In the early summer of 2018, I walked the Camino de Santiago for 900 kilometers, from Saint-Jean-Piet-de-Port in France, over the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and then on to Finisterre and Muxia. All along the way, I collected poster material from small villages and bigger towns. I marked the date and the location on each one and carried them in my backpack, which was getting heavier and heavier by the day. It was important to have them with me until I finished my camino – my journey. In Finisterre – at the end of the world – it finally felt right to send them back home while I traveled on to Portugal.
Walking through the beautiful landscapes of Navarra, La Rioja, Leon & Castilla, and Galicia, I was thinking about the kind of artwork I wanted to do with all the posters. I decided on a collage that contains as many pieces as days I walked, presented as a long line on the wall so the visitor can walk the Camino with me; follow in my footsteps – each picture one step.
Back at my studio in Berlin Kreuzberg I sorted through all the material and memories and created an artwork made of 42 pieces that you can see below.
Come and walk with me.
Week 1
Day 0 . 25.5.2018 . Saint-Jean-Piet-de-Port
Day 1 . 26.5.2018 . Saint-Jean-Piet-de-Port > Roncesvalles
Day 2 . 27.5.2018 . Roncesvalles > Zubiri > Larrasoaña
Day 3 . 28.5.2018 . Larrasoaña > Pamplona > Cizur Menor
Day 4 . 29.5.2018 . Cizur Menor > Obanos > Puente la Reina
Day 5 . 30.5.2018 . Puente la Reina > Lorca > Estella-Lizarra
Day 6 . 31.5.2018 . Estrella-Lizarra > Los Arcos > Torres del Rio
Week 2
Day 7 . 1.6.2018 . Torres del Rio > Viana > Logroño
Day 8 . 2.6.2018 . Logroño > Navarrete > Nájera
Day 9 . 3.6.2018 . Nájera > Santo Domingo de la Calzada > Grañón
Day 10 . 4.6.2018 . Grañón > Villamayor del Rio > Belorado > Tosantos
Day 11 . 5.6.2018 . Tosantos > Villafranca > San Juan de Ortega > Ages
Day 12 . 6.6.2018 . Ages > Atapuerca > Burgos
Day 13 . 7.6.2018 . Burgos > Taradajos > Rabé de las Calzadas
Week 3
Day 14 . 8.6.2018 . Rabé de las Calzadas > Hornillos del Camino > Hontanas
Day 15 . 9.6.2018 . Hontanas > Castrojeriz > San Nicolas
Day 16 . 10.6.2018 . San Nicolas > Boadilla del Camino > Fromista > … (Paradise)
Day 17 . 11.6.2018 . Paradise > Villacazar de Sirga > Carrion de los Condes > Calzadilla de la Cueza
Day 18 . 12.6.2018 . Calzadilla de la Cueza – Sahagun
Day 19 . 13.6.2018 . Sahagun > Calzadilla de los Hermanillos > Reliegos
Day 20 . 14.6.2018 . Reliegos > Mansanilla de Las Mulas > Puente Villarente > Leon
Week 4
Day 21 . 15.6.2018 . Leon > Chozas de Abajo > Villar de Mazarife
Day 22 . 16.6.2018 . Villar de Mazarife > La Milla del Paramo > Hospital de Orbigo
Day 23 . 17.6.2018 . Hospital de Orbigo > Santibañez de Valdeiglesias > Astorga
Day 24 . 18.6.2018 . Astorga > Santa Catalina de Somoza > Foncebadón
Day 25 . 19.6.2018 . Foncebadón > Cruz de Ferro > Molinaseca > Ponferrada
Day 26 . 20.6.2018 . Ponferrada > Bodega > Cacabelos > Pieros
Day 27 . 21.6.2018 . Pieros > Valfuille de Ariba > Villafranca > Pradela > Vega de Valcarce
Week 5
Day 28 . 22.6.2018 . Vega de Valcarce > Las Herrerias > La Faba
Day 29 . 23.6.2018 . La Faba > La Laguna > O Cebreiro >Fillobal
Day 30 . 24.6.2018 . Fillobal > Tricastela > Samos > Aguiada > San Mamede
Day 31 . 25.6.2018 . San Mamede > Sarria > Morgade > Feirreiros
Day 32 . 26.6.2018 . Feirreiros > Portomarin > Palas de Rei
Day 33 . 27.6.2018 . Palas de Rei > San Xulian > Melide > Ribardiso da Baixo
Day 34 . 28.6.2018 . Ribardiso da Baixo > Arzúa > O Empalme > Astrar
Week 6
Day 35 . 29.6.2018 . Astrar > stop stop stop > Santiago de Compstela
Day 36 . 30.6.2018 . Santiago de Compstela > Sarela do Baix > Santiago de Compstela > Negreira
Day 37 . 1.6.2018 . Negreira > Oliveiroa > Logoso > Cee
Day 38 . 2.6.2018 . Cee > Corcubion > Finisterre > Cabo Finisterre
Day 39 . 3.6.2018 . Finisterre > Costa Pola > Lires
Day 40 . 4.6.2018 . Lires > Muxia
Day 41 . 5.6.2018 . Muxia > Santiago de Compostela
: :
2 kg of posters via post from Finisterre …
… to my studio in Berlin.
STUDIO POLA BRÄNDLE 