LET'S GO OUT FOR A WALK?
was commissioned and performed at Festival Inund'ART in June 2021
and presented in form of an exhbition at EL BÒLIT contemporary Art Centre.
It will be presented in Birmingham, at BE Festival (10-19 February 2022)
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LET’S GO OUT FOR A WALK? started as an artistic response to the covid-19 crisis; with the support of Festival Inund’ART and EL BÒLIT's art residency program, the project evolved and became a performance for, and created with, elderly people.
During the first part of the project, and in conerversation with residents in a care home in Girona, Francesc collected their memories of the city, which are also memories of their life; these stories and their life maps (from the place they were born to the the care home) were showcased in form of a sculpture on a map of Girona. During the second part of the project, and with all the gathered information, Francesc designed a specific performance for each one of the residents: every day during the festival, Francesc would walk through the streets in Girona; one resident at a time would follow this live performance from the care home. The result was a set of unique and multisensorial performances, that gave Joaquima, Xavier, Glòria, Maria Lourdes, Dolors C, Dolors D, and Àngela the opportunity to re-visit loved locations, meet people, be surprised, and reconnect with the city of today and yesterday. The project offered time and attention to each one of the residents, and valued their life stories. At the same time, my presence in the public space during the performance was a way to make more visible the isolation that many elderly people experience. The last performance at Festival Inund’ART opened the door to a further development of the project, in Girona or other cities, where the participant (and not exclusively elderly people) listens the stories and visits the places from elderly people that have previously participated in it. |
Picture: Edi Barcelo
LET’S GO OUT FOR A WALK? was possible thanks to: Festival Inund’ART, BÒLIT – Contemporary Arts Centre, Maria Gay care home, theatre director Sergi Estebanell and the organization Amics de la Gent Gran.
It was developed in Girona in May 2021, and peformed between the 28th of May and the 13th of June 2021. More info:
fserravila@hotmail.com |
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On the first day, when I met the residents in the care home I introduced myself as a young architect from outside Girona, willing to learn and put inside a box memories of the city; what could be better than listening and collecting their stories?
We started with a group activity: complete a puzzle of Girona and place on it all sort of images related with the city. This was a way to break the ice, and start sharing and working together. |
From the second day onwards, I met the residents, one-by-one.
With a string I traced on a map their personal journey (they are all from Girona), stopping on locations that were important for them at different moments of their life: the place where they were born, where they kissed for the first time, the shop where they used to work before getting married… I would listen with curiosity, and write down the details of what had happened in each one of these places. |
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With all the gathered information, I designed a specific performance for each one of the residents: every day during the festival, I took a walk in Girona, holding a box with a camera inside...
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The participant follows the performance from the care home (or their house). In front of them, there is a box; when the show starts, they open the box: inside there is a tablet already connected, as well as a series of envelopes and surprises (old pictures, flowers, newspaper articles…) that make the performance interactive and multisensorial.
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Performance n.1:
The 1st walked I did, was with Xavier; he was born in Veïnat de Salt in 1935. Together we walked Rambla de la Llibertat and reached the building where he lived and worked (as lady only hairdresser), from the age of 12 until he retired. On the way to his house, we stopped by a kiosk at the beginning of la Rambla; there we read an article published on a newspaper from 1932 about the honeymoon his parents did in Barcelona. We also listened some minutes of a football match between Girona FC and Hercules broadcasted in 1977; Xavier has always been, and still today, a Girona FC fan. |
Performance n.2:
In this second walk, Angela (99 years old) and I had a mission: solve a murder mystery. For this, Angela was a great partner: she has read all Agatha Christie’s books. The investigation took us from the former Hospital de Santa Caterina to Can Puig (an old bakery located in Cort Reial 15, where they produced the first “xuixo”, back in 1918). On the way to the bakery, we visited the market (Mercat del Lleó, where she used to go every week), the house where she lived after the wedding (1961), and listen Mirando al mar (a song by Jorge Sepúlveda). |
Peformance n.3:
The walk I did this morning with Maria Lourdes (Girona, 1932) started on the street she lived her childhood (until she got married). From there, we walked to Plaça Marquès de Camps; in this square, many years ago people would dance. Today, we dance “Porompompero” by Manolo Escobar around the fountain. Then we walked to Casa de la Punxa (she used to work in a mill behind this building); and while we were on a train from the old Olot train station to the Renfe (opened in 1973), she told me about her trip to the USA with her husband. In front of the station, and before saying goodbye, we contemplate the Monument to the senectud (a sculpture made by his husband, and where 3 generations of her family are represented) while listening the song Arrivederci Roma. |
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Performance n.4:
