"De lo doméstico" a multimedia project created in lockdown

(Madrid, Spain, 2020)

"El tenderete en el patio interior"

"On the domestic," a low resolution, black and white film based on fb. live broadcasting taken place between May 1 and 2. (48 minutes, in Spanish)

Documentation of life in confinement during the lock-down

March: Crisis and tragedies bring despair, astonishment and anger. In some irreverent instances it brings solidarity and an enormous sense of community and affection. The domestic space- referring to both the home and the relationships among the people, who inhabit the place, emerges as a safe environment. Walls- those vertical structures that enclose and divide areas become a symbol for protective, as well as restrictive barriers; they are both for privacy and to shield against danger. The exterior is perceived as a threat. We wonder how a new world order and normality will emerge from this global experience.

April: Streets are quiet and empty. You can see people, individually, walking their dogs or running quick errands. In front of the pharmacy there is a short line forming, people keep distance from each other. Lonely women carry their bags and I observe from my balconies. Children must stay always home, with very few exceptions. The sun hit my face; I take care of my garden. You can see other neighbors also enjoying the sun, reading or drinking wine or beer in their balconies. Sometimes a photographer walks by, searching for an image, an iconic photograph symbolizing a moment of crisis or redemption...

May: Eventually more people started walking the streets and freedom of movement became a delicious luxury, to be consumed with caution. The “1 kilometer, 1 hour, 1 adult, 1 time per day” law came into effect when Madrid entered phase 0, a plan to go back to a new normality was in place.

People stopped spending time in their balconies and the 8 pm clapping disappeared little by little...The domestic life went back to the interior and it became less frequent to talk to the neighbors. Eventually small business started opening their doors. It was windy and sunny; the sky was cerulean blue, big and infinite; we had still a small chance to enjoy a long walk before the end of spring. Outside there was poverty, unemployment, fear and need; but also hope and eagerness to go back to the exterior world and experience the new, unknown normality...

Public Collection: 

National Women's History Museum's Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project

Exhibition:

2020 Fiestas Dos de Mayo, Madrid