Walk the streets of Edinburgh on this augmented reality tour created by Canadian artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, full of poetry, history, invention and memories
Following Janet Cardiff’s voice and walking in her footsteps, you will be led through the backstreets of the Edinburgh’s Old Town, unravelling a disjointed tale – part game-playing, part surrealistic poetry, perhaps even a murder mystery – layered with history, invention and memories.
The image of the street comes up on the screen you are holding. It appears that it has been shot in the exact location that you are standing in, almost as if it is in real time. A figure walks past on the video as another passes by in the real world, the two realities aligning. The sounds from the headphones are startlingly three-dimensional, further merging the two worlds in front of you. A female voice close behind you says: so here I am in Edinburgh…
As you listen, she begins to tell you where you are – you should be at the bottom of Advocates’ Close, looking out at Cockburn Street with your back to the steps… – and what you should do – now let’s turn around… and go up the stairs.
One of the biggest hits of the Edinburgh international Festival 2019, Cardiff and Miller’s Night Walk for Edinburgh is now a permanent part of Fruitmarket collection and you can download it and set off on the walk whenever you like! Although we think it is best done at twilight.
To participate in the walk, you will need to:
Download the Night Walk for Edinburgh App from the App Store or Google Play and have 1Gb available for the HD film
Before you set off you need to download the film through the app onto your tablet or smartphone using a WiFi network.
Have a set of working headphones for your device.
Dress for the terrain and the weather. If you have any further questions check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Once the film is downloaded in the app head to the bottom of Advocate’s Close on Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1ND. A map is available on the App.