Cudesch da visitas

Ester Vonplon quickly made photography her companion on her solitary wanderings and collected her images in a ‘guest book’ – in Romansh, cudesch da visitas.

This work brings together the Ruinaulta and Surselva series.

"Actually, it was a bit silly, I should have written everything down, every day. It would have made a beautiful book: we had seven children, one every two years. My parents always said, “He comes home, gets you pregnant and leaves again.” They were right, in a way. I had to manage on my own. It was so cold in winter that the walls were covered with ice, and in spring it melted onto the floor. One year, one of the little ones broke her leg. I made her a hot water bottle. She froze her bed. That's how cold it was. And I also had to take care of the animals. I fed the sheep and pigs in the morning, then the children left for school. I got them ready, did the girls' hair, and then there were laundry days, which were really difficult. I don't know how I managed to do everything. Time has passed and we are old now, very old."