La Pisada / The Tread

2018

Participatory Action

Clay, straw, wood

Part of the Trampoline training project

Cultural Center of Spain

The origin of the project arises from a personal experience and inquiries about new language searches. I grew up in my grandmother’s adobe house, which currently is 150 years old and I have gradually seen many of them disappear.

The work is inspired by a public Adobe Mixing event held at the Cultural Center of Spain. The goal is to reinterpret rituals or atavistic customs behind such participatory community events, using elements reminiscent of the mixing, paying symbolic homage to people and traditions.

The action of stepping on the piece aims to record the collective gesture by softening the clay, as is done to build houses. The structure or platform takes the form of a house, simulating that construction space and delineating that area. Another important aspect is the elements like flags, representing the people participating in the action, along with alcohol, music, and entertainers reminiscent of rural rituals.

The piece aims to capture the communal gesture of stepping as the central axis of the experience and a reflection of the solidarity formed among the participants.