Eden according to José Maria

Eden according to José Maria The archipelago was plagued by several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. An island where it stands between black stones and a dense green. A forced path, made to the sound of prayers, in a surrounding and peacemaker mantra. Since the sixteenth century, several groups of men have travelled in pilgrimage at the island of S. Miguel, in a circular clockwise movement, always keeping the sea by their left side. A religious cult with centuries of tradition. Restricted to men from eight to eighty years old. A presence of the feminine becomes visible in the dress of the pilgrims. The shawl, the scarf on the back, the stick and the harvester - objects we find in common in these men. Faces of lines drawn by an archipelago drifting in an ocean. The thirds. The prayers. The faith. The quest for inner peace. The calming of earthquakes. The appeasing of storms. Eight days of communion with a force of nature, sacrificing the body by faith, purifying a mind by introspection. Place: S. Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal Period: Between 2016 and 2019