transformation and urban coexistence.

Credits
Ernst Bromeis – water ambassador, extreme swimmer
Johannes M. Hedinger – Moderation, Editor
Fabian Gutscher – sound design, audio consulting
A production by ILEA, Institute for Land and Environmental Art
in cooperation with Urban Waters 2026 and River Landscapes.

The audio walk lasts around 50 minutes and starts at Ampèresteg on the GZ Wipkingen side. It leads out of town along the right bank of the Limmat to Hardturmsteg, then returns inwards along the left bank back to Ampèresteg.

For the self-guided walk, you need a smartphone, headphones, and weather-appropriate clothing. You can pause the audio file at any time if you want to stay longer in one place. The audio walk can also be listened to independently of the location as a podcast.

WALK & TALK: Limmat is part of the URBAN WATERS festival (March 13 – April 13. April), organzied by ZHdK Sustainability in the Arts and supported by the canton of Zurich as part of #hallowasser.
Co-produced by River Landscapes, supported by Pro Helvetia Synergies

LIVE: Walk & Talk on March 28, 2026 at 3.30pm with Ernst Bromeis and Johannes Hedinger.
Start: Ampèresteg on the GZ Wipkingen site.

Bloch Book

Historian Johannes Schläpfer has published a wonderful book about the Bloch custom. The author explains how the ritual, which has many variations, is performed, what it means, where it comes from, and why it continues to fascinate new generations. What many people don’t know is that similar customs can also be found beyond the Appenzell region, as far afield as Slovenia and Hungary. This book guides readers through the history and present day of the Bloch. What once began as a carnival marriage game has evolved into a lumberjack custom and is now more alive than ever.
We are delighted that the book also includes an entire chapter on our world tour Bloch.
See also the report on the book in the Appenzeller Zeitung.

Book launch: Feb 15, 11:15 a.m.
Evangelical Church Urnäsch
Musical accompaniment by the Blochgesellschaft
Apéro in Museum of Appenzeller Tradition
Publisher: Verlagshuus, Appenzeller Verlag

Bloch is back, but..

So far, no agreement has been reached on cost sharing with the logistics company that shipped the art tree Bloch from Chile to India in 2024 and caused the situation there, resulting in a re-export at the end of 2025 without achieving an import. As a result, Bloch is blocked once again, now almost at the doorstep, in the container port of Basel. Today, Tagblatt, Appenzeller Zeitung, and TVO reported on it.
Tagblatt: Link
Appenzeller Zeitung: Link
Radio SRF: Link
TVO (Eastern Switzerland):  Link 1 /  Link 2

Season’s Greetings

As the year comes to a close, we thank our partners, artists, researchers, collaborators, students, alumni, institutions, visitors and friends who have engaged with our program throughout the year.
2025 was a year of transition for ILEA. We reorganised the association with a new board and revised articles of association. Several new formats were implemented this year.
Here’s to new ideas, shared moments, and exciting collaborations in 2026!
We look forward to reconnecting and wish you a hopeful start to the New Year.
Johannes and the ILEA team

Review 2025:
– We kicked off 2025 with a presentation of ILEA Book 1 and 2 at our publishing house VEXER in Berlin. Book 3 is sheduled for the end of 2026.
– In February, ILEA attended a conference at the Science Gallery in Bengaluru, India. The participation was connected to the international research project “River Landscape”. Funded by a Pro Helvetia Synergies Grant, this two-year research project develops a new glossary that understands rivers as landscapes shared by many species and cultures.
– In May we had to say goodbye to Gian Pedretti (19.4.1926 – 25.5.2025). He was in exchange with several of our artists and residency artists. His collaboration with the Indian artist Dharmendra Prasad in 2022 remains a special memory.
– In July ILEA hosted hosted Indian artist and curator Indranjan Banerjee and artist and author Ralph Tharayil (IN/CH) in Safiental for the first part of their Pro Helvetia funded co-creation project.
– In July, ILEA was invited for an exchange at EUFONIC. The festival focuses on sound, visual, and digital performative arts. It takes place in Terres de l’Ebre, Spain.
– In August, ILEA’s cooperation with Labör officially started with the public opening of the new experimental and learning space for community, culture, and sustainability in Zurich Oerlikon, including a first art walk on our side. Labör currently acts as our new physical hub for ILEA. ILEA and Labör are represented on each other’s advisory boards. A wide range of events in and with Labör are planned for 2026.
– In September, “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” took place in Tenna. It was a 2.5-day symposium with 11 talks and 11 walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt and the future of perception. Keynotes by Tim Ingold and Pablo Helguera. Co-organised by studio.erde. Co-curated and moderated by Johannes Hedinger, Violeta Burckhardt, and Raimund Rodewald.
The strong positive feedback and the fact that we had to reject more than twice as many applications led to the decision to organise two similar events in 2026. – SAVE THE DATES:
5–7 June in Zurich Oerlikon and 11–13 September at Basel Rheinhafen.
– In November, the Bündner Jahrbuch published an eight-page article on the history of the Art Safiental Biennale, founded in 2016 by ILEA.
– At the end of the year, a new research project titled “Art & Transformation” started together with HKB Bern University of the Arts. The project focuses on spatial transformation processes through art.

