Pepenar
The word “pepenar” comes from the Nahuatl pepena ( to choose, to collect a specific thing between others). In Mexico, this word is used to refer to the action of picking up something from the ground.
This ongoing series started at a residence in Es Mercadal, Menorca. The main lines of research are walking, the territory, and the construction of images from found elements. Each element is understood as a building block, with its own meaning and origin, which together form a final composition, being more significant than the sum of its parts.
The project is centered around the idea of walking and collecting as a creative process, and a way of understanding a specific landscape. A territory should not be understood only as a container of objects and living beings but also of the relationships between them. The landscape and the objects found within it are understood as a repository of the history of a group of living beings. The images created through this process speak about a territory and the traces left by those who live or have passed by there.
By gathering found elements, the project seeks to build a visual and conceptual vocabulary that reflects on the unique characteristics of a landscape. The photographs are constructed using various techniques, including collage, mixed media, and digital manipulation in an effort to push the boundaries of photography and its means of expression when documenting a specific place.
