On the eighth day of residence, I was going to be interviewed and the footage was to be used in the short film that would be produced about my residence, recompiled with all the bits and pieces that had been recorded throughout the week.
The day before, Carlos Grassa Toro, the creative director of the residence (La Cala de Chodes), told me that he wanted to document me explaining the wall, and that in order to do so in a natural way, it would make more sense for me to have a public and invited his photographic team and some intimate
friends who run an exhibition space in Zaragoza.
What I thought to be a half hour of filming turned into an entire afternoon. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, but at the same time
I was excited to share the work.
Beforehand, I began putting the final touches onto the wall.
It was clear to me that in eight days I wouldn't possibly have been able to map out the entire book. But it was important for me to make all the most important links visible.
Stepping back and looking at the constellation of images, keywords,
ideas, letters and photos, I began to understand my necessity for telling this story even more.
I also begun to understand just how to tell it.
Around mid-morning, I realized that if I was the story-teller, I needed to set the stage. I felt the need for ritual and theatre.
So much of what Nani transmitted to me was ritual and ceremony,
that her honor, I improvised an altar.
And began to tell the story...
This was the first time I was telling it to people who knew
very little about me, and their reactions helped me learn a lot
about my process.
Between explaining the wall and the post-celebratory dinner of tandoori chicken, spinach raita and mango lassi, Carlos interviewed me, with the wall as my backdrop.
Photos courtesy of Rubén Vicente & Grassa Toro
Film courtesy of Rubén Vicente, Beatriz Ballabriga & Grassa Toro
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