Maragda, you studied industrial design engineering.
How does that connect to what you do now?

Maragda: I studied product design, materials, how things are made. Now I apply that to local materials and knowledge. I’m very interested in researching what resources exist around us and how we can use them in daily life. Today we order everything online and don’t think about where things come from. At the same time, many artisans and traditional practices are disappearing. So I try to connect these materials and knowledge with contemporary creation.

Is that what you do at Entorns?

Yes, Entorns is an artistic residency and a creative space. We host artists, mostly visual arts and design, but really anyone is welcome. Artists can come and develop projects, but what’s important is that their work connects to the territory or the community.

What are some examples of projects they do?

Some are about local stories or traditions. Many are about materials. An artist might want to explore the types of wood we have here, or work with local wool, stone, or beeswax. They bring their own practice, but use the knowledge and materials from this place to create something new.

So the artists bring their practice, and the land brings the materials.

Yes. And the people bring the knowledge. That part matters a lot. We link artists to neighbours and local artisans, people who have been working with these materials their whole lives. Someone might be a sculptor but has never worked with granite, which is common here. So we connect them to someone who knows how to cut it, how it behaves. Or a person who works with wood learns from a neighbour which timber was used for ceilings, which one for furniture, and why.

On your website you say: “We create with the territory, not about it”. What does that mean?

It means involving the local people, materials and their stories directly in the process. Creating with means dialogue. Interaction. Co-creation. For years, rural areas were seen as outside contemporary culture, as if art only belonged in cities. I want to heal that relationship.

I’d even say the opposite. Nothing’s missing here. There is so much knowledge, so many resources. We can create remarkable contemporary work from this, with this. Not just preserve it in museums.

You’re careful with the idea of preservation. Why?

Because preservation can sometimes mean putting something in a box and not touching it. I don’t want that. I want traditions to be used, undone, redone. If you understand how something was made and why, you can play with it and adapt it to today. That’s how it stays alive. When people enjoy something and use it, they value it more.

A spoon is a good example. It’s made in a certain way because people tried, failed, adapted. If you know that whole story, you can transform it again with the resources we have now.

How does living close to nature influence your daily life?

The seasons. This has been one of the biggest lessons for me. They are very visible here. In summer everything is open and alive. In winter everything looks quiet. Not dead, but hidden. It reminds you that you don’t have to be at your peak all year round. In the city, the rhythm is constant. Same pace, same lights, same expectations. Here, nature tells you: it’s darker now. It’s colder. Rest. Hibernate.

Has nature shaped how you take care of yourself?

Yes, a lot. Being outside helps me mentally. Cold water, for example, has been huge for me. When I was building Entorns, I was very stressed. New project, credit, pressure. I’d go to the river often. One day I went running, then I jumped into the river and I shouted. Afterwards I was a new person. Different perspective. Like, “OK, my mind is full, but everything is fine”. The river is still there. Birds are singing. Life continues. I reconnected.

What role does movement play in that connection?

The last time I went running was during the transhumance, when the horses move down from the mountain. We ran with them, shouting and laughing. That was incredible.

Living here means movement is part of daily life. Nature makes you feel free.

Free from what?

Free from constant worry. Free from the feeling that everything depends on work, money, productivity. In the city, money’s your only resource. If you lose your job, everything collapses. Here, resources are more spread out. Wood to heat your house. Plants. Sun. Skills. You feel you have more tools to live.

And beyond the practical part, there’s a mental freedom. When you’re outside, moving, breathing, listening, you get released from the noise in your head.

That’s a big part of why I created this life. To be connected to what’s real.