flaneuring in oslo circa 2024
My first morning in Oslo was spent on the rooftop of our hostel, listening to the birds. I felt a strong instinct to wander towards the water. I chose to be a part of the flaneur team for this urban field course. Out of the many options provided for sensing a place, being a flaneur felt most aligned with how I move through the world. A flaneur is an archetype. With its origins in 20th-century French literature, this archetype rose to prominence during a time when the city was fragmented by industrialization and capitalism. The flaneur served as a way to provide commentary about changing surroundings and evolving modernity through intelligent observation (Rizk og Birioukov, 2017). The goal of the flaneur is to stroll with intention, to find details in surroundings, and to draw upon senses beyond the eyes. Focusing on internal sensorial experiences along with deeper reflection upon historical and social connections of space can ignite deeper realizations and understandings. I feel drawn ...
