Tolbos on a Line is a walking intervention by artist Karen Stander taking place along an abandoned railway line in Riebeek West, South Africa. Participants meet at Blacksmith Yard before accompanying a rolbos plant—a native shrub known for its natural, aimless movement—pushed deliberately along the fixed track. This controlled journey transforms the plant into a mobile carrier of sealed community messages, evoking a collective memory rooted in the local landscape. The experience intertwines elements of ecological metaphor, land art, and social history, emphasizing the relationship between body, place, and memory.

The event lasts approximately 30 minutes and involves a slow, immersive engagement with the environment, reflecting Stander’s practice of attentive walking and process-based art. Following the outdoor intervention, a separate video titled the “shadow” of the walk is shown at Blacksmith Yard, offering a complementary perspective on the action. The artistic approach highlights the tension between natural drift and human direction, facilitating a contemplative encounter with local history and ecology.