M.A.D.E Walking: A Creative Experience for All Ages and Abilities

M.A.D.E Walking invites everyone, regardless of age or ability, to experience movement in a whole new way. Whether you’re skipping, strolling, shuffling, using a wheelchair, or even standing still, M.A.D.E [Many Adventures Directly Experienced] Walking transforms your motion into a unique, personalised ‘selfie’ drawing using a specially designed Billycan.

Inspired by the iconic Australian Billycan, this drawing machine is equipped with a weighted pen suspended over paper inside the can. As you move, no matter how subtle or energetic, the pen captures your movements, creating a one-of-a-kind artwork that reflects your personal swagger and style—just as distinctive as your fingerprint.

The Experience

M.A.D.E Walking is more than just an activity—it’s a form of contemporary art and spatial practice. The Billycan method makes the invisible act of walking visible, allowing you to see a visual representation of your movement. As you engage with your surroundings, you become a creator and mapper of your own environment, experiencing familiar spaces in a fresh, immersive way.

This experience blends location and movement into an inseparable whole, recording not just the time and effort you exert but also the relationship between your journey and the places you traverse. Every drawing tells a story—your story—of who you are and where you walk.

Artistically, this process creates a catalog of impressions—cartographical narratives that directly mark and sequence your experiences as you walk through the city. Each walk becomes a creative agent, connecting you with your surroundings in a deeply personal way. Your journey is captured on paper, serving as a tangible memento of your unique experience.

Scientifically, walking has been shown to expand brain regions related to planning and memory, as well as boost creativity. Through M.A.D.E Walking, participants leave with an altered perception of their environment, having crafted a subjective map that encourages them to slow down, notice the details, and reflect on their personal journey. This process deepens their connection to the gardens, landscapes, and buildings they encounter, transforming ordinary walks into meaningful artistic expressions.

M.A.D.E Walking redefines the concept of exercise, turning it into a gentle yet creative pursuit—with wellness as an added benefit.

As Annette Wegg puts it, “My challenge every day now is not the calories I burn or the distance I cover, but the drawing I create today—to better it tomorrow.”

In M.A.D.E Walking, every step you take becomes part of a living artwork. Walks are transformed into art, and art into walks, creating “philosophical paths” for the walker. The rhythmic, swinging motion of walking becomes the very agent of drawing—a performance with the intent of making art. As you move through a gallery or museum, you step out as a viewer and return as a creator.

Many example below: AB and HM were two participating [dog] walkers in Dalby where I spent 3 months walking with the community, the elderly and people with a disability. This residency was supported by the Dalby Welcoming Committee and the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors.