Janet Cardiff Walk

During the group crit, Janet Cardiff's work was mentioned. Cardiff’s mastery of conveying a story as a narrative was a compelling reference to my work.

I decided to join one of her walks. I ventured to the East End of London and Whitechapel Library to begin the walk.

Janet Cardiff. Available at: www.artangel.org.uk/project/the-missing-voice-case-study-b(Accessed: 14th November 2024)

The Missing Voice was Cardiff’s response to living in a large city like London. Reading about its history in libraries, looking at newspaper headlines, overhearing gossip, and wandering anonymously amongst the crowds.

Following the story through headphones while wandering in her footsteps was initially strange. The noise of cars and buses on the audio track filled the surrounding street life with bustle, and the slipped sync of reality and narration made it difficult to navigate.

Liverpool Street Station, the end of the walk.

Cardiff’s story of a missing woman, coupled with the overarching narrative, was compelling. The unfolding tale is interwoven with directions and occasionally features a detective-like voice that draws the listeners into the case. Cardiff’s voice is the one constant, fashioning a timeline to cover history and story. Like the soundtrack, the confusion of time is stylistically seamless.

I can’t shake the feeling that I am a voyeur to some tragedy that demands active observation to construct this fictional reality.

The implosion of sound recording, effects, and narration is profound. I will repeat this walk early in Unit 2 to remind myself of the vitality of a well-narrated audio track.