HERRI KIROLAK

This project can be seen as a contemporary anthropological study of a singular community; The series focuses on some of the characters from that community, wondering about their beliefs, inspiration and motivations. Portraits are bound to reveal their essence as well as their pride. I'm drawn by the Passion they uphold and the sheer determination holding on to a collective identity. They are elements of both a sporting and cultural legacy; The work is also a photographic quest back to the roots as I was raised in the region but left at a young age. "Herri Kirolak" or "Rural Games“ are a group of remarkable sporting and endurance disciplines with roots in agricultural activity. The origin is ancient and comes from Basque farmers turning work into competition, mostly through the penchant for comparing their strength with their peers and a strong culture for challenge and betting. The list of games is wide, some of the most popular ones being wood chopping, stone lifting, log sawing, scything, tug of war, bale tossing... Most of them aren't unique but what makes them peculiar is the fact that they are an ensemble of games grouped together to form a sporting league. These games were directly connected to everyday work and duties in the farm, the athletes nowadays have modern jobs not connected to agriculture, yet they train and compete as if they were professional athletes; Tradition is very much alive and these games remain an active asset of Basque culture and folklore;