{"id":36515,"date":"2025-06-10T16:01:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T16:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/lavacedario\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T22:08:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T22:08:31","slug":"lavacedario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/lavacedario\/","title":{"rendered":"Lavacedario: poetic dialogue between Fernando Beltr\u00e1n and Fernando Berenjeno, and the careful editing of Pep Carri\u00f3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Presenting this book, Lavacedario<\/em>, is a great personal joy, as it gives me the chance to introduce the three key figures behind this project. Fernando Berenjeno<\/strong>. His photographs of Lavacedario<\/em> are both surprising and evocative\u2014an urgent call to those of us who love nature to take real responsibility for its care, beyond words, fully aware of the harm we continually inflict. Fernando Beltr\u00e1n<\/strong>, a dear friend across the distance. His poems have given me a deep emotional jolt, for which I am immensely grateful\u2014something we increasingly value at our age. Pep Carri\u00f3<\/strong>, a remarkable artist and designer, who has gifted us the beautifully crafted edition of this book\u2014an authentic work of art, like everything he touches. His long dedication to the craft of design, so often underestimated, is truly admirable. I hope you enjoy this beautiful Lavacedario as much as I have.
Andr\u00e9s Moratinos<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

The memory of the volcano<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something awe-inspiring about discovering the alphabet of memory while walking through El Confital, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. If one pays close attention, a language of symbols begins to speak: circles, faces, lines, shapes as clear as fossils, or others as vague as fleeting geometries. Traces that the sea, with the chisel of its waves, has patiently carved\u2014allowing us, like a jealous sculptor, to observe them only once a day. Every twelve hours, the tide withdraws and this ancestral alphabet is revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are mysterious vestiges where forms, sometimes anthropomorphic, suggest faces, gazes, silhouettes that long ago shed the ferocity of fire. Time and the gentle friction of seawater have softened their edges. Now, their improbable hollows shelter sea snails, seagrass, and sea urchins. Living beings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are the distant relatives of those who once bore witness to the volcano\u2019s explosive force. These petrified traces speak to us of the past. How many words might this language contain? An infinite number.<\/p>\n\n\n

Sunlight, too, claims authorship in the reading of these ancient signs. With whimsical skill, it weaves a dazzling magic, dressing the volcano\u2019s marks in ever-shifting meanings. An oval, a triangle, or a face may appear if low tide coincides with dawn. Or not. Or yes. It may be the noonday sun that unveils a different reading of these hidden messages. Or the dusk light. Or perhaps not. Or perhaps yes. Light, like water, is fickle in revealing millenary codes. It undermines certainties and births new mysteries.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

hat revealing light always yields to the pull of night, to the will of the moon\u2014sovereign of the tides. The sun\u2019s mighty rays are useless if the full tide\u2019s liquid veil floods this volcanic ground.<\/p>\n\n\n

On many afternoons and countless mornings, seizing the moment of low tide, I have stepped onto the sandstone slabs of El Confital\u2014only to find that the light, the shadows, the water or the confitales obscured the volcanic vestiges. At times it was difficult to rediscover markings I had already photographed. When I did find them, they seemed altered in shape or dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, they seemed to shift places. At dawn, the triangle appeared beside the double circle. Or was it a single circle embedded in a vague triangle at dusk? These are shifting puzzles of the mind\u2014or perhaps mischievous games played by the volcano\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These images form a personal, incomplete compendium of an alphabet that was named by the clarity of the poet Fernando Beltr\u00e1n: Lavacedario. The first photograph of this project was taken in 2018 on the beach of El Confital, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Since then, many steps have danced with the ebb and flow of the tide. In May 2023, I walked with the poet through the nerves and natural seams of El Confital, and from the mind of the namer came the word: Lavacedario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the poet who invented the word, giving meaning to images that had filled an archive with purpose, yet no name. Until then, everything had flowed at the rhythm set by the tides. Since then, the project has unfolded as a constant dialogue between word and image\u2014the latest photographs captured in 2024. Only three images fall outside this volcanic territory.<\/p>\n\n\n

Finally, I am deeply grateful to Pep Carri\u00f3, who brought cadence and harmony to this book. His wisdom and generosity shaped this magical, dreamlike Lavacedario\u2014a book that speaks of a beautiful geography we must listen to, read, and protect.<\/p>\n\n

Fernando Berenjeno<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Lavacedario<\/h2>\n\n

Los poetas son islas,
s\u00f3lo crecen con lava derramada,<\/p>\n\n

s\u00f3lo crecen con sangre derramada
que gana tierra al mar,
al mar de su intemperie, sus oto\u00f1os,
sus cajones del fr\u00edo, su belleza,<\/p>\n\n

sus peces de colores
tan grises como el ala de esta noche
a la orilla de un dios extra\u00f1o y cierto<\/p>\n\n

——<\/p>\n\n

Piedras, sombras, estrellas
y un silencio de mar.<\/p>\n\n

El m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil.<\/p>\n\n

Entre un batir de ola y el siguiente
habla el mar lo que calla.<\/p>\n\n

Me doy miedo<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ti\u00e9ndete en esa playa.
Pon tu o\u00eddo en sus piedras.
Escuchar\u00e1s el fuego<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Bostezo del volc\u00e1n,
dormido a\u00fan
con su boca muy abierta<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Me quema la garganta.
Me atormenta la lengua.<\/p>\n\n

Quiz\u00e1s sea el principio
de un poema<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Nos atrae el volc\u00e1n
porque so\u00f1amos fuegos.<\/p>\n\n

