Habitus and Praxis: Body, Clothing, and Tradition

 Oct. 21, '26 – Apr. 18, '27
Curators: Montaña González and Andrea Mirón, graduates of the MUN Master’s Program in Curatorial Studies
Venue: Ortiz Echagüe Exhibition Space

A reflection on clothing as a way of inhabiting the world.

Drawing on the work of José Ortiz Echagüe, this essay explores the habit not only as a garment, but as a visual-symbolic device that embodies tradition, identity, and everyday practice. Beyond representing a culture, the habit shapes a way of being in the world as well as the ways in which we relate to others.

In his series *Mystical Spain*, we find elements of identity that reveal how the photographer explores traditions, capturing all kinds of scenes related to religious life. Here, the focus shifts from portraiture to action: the habit not only clothes the body but also situates it within a specific cultural framework. Photography ceases to be merely a representation and becomes a record of a praxis—that is, a way of acting and inhabiting the world.

Ortiz-Echagüe’s images oscillate between the observer’s detachment and the intimacy of someone who recognizes in the subject a value worth preserving.

From this perspective, the concept of habitus, developed by Pierre Bourdieu, is fundamental: social structures not only organize collective life but are also inscribed in bodies, manifesting themselves in gestures, postures, and ways of dressing. Traditional dress, in this sense, is not merely an accessory but a material expression of historically entrenched practices—a visible form of social experience. Clothing, understood both as attire and as a practice, articulates a relationship between the body, memory, and community.

In a time of rapid transformation, Ortiz Echagüe’s photographs invite us to reflect on what is repeated, passed down, and embodied—not as a static remnant of the past, but as an active way of giving meaning to the present.

Related activities

• Masterclass, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.