On the 5th of December 2025, the mayor of Jerez de la Frontera, María José García-Pelayo, inaugurated the exhibition-laboratory of the landscape pilot of Jerez de la Frontera, ‘SONE – Songs Of Nearby Earth / Cantos de la Tierra Cercana para zambombas y embarrados’ at the Palacio Riquelme, along with the deputy mayor, Agustín Muñoz, the Delegate of Culture, Francisco Zurita, and Sergio Rodríguez from NOMAD GARDEN (Landscape Pilot Curator).
This innovative exhibition is designed by, and it is part of the PALIMPSEST project initiatives, in line with the development of creative and innovative actions that link culture, art and sustainability, with the active participation of the local ecosystem.
In her introductory speech, the mayor thanked NOMAD GARDEN, as well as all the individuals and institutions within Jerez’s cultural ecosystem who participated in the project, for their invaluable contribution, which resulted in this exhibition. She described it as “a gift to the city” and expressed her hope that they will “forever feel connected to the nearby land that is Jerez.” The mayor also extended her appreciation to Agustín Muñoz and his entire team for the synergy they fostered with the Department of Culture, headed by Francisco Zurita. She emphasised that this exhibition was precisely what the city needed to reopen the doors of the Riquelme Palace, a “unique and exceptional” cultural offering for this newly renovated venue, highlighting the significant effort being made in its rehabilitation and restoration.
About the Exhibition:
The SONE project, whose initial idea was proposed by Estelle Jullian from Culturama, is presented as a work-in-progress laboratory open to the public, showcasing the three-year development process undertaken by PALIMPSEST in collaboration with NOMAD GARDEN , the City Council of Jerez de la Frontera, FUNDARTE and the artist, Estelle Jullian, working closely with a wide network of local, national, and international stakeholders (EASDJ, Gresierra, Asociación Emparrados Jerez, Willy Pérez, Vara y Pulgar, Oliverio Rodríguez, José Manuel Coca y Sergio Coca, Belenish Moreno-Gil y Óscar Escudero, Claudia GR Moneo, Lucía Franco, Cristina Agabo y Carlos Pinillo, Austin Gardner, Valeria Reyes Soto, AWA Creatives, El Mandaito, Manu Meñaca y Fali, David Olmedo, Victoria Elena Tellado and, Cortate as well as the PALIMPSEST consortium; and with the collaboration of Centro de Documentación del Flamenco, Museo Arqueológico de Jerez, Bodegas González-Byass, C. R. Vinos de Jerez y Manzanilla de Sanlúcar, Fiz Romeu, AAE, Naturgy, Ecologistas en Acción, AEMET, José Amosa, Rafael Mantaras, Pepe Gil y Antonio Jesús García, Expoflamenco, Centro IFAPA Rancho de La Merced, Acción por el Clima – Jerez, Greenteam Jerez, Luz Porcelana, Viña Santa Petronila and Bodegas Tradición). The exhibition explores local climate adaptation strategies, intertwining landscape practices such as urban trellises with traditional rituals like the zambomba, linking the countryside landscape and its rich cultural heritage through the Jerez zambomba. The exhibition brings together ceramics, enamels, images, maps, sounds, diagrams, historical archives, apps, sensors, and experiments aimed at collectively building a more livable city, better connected to its surroundings.
The exhibition is curated by NOMAD GARDEN and Estelle Julian from Culturama, using the zambomba (both, as a friction drum and cultural expression) as its central theme, a bridge connecting the natural and urban landscapes of Jerez. It brings together images, maps, diagrams, sketches, and experiments that have enriched the co-creation process of the zambomba, a project involving experts from various disciplines. These include: zambombas created by Luis Torres, Enrique Carrillo, Antonio Sillero, and students from the Jerez School of Art and Design (enamel design) and Gresierra (ceramic production); traditional zambombas from the Coca family (the last zambomba makers in Jerez); a soundscape created by Jerez-born musicologist Belenish Moreno-Gil, in collaboration with Óscar Escudero; and a collection of Christmas carols and new lyrics by Lucía Franco and Claudia GR. Moneo. Geology and oenology (Willy Pérez), pruning (Vara y Pulgar), forging (David Olmedo) and historical iconography (Valeria Reyes Soto), with archives from the Andalusian Centre for Flamenco Documentation, González-Byass wineries or Tradición wineries.
The SONE project has also collaborated with the Emparrados Association for its development, working to bring trellises to a greater number of public streets in the city, and with Austin Gardner (FabLab Jerez), responsible for the development and placement of sensors, to compare the climatic, ecological and sensory benefits of the city’s trellised spaces with those without trellises.
Schedules and pre-arranged visits:
The exhibition will be open to the public until December 18th, Monday to Friday 10:00 am – 1:30 pm and 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm; and Saturdays from 10:00 am – 1:30 PM.
Guided tours can also be offered, between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm (subject to adjustment depending on the group). To schedule a visit, email: jerezsone@gmail.com, specifying the organisation/group and the number of people.
Published on: December 9, 2025
