Down the Garden Path (ongoing)
Down the Garden Path is an ongoing photographic series that explores Spain’s historical memory of Francoism through the vernacular narratives of political repression in the specific region of Galicia, Spain.
Galicia, the birthplace of Franco, was one of the first territories to fall into the hands of the Nationalists in 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil War. It subsequently became a testing ground for the Franco regime’s methods of repression, which were later generalized across Spain under increasingly brutal practices. Since the end of the dictatorship and the establishment of democracy in Spain, a political omertà was imposed in the country, rendering any testimony invisible. However, a spirit of civil resistance led a determined struggle to recognize the victims and exhume the regime’s crimes.
Down the Garden Path emerged from my unease with the current political climate, particularly the rise of fascism in the West. But its roots also lie in a vague sensation I felt as a child during my numerous trips to Galicia. Back then, I perceived something hidden that I couldn’t put into words. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized the fertile land of Galicia covered the corpses of the dictatorship. The title comes from an English expression describing a situation where someone is deliberately misled or confused, usually in a subtle or gradual way. The gardens also evoke the lush natural environment of this part of Spain, which plays an important role in my images. Recent research suggests that the presence of human bodies underground may stimulate plant growth on the surface. In this context, Galician nature can be seen symbolically as a visible witness to the regime’s hidden crimes. Down the Garden Path also refers to the idea of walking along a path, which can be translated as «dar un paseo», an expression used to describe the murders carried out by the regime’s armed wing.
The project consists of four intertwined elements: a documentary approach to Franco’s legacy in Galicia; an exploration of the vernacular narratives of repression in Galicia, staged in collaboration with local actors; archival images revisiting the past through documented facts that resonate with the fictional work; and, finally, text, which plays a central role in the project as a narrative tool.
Shortlisted for the Images Vevey Book Award 2025/2026