This is a call to join in this year’s Terminalia wander for a little light distraction.

Celebrated on the last day of the Roman year Terminalia is marked on February 23rd.
Terminalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Terminus, who presided over boundaries. His statue was merely a stone or post stuck in the ground to distinguish between properties.
With it’s origins pagan, walking the boundaries between properties and parishes became absorbed into English religious practise when the festival became known as Beating the Bounds.
With this in mind, marking Terminalia (without any religious overtones) is a good excuse to propose a boundary walk.

Invitation to participate

Walking the Invisible
A short walk of any distance from 5 paces to 50 kilometres that takes place along a boundary that’s visible or invisible.
The walk can take place anywhere – in town or country – desert – mountain – under water.
It can be a county border, along a river, parish boundary, a property, outline of a former road or building, map contour or grid line – your choice.
Your response to the walk can be solitary or you may wish to join with others – please get in touch if you’d like to share your walk.

Media

Submissions can be made in any medium – painting, drawing, printmaking, time based media, photography, the written or spoken word, music and sound.

Expressions of interest

This provocation invites your creative response to seasonal events.
In common with previous challenges, it uses walking as a common thread.

Closing date for your expression of interest is Saturday 8th February.

Just send me, Kel Portman, a message at kelportman@icloud.com with the subject line ‘Terminalia February 2026. A provocation | an Expression of interest | YES’.

Further details will be sent to you 9th February.

Fees

There are no grants or bursaries to help fund the project.
There are no prizes or awards.
But entry is free.
There are no artist’s fees for those artists who are selected.

Selection

There will be a maximum of works by 12 selected artists.
Their work will be assembled as a video approximately 24 minutes.
The final date for submissions will be 1st March 2026.

If you have questions or comments, please get back to me here: kelportman@icloud.com.