Nos asusta el volc\u00e1n
porque apagamos fuegos.<\/p>\n\n

Amamos el volc\u00e1n
porque vivimos dentro<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Forjar es trabajar
con el fuego y el agua\u2026<\/p>\n\n

o\u00ed decir un d\u00eda al escultor.<\/p>\n\n

Lanz\u00f3 despu\u00e9s al aire su cincel,
como lanza su cinta la gimnasta,
y al caer ya se hab\u00eda convertido<\/p>\n\n

la bailarina en hierro<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Los poetas ara\u00f1an.<\/p>\n\n

Desnudan la mirada.
Iluminan con sombras.<\/p>\n\n

Escupen piedras negras<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Arte que nunca alcanza
Fuego que esp\u00eda al fuego
Fuego que enga\u00f1a al fuego<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Acercarme despacio.
Acariciar la puerta.<\/p>\n\n

Despertar al volc\u00e1n.
Saberte ah\u00ed.<\/p>\n\n

Si no piedra contra otra
no existir\u00eda el fuego<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Como arrojan sus piedras los volcanes,
como escupen ahogados las mareas,
con los ojos muy abiertos<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

El escorpi\u00f3n del mar
clav\u00e1ndome su queja
ola a ola<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Agua incendiada.<\/p>\n\n

Ese hierro que tienen las palabras,
como lenguas de lava,<\/p>\n\n

cuando llegan de un grito
cuerpo adentro<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Milagro de la piedra,
hija del fuego,
arde inquieta<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Negro esencial.<\/p>\n\n

La belleza, esa oscura
realidad que tan s\u00f3lo<\/p>\n\n

uno mismo ilumina<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

La piedra no es la piedra
La piedra es nuestra forma
de escuchar la piedra<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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De pronto una pregunta
caminando mis dedos.<\/p>\n\n

Qu\u00e9 buscan las hormigas
a la orilla del mar.<\/p>\n\n

El ser m\u00e1s diminuto
frente al inmenso oc\u00e9ano<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Misterios del poema,<\/p>\n\n

escribir de repente
frente al mar:<\/p>\n\n

El mar siempre est\u00e1 lejos<\/p>\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n

Amamos el volc\u00e1n
porque vivimos dentro<\/p>\n\n

Fernando Beltr\u00e1n<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The book<\/strong>: Lavacedario.
Poems<\/strong>: Fernando Beltr\u00e1n.
On loan for this edition of Ex\u00e1gono magazine.
Photographs<\/strong>: Fernando Berenjeno.
On loan for this edition of Ex\u00e1gono magazine.
Design<\/strong>: Pep Carri\u00f3 Studio<\/a>.
Printing<\/strong>: Truyol Digital.
88 pages.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\"\"
Pep Carri\u00f3, Fernando Berenjeno and Fernando Beltr\u00e1n at the presentation of the book Lavacedario.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fernando Berenjeno<\/h2>\n\n\n

Photographer. Journalist. Publicist. He\u2019s still unsure in which order. A lover of good literature. Curious by nature. A traveller. A lifelong learner, master of almost nothing. He has been connected to the Canary Islands for over forty years\u2014more than half his life. The Atlantic mesmerises him, and El Confital holds him captive. Since happiness may not truly exist, he finds joy in gathering with family and friends around a table, sharing wine and words. He admires wit, irony and conversation. He is outraged by intolerance and blatant lies.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fernando Beltr\u00e1n, the poet who names the world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Born in Oviedo in 1956 and based in Madrid, Fernando Beltr\u00e1n has forged one of the most unique and radiant paths in contemporary Spanish poetry. His verses\u2014translated into more than a dozen languages\u2014have always emerged in dialogue with life, his life, aware that the journey of a poem inevitably leads elsewhere. Among his most celebrated collections are El Gallo de Bagdad<\/em>, Amor Ciego<\/em>, La Semana Fant\u00e1stica<\/em>, El Coraz\u00f3n renace<\/em>, S\u00f3lo el que ama est\u00e1 s\u00f3lo<\/em>, and Hotel Vivir<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If his poetic voice has moved readers, his other vocation\u2014that of naming\u2014has helped transform the landscape of our everyday lives. As founder of the studio El Nombre de las Cosas<\/a>, he has named spaces, companies, products and projects that have become part of the collective imagination: Amena<\/em>, Faunia<\/em>, OpenCor<\/em>, La Casa Encendida<\/em>, and Yoigo<\/em>, among many others. His poetic approach to verbal identity has made him a benchmark in the field of Spanish-language naming. It is no coincidence that his gift for naming is born from poetry: for Fernando, every good name holds a resonance, an emotion, a truth that pulses beneath the surface, waiting to be revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his work as a poet and namer, he has been a university professor, columnist, lecturer, and cultural activist. He directed the poetry magazine El hombre de la calle and has taught at the European Institute of Design<\/em>, the Higher School of Architecture<\/em>, and the Fundaci\u00f3n Contempor\u00e1nea<\/em> in Madrid. He has twice received the Critics\u2019 Award, along with other honours such as the Gold Medal of the European Forum and the Asturias Prize for Literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, Fernando Beltr\u00e1n is an exceptional human being. Those who know him speak of his generosity, his open smile, his ability to listen without haste, and to look with depth and tenderness. His friendship\u2014like his poetry\u2014is a celebration of life, of what is essential in life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A book with surprising images that are a wake-up call for those of us who love nature and a collection of poems by Fernando Beltr\u00e1n that moves and moves us, like all his poetic work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[742],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[1789],"class_list":["post-36515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art"],"authors":[{"term_id":1789,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"fernando-berenjeno-fernando-beltran","display_name":"Fernando Berenjeno - Fernando Beltr\u00e1n","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36515"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=36515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}