Summer time. I feel it, not only because of the weather, but kind of the body wanting to slow down, to take it easy and enjoy the days. To notice.
Last week I passed the halfway mark of my fifteen 15-minute walks. I’ve been discovering, or noticing, new gardens. Walking in a confined space, taking photos with a single lens, and trying to observe and capture the human presence and nature interplay. Having such a green space just by crossing the road is definitely a luxury.
During one of those walks I talked with a couple of the gardeners taking care of the place, while they were setting up a photo exhibition to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the park. The photos they are showing are about the insides of the private gardens, as a way to show everyone what’s behind the fences. I found it interesting as a way to engage in a dialogue. Not only because of what the photos show, but also because they are a reflection of what the owners/photographers want to show from inside their gardens. It was a good contrast to my own project, as I photograph from the outside, from the margins.
The conversation then shifted to the importance of nature inside cities, the role that the gardens play to sustain life for a variety of insects, plants and animals. The way we, humans, put pressure on ecosystems, and the balance between conserving such ecosystems and the need for more space for humans to live in cities.
These gardens I’ve been walking through offer a view of the balance. Small pockets of green space accessible to everyone, humans, insects, animals. A way to blend nature into the urban environment.
As I move to the second half of the walks, I’m starting to think about what I want to do with this body of work. The option to go for a zine remains the main one. It would be my first zine. Follow along during the next weeks for a view behind the process.