“Where the Acanthus Grow” is a visual and conceptual exploration of the traditional notions of family, home, and companionship. Over the past 60 years, a total of 44 family members (32 dogs and 12 humans) have lived in the same house. Almost all the dogs have been buried in the same place, under the plum tree, where now, every year, hundreds of acanthuses emerge, reminding us of the cyclical nature of life and the resurrection of the memories of those that are no longer present. It seems that nature wants to be a part of this story, and the home becomes a place of interconnections among all its inhabitants.

Donna Haraway, in her “Companion Species Manifesto”, emphasizes the idea that companionship is not limited to a single species, and the relationship between humans and dogs is an active and co-inhabited existence. “Living with animals, inhabiting their/our stories, trying to tell the truth about the relationship, a co-inhabited and active story: that is the work of companion species...” In this house, the relationship between humans, dogs, and different family units over generations blurs the traditional boundaries of a family, creating a complex network of relationships where dogs play a role that is as crucial as any other human.

Just as the companion species-human relationship is a co-inhabited one, a home is not a home without a family, and a family needs a home; these concepts must coexist in a symbiotic relationship.

The project is structured through images, objects, archival elements, and a new imaginary to tell the story of the family, interweaving the testimonies of different individuals, both human and non-human. “Where the Acanthus Grow” invites us to question our traditional concepts of family and home: What is a home? How do we belong to a family? Who accompanies whom? This project encourages us to reflect on our ways of dwelling and coexisting on this shared planet.