Preview 2026:
– In February (3–7.2.) the course “ART & SUSTAINABLE FUTURES” takes place in cooperation with the ZHdK Winter School. It is a workshop on current ecological and social discourses and practices. Led by Annemarie Bucher and Johannes Hedinger. Application deadline 9 January. > Link
– Also in February, the final event of the research project “Activating Fluxus” (HKB, SNF) takes place on 28 Feb at the Cabaret Voltaire. Participation with an own score or the activation of an existing score is open until the end of Jan. More information via the IG channel (or here).
– In March and April (12.3. – 12.4.) “Urban Waters” takes place in Zurich Wipkingen. ILEA contributes to the exhibition and event series with an audio walk along the Limmat and a Walk & Talk on 21.3. > Info
– In April, the ILEA Advisory Board meets for an internal workshop on the future orientation and vision of ILEA.
– In May (27.5.) participants can explore sustainable niches in Oerlikon with Rita Illien. The walk is a supporting event of the exhibition «Zurich Circular», together with Labör.
– In June (5.-7.6.) the second edition of “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” takes place at Labör in Oerlikon-Zurich. Symposium and walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt. Co-curated by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– Also in June, the final event of the Pro Helvetia funded research project “River Landscape” takes place in Zurich, including the presentation of the research results and the website.
– In addition, June features the presentation of the first research phase of “Art & Transformation”, the research project on spatial transformation processes through art (HKB).
– In August (7.8.) the premiere of the play “More than Art”, focusing on art in rural contexts, takes place as part of Kunstwege Pontresina.
– In September (3.-5.9.) the course “URBAN COMMONS – Art & Collective Placemaking” takes place in cooperation with the ZHdK Summer School. It is a workshop on collective forms of action between art, everyday life, and urban practice. Led by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– Also in September (11.-13-9.), the third edition of “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” takes place at the Rhine Harbour in Basel. Symposium and walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt. Co-curated by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– In December, the publication of Volume 3 of the ILEA Book series is planned. The focus is “Walking”. Published by Vexer Verlag, St. Gallen and Berlin.

Further details will be shared in the next newsletters and on our IG channel .

ART & SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

ZHdK Winter School 2026

ART & SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

Current Ecological and Societal Discourses and Practices

Block seminar (3, 6, 7 February 2026)

Climate justice, sustainable lifestyles, socioecological transformation and care for the planet shape current public debates and appear in contemporary artistic practices. The traditional divides between nature and culture, city and countryside, art and society dissolve. A new sensitivity for environmental and spatial experience emerges that needs attention.
At the start of this module you gain a historical and theoretical introduction to key terms and fields of action in the context of art, ecology and the city. You explore forms of environmental experience, concepts such as NatureCulture and approaches to artistic environmental crisis management.
Practical exercises, talks with experts, excursions and experimental formats help you test how these ideas transfer to your own practice. Introductory readings are provided.

Instructors: Johannes M. Hedinger (ILEA) and Annemarie Bucher (FOA-FLUX) + guest lecturers

Dates: Tue 3 Feb, 6 – 9pm / Fri 6 Feb, 9am – 5pm / Sat 7 Feb, 9am – 5pm

Information and registration (until 9 Jan 2026): LINK

Brooklyn Rail

My short essay on Art & Subversion in the current the Brooklyn Rail (Dec 25/Jan 26). >Link
with works by San Keller, Ai Weiwei, Doris Salcedo and Katie Paterson

Bloch on the way home

After Bloch had been blocked for over a year, things suddenly moved fast.
If everything goes smoothly, Bloch should arrive back in Switzerland by the end of the year.

Review WALKING

The transdisciplinary conference WALKING – Thinking in Motion (September 5–7, 2025, Safiental) on walking as artistic practice, spatial experience, and a method of gaining insight in the spirit of Lucius Burckhardt took place as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations. > Concept und Program

The concept was based on a balance between indoor and outdoor contributions. Concrete walking experiences, combined with perceptions of places around Tenna, were supplemented by theoretical and practical reflections on the topic. The walks included concrete perception experiments through experimental, sequential, meditative, and exploratory walking.

The many positive responses and the large number of applications encourage us to plan a second edition of the conference in an urban context next year (expected to take place in late May/early June 2026). This will be followed by a reader (ILEA Book 3) on the topic of WALKING.

TALKS: All lectures are available on the ILEA-Youtube-channel.
WALKS: A photo documentation of the walkshops can be found here.

Speakers and Workshops
Othmar Arnold / Linard Bardill / Nitin Bathla / Lisa Lee Benjamin / Annemarie Bucher / Violeta Burckhardt / Gabriyel Dari / Babak Fakhamzadeh / Samuel Haettenschweiler / Johannes M. Hedinger / Pablo Helguera / Hanna B. Hölling / Tim Ingold / Johanna Just / San Keller / Marie-Anne Lerjen / Marinka Limat / Marcus Maeder / Jana Orb / Martin Ott / Raimund Rodewald / Elisa Storelli / Aylin Tschoepe / Nazli Tümerdem / Robin Winogrond / Mingyue Zhang

Curatorial board/Moderation
Johannes M. Hedinger, Raimund Rodewald, Violeta Burckhardt