This year is the third time we’re hosting the Marŝarto Awards, and, for the first time, we received a (slightly) larger number of submissions for the Marŝarto Awards than we did for the SWS Awards. Objectively, this makes sense, as sound walks are a subset of walking art.
On the other hand, while sound walks are quite neatly defined as an art form, it’s not necessarily obvious when a piece can reasonably recognised as ‘walking art’ (and not a sound walk).
Thankfully, we do have a reasonably straightforward definition for this, namely that ‘walking’ is integral to the piece, either in its creation, or ‘consumption’, that is, how it is experienced.
Like the SWS25 shortlist, the Marŝarto25 shortlist was put together by our wonderful Online Jury, who spent even more truckloads of time in also carefully rating this year’s submissions against a collectively established set of criteria.
We’ve seen a broad range of fascinating submissions this year, resulting in an impressive shortlist. Though, as a general observation, the Online Jury found that several submissions would have benefited from more in-depth documentation. More documentation will allow for better assessments.
The jurors’ individual ratings produce a ranked list of this year’s submissions, from which we take the top 12 to make up the shortlist. If any on that list involved creators who are ineligible to win, members of the WLC Team and the members of the Marŝarto Grand Jury, we augment the list by as many pieces. Then, we add one more, the public’s favourite, which is the submission with the most likes/hearts, which is not already on the shortlist.
One of our founders what a tad prolific this year, meaning that this year’s shortlist consists of 17 pieces, 4 of which are not eligible to win.
Meadow Cultivators: Two Parks, One City, Many Steps
Meadow Cultivators grew from walks with local youth and neighbors over two underused lawns in the City of Syracuse, NY. The walks through emergent meadows of growing flora turned undervalued public fields into living drawings, exploring how walking in public space connects ecology, safety, and community.
The Thing to be Known Grows with the Knowing: Walking in the Western Ghats from Ignorance to Intimacy.
“The Thing to Be Known Grows with the Knowing” reflects on my experiences walking in the rich and fragile environment of India’s Western Ghats propelled by the question: What does it mean to be a guest, a good guest, in an unfamiliar place?
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Public’s favouite
The public’s favourite is the walking piece which received the most hearts/likes and was not already on the shortlist. If you’re not on the shortlist this year, and you’re going to submit your work for next year’s awards, tell your friends to vote for you.
Out of competition
Pieces on the shortlist that involve creators that are part of the WLC Ream, or are a member of the Marŝarto Grand Jury are not eligible to win.
What’s next
The shortlist is now reviewed by the Marŝarto Grand Jury, who will meet to discuss each of the pieces, as well as deciding on the winner and honourable mention.
Concurrently, the creators of each of the shortlisted pieces are invited to write an article, discussing their work, their process, or both, and these will be published, here, in the coming weeks.
The winner and honourable mention of the Marŝarto Awards 2025 will be announced in the beginning of the new year. They will walk away with an award and a cash prize. The winner receives 500 euros, with a cool 200 for the honourable mention.
The value of our prizes depend on the amount of financial support WLC receives from people like you. We need your support, and hope to push next year’s top prize to 1000 euros.
Help us help you! Support WLC today!
Submissions for next year’s award are open. What are you working on?
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Related
It’s the winners of Marŝarto25
The Marŝarto25 shortlist reflected a wide and compelling field of walking practices, demonstrating how walking continues to operate as a critical, poetic, and socially embedded artistic method. Across a range of geographies, durations, and intentions, the shortlisted works shared an understanding of walking as a way of thinking with the world: attentive to landscape, community,
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• +5 Announcing the winners of SWS25
It’s been an absolute joy to explore this year’s submissions for the Sound Walk September Awards. Speaking on behalf of the Grand Jury, it wasn’t easy to pick which pieces stood out just a tad more in the field that was this year’s shortlist. But, using cold, hard, mathematics, the numbers didn’t lie, and were
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