Lavadoiro

The washing space, historically a women’s domain, served a dual purpose in rural Galicia. Firstly, it provided access to running water, allowing women to launder their family’s clothes in an era when widespread water infrastructure was lacking. Secondly, it served as a social hub exclusively for women, fostering relationships among neighbours beyond the confines of the domestic sphere. It has served as a space for work, social interaction, but above all, as a unique realm of female exclusivity, thus holding significant anthropological value. «Lavadoiro» initiates an active and multidisciplinary examination, focusing on the constructed and ephemeral architecture associated with public washing areas used by women for domestic work. The proposal reflects upon the significance of these spaces through performative acts and the use of simulacrum. It draws upon elements such as the architecture of water (the washhouse), the women who originally utilized these facilities, and the cloth itself, serving as a link between the past experiences of these women and the present. The ultimate objective is to visualize, and thereby, to acknowledge and dignify the often overlooked labour performed by women within the domestic sphere throughout their lives.