Insomnia

Formentera, September 2022

Since 9 month, I am aware of having to prepare the exhibition of my longterm photographical project about Formentera. Last year, I handed in the project to the local governmental institution. They accepted and gave me a slot in october in their gallery, which used to be the old town hall.

And only a couple of days ago, I finally started reviewing and scanning the photographs I did thru the past 22 years. Portraits of people from Formentera. It was quite emotional seeing personalities and friends who have either left the island or passed away. So many actually died, not even that old. I miss them. Miss the old times, when life was much wilder, unregulated, unexpected and exciting. Not that I don‘t have an exciting enough life now. But things were different and this was the reason why it attracted a special crowd of people to live in this community.

Night after night I spent going through my archive, listening to music and scanning like mad. Initially, I wanted to send my colour negatives to Madrid, to have them scanned by my photo laboratory, who developes all the roll films from the Hasselblad I keep shooting with. Its the same camera since 22 years, by the way. But the selection and discovery of forgotten material is better to do within the scanning process by myself.

And I’d rather be efficiently working on something important than tossing around in bed during insomnia, the medication‘s side effect. The nausea and vomiting are fading away, although I still sometimes throw up. Like yesterday, when having eaten the yummy fresh fish caught by Stefano in the early morning and losing it all after taking the second pill. But I can accept it, as long as I have the power to do everything I want, within the given circumstances. Still mobile and agile enough to do so, thanks to the pills and my healthy life style. The lack of sleep I try to recover during siesta time. And the sore, red eyes, affected by the amount of time looking on to the computer screen, I clean with sea water when opening them during my daily swims. It works. Although eye sight is not getting better but worse and spectacles are indispensable.

My friend Sean Mackaoui created the poster for the show, which I am very happy about, as I adore his work. And Joan, my colleague and friend from school times, will do the printing on perforated paper, once I have reduced the number of images. ‘Cause far too many have been chosen, which wont fit in the space. Damn. Another night of work ahead, besides the tedious retouch with photoshop, having to get rid of dust sprinkles and do the colour adjustments.