I am back in Baltimore and this posting concludes Travels With My Shoes.
I met Max early on Monday October 5 th at Barajas airport (Madrid). It was great to see him. A few hours later we left for Santander and were met at the airport by Carlos Limorti, curator of the Palacete del Embarcadero.We were dropped at Hotel Central, conveniently close to the Palacete , where we were to enjoy breakfasts all week under the watchful eyes of a huge moosehead.
Monday evening we sat watching the Paseo, the evening procession of citizens, walking by the sea in the clear grey light of Santander that gives people an almost hyper-real quality . A wonderfully transfixing and entertaining sight that I was glad to share with Max. Tuesday morning we were picked up at the Hotel to go to Casa Depot Santander (not its real name) to buy the thin plywood on which the shoes were to be placed. With Max translating we selected 8 pieces that Panchi and his team brought to the Palacete. A word about Panchi and the team. These three Santanderians who work for the port are phenomenal. They help artists with the installation of exhibits and will do ANYTHING within reason you ask for. They work quickly, professionally and are helpful and friendly. They were a different crew from the ones working a few years ago when Oscar but just as impressive. Imagine, putting on a show and just directing someone to do the work !!
Oscar arrived early Wednesday and we got to work arranging the space, getting screens painted for the background and unpacking the 106 shoes. Max went off to make small business cards with the blue shoe on the exhibit card, to advertise the opening. By Thursday evening , after much experimentation, we had placed the shoes! The photo shows about a sixth of the entire exhibit.
The small groups of paintings were expertly hung in a semi circular room off the main space after Oscar had balanced on a ladder to adjust the lighting with tinfoil and roasting pans !
About five hours before the opening on Friday the long anticipated CATALOG arrived and it looked great. Very exciting. Oscar had worked many hours gathering, soliciting and translating essays and Alejandro Lopez had done a fine job designing the book.
All I can say about The Opening is that it was a bit of a blur for me, but plenty of people came. After 9 pm Carlos took us and several friends out for dinner to a place close to the water that looked like a tunnel lit by a lurid red light. I walked home before the party broke up. I was exhausted. Oscar took off for Paris early next morning but Max and I stayed 2 more days before returning to Madrid. By the time we left Santander Max knew half the people walking along the street. People were coming upto us. Holá Max! Just like Charles Village. Max took a noon flight back to Philadelphia and I lugged my bags back to Chinchon . Before going to Santander I had sorted out the studio to the point that it was almost “ready to leave “ so the 2 days before my final departure I spent time getting rid of trash, sweeping and mopping floors. By chance, on a trip to Madrid to register my mobile phone #, I happened on a great exhibit of Lisette Model’s photographs at one of the Mapfre Galleries . Wow. Lucky me.
Jan Kees , Carla’s husband, took me to Barajas early Thursday with Heavy Bags. I could have bussed it to Madrid but decided getting there very very early and waiting was worth one more journey as a sherpa, covered in suitcases and bags. Connecting at Heathrow was slightly nervewracking but Alex picked me up at BWI and the travels ended where they had started.
And… although I’ve finished traveling with shoes I’ll be posting news of my art events in Baltimore and elsewhere at this site. Thanks for coming along !