JUNTARSE

Juntarse (Master in Photography final project, ELISAVA 2024) explores identity, place, belonging, and the roles we play as we drift further away from our roots. Through a collaborative exploration, the project seeks to uncover how the interplay of tradition and change shapes our identities and cultures. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the fluid nature of our roots, shaped not just by where we come from but by the collective experiences that define us.  

Realized in the form of a culinary event , the project invites participants around a table to examine how we adapt and preserve our multifaceted roots in an ever-changing world. Using food as a metaphor to illustrate movement and transformation of culture, Junatrse explores the ways we can uphold our roots while integrating these varied elements into our evolving identities.  

For the first installment in the series, I brought together four women who, through different motivations,  have found themselves living and working in Barcelona. Each brought to the table a dish they prepared with ingredients that represented some pieces of themselves, their past lives, and their roots. 

Around the table, I ask myself, my participants, and our audience: How can we uphold our roots in today’s rapidly changing world while embracing change and encouraging transformation? What can we bring to the table to weave these elements into our evolving identities? How can we embrace our complexities and view the beauty that lives in between the pieces that make us whole?