New rural walking route fuses art, folklore, and nature

A new artistic project is bringing art, folklore, and nature together in a new walking route between Campdevànol and Gombrèn, in the northern county of Ripollès.

A walking route with sculptures of mythological creatures of the Pyrenees follows an old country path and can be done on foot or by bicycle.

Creator of the sculptures, Evelí Adam, wants to "return the pieces to nature," and has had the help of the cultural anthropologist Toni Llagostera, who has contextualized the works.

For more than two years, Adam walked through the Puigmal area where he took roots from large trees, which he later turned into mythological characters in sculpture format.

The works "change a lot" depending on who looks at them, as the artist explained in an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

The project aims to raise awareness of the cultural and natural heritage of the area and attract visitors.

Sculptures

Characters such as the Hydra, a reptilian monster with multiple heads, the Seahorse, a hybrid fish and horse, or the Trojan Horse, are represented in Evelí Adam's sculptures.

All are made from black and red pine roots.

Adam explained that the wood comes from an area of ​​Puigmal where they were carved seventy years ago. "The roots were in nature, with water, cold, and snow, and since then they have been preserved."

After two and a half years of searching, he settled on the ones that inspired him the most.

Open-air museums

In total, Adam created 33 sculptures that he compiled under the name 'Mythology and Nature'. Some years ago, they could be seen in exhibition halls and museums in Catalonia and abroad.

Now, the artist from Campdevànol is bringing his world full circle and "returning them to nature."

"They have already made their journey and now I want people to know and contemplate them in their territory, in nature," he explained.

A dozen works are found on a route from Campdevànol to Gombrèn. The walk is about 9.5km long and can be done on foot or on bike, finishing at the Gombrèn botanical gardens.