Walking Along the Borderscape: Borderwalk as a Method of Presenting and Collecting Data

Sažetak

Since the fall of 2021, the space of the Polish–Belarusian border has been highly militarized and weaponized. Tourist paths through the forest began to invisibly intersect the route of irregularized migration. The article introduces the concept of “borderwalk” as a method for presenting and generating data as well as an analysis of the borderscape. The embodied experience of collective walking serves a cognitive purpose while fostering solidarity with people on the move and other actors of the border crisis. Drawing on our experience from over twenty walks with researchers, students, activists, and journalists, we propose a methodological reflection that can serve as a guide through both the border landscape and the method itself. We walk the reader through the key points of the borderwalk – the wall, the forest, and the cemetery – highlighting ethical dilemmas as they unfold.

Ključne riječi: landscape, borderscape, borderwalk, irregularized migration, Polish–Belarusian border, border violence