Domestic Gestures is a part of The New Normal series which is a personal documentary project, accumulative, poetical, and a longful one, in a time of physical distancing and social solidarity, police curfews, and restrictions. It exists as a way of making sense of and record the passing of time.
 

On the shelf in the living room of my apartment, above the fireplace, I see the gift of two friends I met during my international master's degree in Gent, Belgium (one from India and the other from Mexico). I don't know when or if I will see them again, but I know it was a connection far beyond beliefs, cultures or habits. It was just a person to person connection and every time I look at these gifts, I think about how I felt when I was with them, the dinners we used to prepare with different dishes that I had never tasted before, and how amazing it was to share and exchange these new experiences with them... 

Aquest lloc és molt transitat per alumnes i pares de família que pertanyen a aquesta comunitat, però pensem que és una cosa avorrida, de manera que voldríem donar-li més vida i poder col·locar alguna cosa que sigui un punt de referència.

Analizing this place we saw the big potential this area has, thanks to the combination of nature and mandmade. Also we notice that there are no activities or attracting alements that potentiates any use in this place. 

The possible intervention and the place generate a new connection between the housing and public space. The place links the coexistence of these spaces with the tranquility of its recesses. The streetlights allow a possible intervention to be extended both horizontally and vertically to generate a point of attraction between the poles. Finally, the place tries to activate and connect but at the same time maintain the essence of tranquility.

Em  triat aquest espai perquè pensem que és un espai desaprofitat i és un bon lloc on parar-se per pensar o asseure's a mirar la ciutat.

The marsh of Monastir (in Tunisia) is a favorable environment for a delegation of migratory birds such as "flamingos", as well as many other types of birds such as ducks and various types of gulls. Despite the construction of the airport and the metro line that crosses the marsh, the birds have remained attached to this ecological station and have not abandoned it. One of the characteristics of this bird is that it forms incubators, as some husbands stay to guard the chicks, while the others start bringing food from nearby slums and distant places to return to their seat to feed their young at sunset. This place is then associated with birth, fertility and life.

Due to the sewage being poured into this lake, the number of birds gradually decreased and the birds' nests became empty.

This problem inspired me to create my project. According to different cultures, the egg is considered a symbol of life, fertility and the victory of the love of life over the darkness of death. According to Finnish legend, the egg is the beginning of the universe or the beginning in which the universe was born.

The legend says that the goddess "Luonnotar" spent her life alone in the vast emptiness of space.  Then she fell from the sky to the earth. Then the seagull came from the distant horizon, and on her lap she built her nest. Then the goddess felt a heat flowing through her body, as if her knee was burning and her veins were melting, the bird laid her eggs on her knee, which trembled, then the eggs rolled on the water and were broken. From the lower part of the eggs was formed the earth, mother of all beings; from their upper part, the sublime sky; from their yellow parts, the radiant sky; from their white part, the bright moon; their speckled debris became stars; their black debris the clouds of the air. "Luonnotar" continued the process of creation, creating the seas, bays and shores, and the depths of the oceans.

From this legend I began my project . I made a sculpture in the shape blue phoenix with two large wings protruding from its head, The phoenix bird symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death but this time the bird is weak and his heart is bleeding , I chose the blue to be in harmony with the blue of the sky and the marshes, and to contrast with the color of the ground. Then I distributed a group of gypsum eggs among the marsh grass, indicating that this place is the source of life, fertility and birth so we should protect it and stop polluting it . I colored the eggs blue, referring to male birth, pink to female birth, and purple gradient, which is the mix between pink and blue for other sexual orientations. Then I took photographs of the installation to document it, as the final work will be in the form of photographs, as I have no desire to leave the installation in the marsh or to make the marsh an open exhibition space where I wish to preserve the purity and tranquility of the place and its vitality without leaving a trace, as I am ultimately interested in the images that perpetuate the trace.

The Bondi Icebergs is a much, photographed iconic place. The pool was built in the late 1930’s so local swimmers and life savers could maintain their fitness during the winter months – hence the name. Much has been written about swimming pools being great equalizers in terms of their appeal to all ages, of all shapes and sizes, and social classes, as well as being captivating sites for people watching. For me, The Icebergs is a place of solace, a time for clearing the mind while swimming, a time for quiet and reflection while watching the surf, the changing life on the beach in the distance. It holds a sense of being together while simultaneously being in a bubble of solitude.

It is inspiring to see people, at least in their 70s, still swimming throughout the year, and this display of stoicism and is one of the reasons I chose to move to the area. The Icebergs is deeply embedded within the community, as well as welcoming to those from afar. It’s a social place with its club membership, and races held every Sunday throughout Winter, as well as a bustling community venue. A free walkway affords spectators a closer view, while an entry fee is required for the pool, but still I see it as a public space reflected and used by so many - a locus of community.

The Parklet  in Bologna is a space for people, it is a combination of human-oriented design with nature-based solutions. It is a pleasant and unexpected opporunity to enjoy the street as a real public space, in between a long line of cars. It hosts daily activities of the neighbourhood, for family, kids, elderly, small events and temporary art installations from local residents. Very attractive and with a unique atmosphere.

I have always live near my city´s park. It is a park that unfolds along the riverbank, on a long walk made of pink and grey tiles on the high zone, and sand, brushes and giant trees on the low one.

A park is a peculiar place from which to observe a city. Since I was a little child I watch the passerby from my window and think about it as a kaleidoscope, through which the city reveals itself in its most anomalies shapes and most intensive colors.

In the park the city and its inhabitants dress up (dresses printed with flowers and phosphorescent sport-wear), they play at being what they are not, and at the same time  (thanks to these masks) they undress, they move and allow themselves to breath in a way that they are no allow to do it on the sidewalks and urbanized streets. They seem to be disoriented or lost, uncomfortable due to the absence of traffic noise and the rowdy singing of birds.

Since I was a child, I also sometimes became a walker (the always ephemeral inhabitant of a park). There was once when I got lost in the park. In the middle of a tantrum I started running furiously. When I realized that I was alone I started to cry. Now I think that my tears were also caused  by a subtle emotion: I was feeling at the brink of a possible adventure, as those lonely children who star in the tales of witches and ogres. 

This photo was taken during the 2020´s pandemic, when all the country was confined. During most than a month the park remained closed, fenced off by police ribbons (as if a crime has been committed). Then, we were allowed to go out just for hour. During those days, from my window, I observed this couple sitting in the same  bank, observing, in turn  together in silence the park  still deserted and savage, as is after years (maybe a entire life) of absence they have found  again. And I, after all this time (my entire life), in a certain way, I found my-self reflected in them.

  A place is where you live.

Space in space