Welcome to Barefoot, an online journal run by a group of multidisciplinary artists based around the world. The platform was launched as we felt the need to create an accessible space to preserve personal connections and spark creative dialogues. Throughout the journal you will discover our research, projects and ideas on art.
Being perpetually barefoot is something I dream about. As I imagine what it would entail, I see my feet pressing on the rough concrete of the streets. I see them grow tired and callous. Would I get sick? Suddenly, I realise my dream is in vain. I am left with my vivid imagination and a desire to experience the world differently.
I have built a tiny space where there are no constraints. It is an imaginary place where I function unlimited. Metaphorically, being barefoot denotes a different understanding of the world. It means to absorb one’s surrounding fully and truthfully. I learned to think with my feet. I cannot ignore the subtleties that paint the picture around me.
Being barefoot locks me in the present moment and it protects me from the maniac rush of the modern world. Indeed, it is an invitation to acknowledge and consider one’s presence and role on earth.
Being barefoot is a gateway because it is the first point of contact with nature. As I stand firmly on the grass, I let my roots grow deeper into the ground. I let them reach the deepest parts of me that I forcefully tried to erase. The sacred contact between my feet and nature awakens the dormant senses. The electrifying tickle of the leaves against my skin evokes traces of wilderness.
To think with your feet is to go beyond the linear and purely physical perception of the world. It is a way to reconnect to yourself and to the environment that hosts you. It is the ability to be free and trust your instincts to guide you.
Being barefoot is such a gentle yet potent act.