The last walk of the week has been with Pepita (born in 1927). We have started on one end of Carrer Bellaire, just by the river Galligants (although no water was running today); from there we walked through the streets that form Barri Xino, the neighboughood where Pepita lived for 11 years. She told me stories about La Vedette, a famous prostitute that Pepita personally met. Pepita had two main hobbies: cinema and dance (it was in a ballroom that she met her husband). Music has accompanied us big part of our journey: we danced Singing in the rain (it opened in Cine Moderno in 1953) on top of Pont d’en Gómez o de la princesa (although she called that bridge Creu Blanca, due to a pharmacy located in one end of the bridge); we listened Ada Gardner singing How am I to know? from the movie Pandora and the flying Dutchman (with some scenes shot in Girona in 1950); and we finished dancing Dos gardenias para tí (by Antonio Machín) where the ballroom Coliseo Imperial used to be, in Plaça de la Independència (o de Sant Agustí). |
Performance n.5:
Today, the walk with Gloria (Girona, 1940) started at Escola Eiximeris, a school where she learnt maths, typing and book keeping. Over the course of the walk we remember her years working at the airport Girona – Costa Brava (opened in 1967), and the Pont Huarte (a bridge near her house, where in 1949 the soldiers covered with carnations during Corpus). On this occasion, inside her box there was a drawer full of flowers from the garden in La Devesa. This way, while I walked in front of the roses, iris, hydrangea and geranium, Glòria did not only see them, but also smelt them. |
Performance n.6:
Today Dolors D. (Girona, 1935) took me to a couple of houses where she lived, both near Plaça del Vi. We also walked along Carrer de l’Argentaria; she pointed to me where Calçats Farró used to be: a shop that since 1890 used to sell shoes and rope-soled sandals, and where she worked a few years. Dolors explained me that one day, while she worked in that shop, a servant from upstairs went down shouting: “There is a man hidden under the bed!” It was not a man; but instead El Tarlà, a puppet that used to be stored in that property. We walked Rambla de la Llibertat to the rhythm of the sardana Girona Terra Estimada (by Antoni Albors), until we reached Plaça Catalunya. And from there, Dolors took me to the market to buy sweet sausage, and taught me how to cook with: in a pan, with water, an apple and a tablespoon of sugar. |
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Performance n.7:
The walk with Joaquima (Girona, 1934) was unusual: many of the things that were important to her when she was young, do not exist anymore. During the promenade we did this morning, we constantly travelled between memories from the past and the present: she evoked the 14 years she worked at Grober (supervising the looms that produced braid and “llustre”); we listened a recording from the radio of one of the football matches that she used to go and watch on a weekend with his husband in Vista Alegre (the old stadium where Girona FC played before moving to a new one); the old bridge Lorenzana; the small houses that existed along Carrer de la Rutlla (and now replaced for taller buildings); or the fountains del Canó or del Bou, that were nearby. Nevertheless, our walk finished at the doors of the house where she was born 87 years ago and that stands still today. |
Performance n.8:
Today, the walk with Dolors C. (Girona, 1942) has started at Plaça de l’Auriga (Dolors indicated me where she used to live as a child, but also the place where her father’s Academia Coquard was) and finished at Torre Gironella (an old tower defence from where we could see Sant Daniel, a neighbourhood outside Girona that she has strong feelings for). In between, we passed by Carrer de la Llebra, the university at Plaça Sant Domènec, and the gardens Jardins dels Alemanys; literally, we crossed the entire city, while listening to music by Edith Piaf. |
Performance n.9:
The last walk with the residents in care house Maria Gay has been a blast! I walked together with all the residents: those who had took part in the previous performances, and their colleagues. The walk started by the river Onyar; a watercolour by Jaume Roca Delpech (1911-1968) reminded us how inspiring the city has been for many artists (Pla, Tarrés… also for me!). At the rhythm of the sardana Girona Enamora, we did some sightseeing: we kissed the lioness’ bottom, we went up the 90 steps that lead to the Cathedral at the rhythm of Manaies’ march, and from thre contemplated the mountains Montseny, Guilleries, Puigsacalm… During the walk we also bumped into the organisers of the Festival Inund’ART, and that made this project come true; and visited El Bòlit – Contemporary Arts Centre where the sculpture with their memorie and life maps was displayed. A perfect promenade that ended in the care home: with sweet “xuixos” for everyone, and with “Festa Major” by La Trica playing at the background. |
Performance n.10:
A few days ago, Maria contacted me because her niece Anna wanted to participate in LET’S GO OUT FOR A WALK?. Together, we walk the locations and remember the stories that Xavier (Performative performance n.1), shared with me at beginning of the festival. This last performance opened the door to a new format, full of possibilities, to be explored beyond Festival Inund’ART in other cities and neighbourhoods.
A few days ago, Maria contacted me because her niece Anna wanted to participate in LET’S GO OUT FOR A WALK?. Together, we walk the locations and remember the stories that Xavier (Performative performance n.1), shared with me at beginning of the festival. This last performance opened the door to a new format, full of possibilities, to be explored beyond Festival Inund’ART in other cities and neighbourhoods.
Where does it start?
Muscles tense.
One leg a pillar, holding the body upright between the earth and sky.
The other a pendulum, swinging from behind.
Muscles tense.
One leg a pillar, holding the body upright between the earth and sky.
The other a pendulum, swinging from behind.
Heel touches down.
The whole weight of the body rolls forward onto the ball of the foot.
The big toe pushes off, and the delicately balanced weight of the body shifts again.
The whole weight of the body rolls forward onto the ball of the foot.
The big toe pushes off, and the delicately balanced weight of the body shifts again.
The legs reverse position.
It starts with a step,
and then another step,
and then another that add up like taps on a drum to a rhythm the rhythm of walking.
The most obvious and most obscure thing in the world,
this walking that wanders so readily into the unknown,
to memories,
listen in,
demonstrations,
to togetherness.
Poem based on the text Wanderlust: A history of walking, by Rebecca Solnit