Flânerie and the globalizing city

Abstract

In this paper we review the history and current revival of flânerie, assessing it as a lens for understanding and representing cities undergoing globalization. We will examine a strong connection of artist–flâneuristic and sociological practices in 21st-century transnational terms that nevertheless recall the heroic flânerie of the 19th century. We will emphasize a more Baudelairean cast to contemporary flânerie as a practice of subjective mediation that establishes an ever-expanding, sensory connectivity among individuals in the streets, producing in the process vibrant documents of cities in transformation. We discuss the decisive impact of the flâneuse on the global stage. Finally, we will look at today's interurban circuits—for example, the global art biennial/art fair circuit—along which treads a new kind of flâneur/flâneuse—the global nomad.

Keywords:

• flânerie
• Baudelaire
• globalizing cities