Walking Libraries Interview in Moowon Journal

“Walking is often viewed as an act of resistance, at least in terms of the individual feeling empowered to shed societal expectations, identify tendencies to subjugate nature, and assess the status quo.”

– Abigail Doan, Environmental artist and researcher

So honored to have Walking Libraries (2016-2020) featured in Moowon Journal this month. Mona Kim, Moowon's founder, asked some wonderful questions as part of an interview feature in the article. 


All featured photos are from my on-foot travels in rural regions of the U.S. as well as Europe. Studio artifacts and objects were created as part of my documentation of  traces of atmospheric conditions and acts of resilience while out on the trail. "The development of Walking Libraries as an archiving concept and movement practice was a way for me to confront my own layers of mental stasis, and in turn, come into contact with my surroundings in ways that might reveal solutions for greater resiliency and connectedness moving forward."

Learn more about Moowon here and become a part of their community here.

PHOTOGRAPHY: COPYRIGHT © ABIGAIL DOAN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TEXT: COPYRIGHT © MONA KIM / MOOWON MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Prairie Editions | 2019

woven palm raffia vessel by Monica Hofstadter | photo: Abigail Doan

Several months have passed since my May artist residency at The Jennings Hotel in Joseph, Oregon, but the slower summer tempo has allowed for some reflection on my time out west and the documentation of materials and project ideas leading up to my stay and the days thereafter.

fusing ideas + materials for the prairie vessel and Walking Libraries artifacts

Walking Libraries artifacts documented in room 4 at The Jennings Hotel

My idea to commission the above prairie vessel from Brooklyn artist/designer, Monica Hofstadter, proved to be an ideal way to further my Walking Libraries investigations.

Monica offered brilliant ideas re: the creation of a hand-woven vessel (wearable art object) that was to help me store gathered materials while out on the prairie or visiting ghost towns.

We looked closely at tule mat weavings and cordage methods, storage vessels and baskets from native traditions in the region, as well as delving into Monica's previous collections and designs highlighting tactile experiments and soft forms. Our final solution for this edition was a distillation of/homage to these sources, and also the embodiment of a dialogue between creatives and places.

Abigail Doan | residency workspace at The Jennings Hotel

For more information on Monica Hofstadter's work, visit her website and Instagram.