“It is not possible to bathe twice in the same river”. This famous phrase, perhaps erroneously attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, is perfect for reflecting on the Bidasoa. Its character as a border river, since ancient times, has allowed it to see the most varied historical events, to hear different languages on its banks, to host great celebrations and great tragedies, to become a mute witness to the passing of time. The river Bidasoa is the protagonist of this book and comes to life through the voices of its inhabitants.

In 2019, Helga Massetani Piemonte of Bitamine and María José Noain Maura of Los Viajes de Aspasia received the Ribera grant from Irun City Council to develop a project that at the time was called “Emotional Cartography of the Bidasoa”. Previous work was carried out on the history of artistic cartography, which was followed by anthropological research, in which, through surveys and group interviews, the emotional perception that the inhabitants of its banks have of the Bidasoa was collected. In this way, a conceptual and artistic map of the river’s memory was drawn up.

The project was continued in 2021, taking on a new dimension that transformed it into the “Emotional Atlas of Bidasoa”. It was then the Olatuak grant from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Aid for Creation from Irun Town Council that facilitated the transformation of the research into an artist’s book: an edition of ten literary and historical notebooks, illustrated by Elena Odriozola, in which the themes most highlighted by the citizens during the research phase were collected.

These ten notebooks were transformed into ten modules that made up the exhibition of the same title, which took place in the Oiasso Roman Museum in Irun in 2023. Each exhibition space had an informative character, but also functioned as an artistic installation that sought to evoke memories, stir emotions, rescue from oblivion what we were, are and want to be.

Now you have in your hands the second edition of the Atlas, which brings together the ten notebooks in a single publication. We hope you enjoy this journey through the waters of the Bidasoa.

Texts: María José Noain Maura
Coordination and Layout: Helga Massetani Piemonte
Illustrations: Elena Odriozola
Translation: Joxan Elosegi
LG D 00104-2022
ISBN 978-84-09-61506-3
First edition: 2022
Second edition: 2024

Bibliography

Web of Scientific Journal – Ausart 10
Massetani Piemonte, Helga. 2022. «Emotional Atlas of Bidasoa». AusArt 10 (2)