Relevo Generacional: the makila at Madrid Design Festival 2026
The Basque makila as a symbol of continuity
As part of Madrid Design Festival 2026, we collaborated with artist Kavita Parmar to present Relevo Generacional, a project exploring generational continuity in traditional crafts.
For us, as Basque makila makers, preserving the traditional Basque makila is a daily commitment.
How can we ensure the traditional Basque walking stick remains relevant to future generations?
How can the knowledge embedded in the Basque makila endure in a rapidly changing world?
What is Relevo Generacional?
Kavita Parmar’s vision is rooted in a non-linear sense of time. In her culture, past and present share the same concept: KAL.
The project emphasizes responsibility, not nostalgia. Innovation is not breaking with the past—it is conscious transformation.
In a fast-paced technological world, it asks: how can technology support the Basque makila and Basque craftsmanship?
From loquat trees to the Basque makila
Every Basque makila starts in the medlar forest.
Our Basque makila makers select the best branches and make precise incisions in spring so natural relief patterns form over months.
This process distinguishes an authentic traditional Basque walking stick from any generic walking stick.
Winter harvest ensures only the strongest branches are selected.
Each traditional Basque makila is unique, reflecting generations of skill and patience.
Craftsmanship and long timelines
Creating a Basque makila can take five to ten years:
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Slow natural drying
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Gradual straightening
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Hand-carved reliefs and engraving
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Assembly and polishing
Every step embodies Basque craftsmanship, where time itself is a material. A traditional Basque walking stick is measured by the care of its process, not speed.
Tradition supported by technology
Digital tools allow the Basque makila to reach international audiences.
Basque makila makers can preserve traditional skills while expanding globally.
Technology does not replace the traditional Basque makila.
It amplifies it, increasing cultural value and visibility.
The forest as a metaphor for generational relay
Marking a medlar tree is a gesture across time.
The son follows his father’s steps. The branch grows. The craftsman waits.
Every Basque makila embodies this patience: a living continuity, a memory shared between wood and human. It is an authentic traditional Basque walking stick, resulting from intergenerational care.
Installation: design, memory, and future
In Kavita Parmar’s installation, the Basque makila is central.
Each vertical stick illustrates repetition and variation: the same gesture, uniquely realized each time.
The exhibition asks how design and technology can amplify Basque craftsmanship without erasing tradition.
The Basque makila in the 21st century
The traditional Basque makila does not need trends to survive.
It needs continuity.
Generational relay is cultural, technical, and ethical.
Every step—from marking the loquat to finishing the traditional Basque walking stick—shows deliberate care. The Basque makila exists because generations chose to sustain it.
To continue is to care
Relevo Generacional reminds us that to continue is not to repeat, but to actively preserve the craft.
Supporting the traditional Basque makila and Basque craftsmanship is a conscious choice, ensuring future generations can walk with these objects of memory and identity.
