Tradition, culture and history of communities in black and white.

Inner journeys do not only refer to an individual, but can also apply to society, whether small or large. These journeys take us to the very heart of that community, to its beliefs, to what its people experience in their day-to-day lives or on special occasions.

A while ago, I posted some photographs of a major exhibition held at the La Malagueta cultural centre, which is situated in the city’s bullring. The truth is that they do wonderful work there, organising photographic exhibitions, particularly documentary ones, featuring both local artists and incredible works by various photographers.

In this post, I’m sharing more photographs by the brilliant artist Txema Rodríguez, who has managed to capture the essence of the Easter celebrations in various villages across the province of Málaga. Although the exhibition was held during the festivities themselves, I was only able to visit on the final day, and I think it’s well worth seeing the quality of the art in each photograph and, above all, the experiences captured in the villages.

The first village I’m featuring today is Frigiliana, and they say this is one of the most beautiful white villages in the province. I remember that my aunt and uncle visited it and loved it. I haven’t been there yet, but I hope to go soon. This whole area of the white villages looks so much like the landscapes of Greece, from what I’ve seen in photos, and that’s precisely what characterises them: the white of the little houses stands out against the surroundings.

The photo captions mentioned that the pristine white streets provide the perfect backdrop for the funeral procession accompanying the Virgin of Soledad. The absolute darkness is broken only by the faint glow of the candles held by the women in strict mourning, who sing as they walk at a measured pace, transforming the village into a scene straight out of the past.

The next village is Arriate, which I didn’t even know existed. And there really are so many villages in Spain, one right next to the other. If I compare this country with Argentina, the latter has many villages too, but they are spread out across the vast expanse of the territory. Here, however, as one ends, the next begins, and it’s incredible that each one differs from the last, even having its own dialect.

As for the photographs, the accompanying text explained that the Santo Entierro procession is the only one to take place on Holy Saturday in Málaga. This uniqueness is complemented by the silence in the streets, both amongst the locals and the visitors, who, as soon as the procession begins, leave the area due to some untimely and heavy rain.

Finally, the last village featured in the exhibition is Cartajima. I am not personally familiar with this village either, but I do know two with very similar names; one of them is called Cártama, though it is situated more than 70 kilometres from the one featured in the exhibition. I hope to visit it one day.

The text on the walls, alongside the photographs, commented on the theme of Easter, noting that it is such a small place where everything feels familiar and spontaneous, very different from other places. In the Serranía, on Easter Sunday, various traditions blend together in a unique way: the celebration of the Virgin finding her son and, at the same time, the burning of Judas – a role played on that day by the well known Elon Musk. The first celebration took place inside the church due to the rain.

Exploring this tradition through photographs of the different villages highlights their unique customs and the details that set them apart from one another. On many occasions I had to take the photos from the side, as my reflection appeared as a black blur. But each photograph was captured at just the right moment, and if you look at the expressions on people’s faces, you can see the spontaneity and emotion of that moment, of what the people are experiencing.

Thank you very much for joining me today; I wish you all a very happy Sunday. See you soon.
Amonet.

All photographs are my own.