The memory of places ant the stories they tell

Landscapes are observed, contemplated, enjoyed, traveled through, and stored in our memory. Some may even be places we do not wish to revisit. This encapsulates much of my photographic work.

Peratallada. December 2020

In December 2020, amid the COVID-19 mobility restrictions, I visited Peratallada. My goal was to photograph the empty streets of this beautiful medieval Catalan town. I encountered corners adorned with Christmas lights. Although they were not lit, they added a charm that gave the place an atmosphere reminiscent of a nativity scene.

During the pandemic’s imposed restrictions, I felt compelled to explore the geography and environment around us more consciously. The confinement and pause led me to reflect, inspiring a night photography project dedicated to stone villages and the memory of places.

“Any landscape is a state of mind.”

Henri-Frédéric Amiel

How do we relate to the places we live in?

We are so accustomed to seeing places in a certain way that the challenge becomes rediscovering them, observing them with a new perspective.

Following my visit to Peratallada, my project on photographing stone villages began to take shape. I visited Pals, Besalú, Beget, and the old quarter of Girona.

Landscapes are observed, contemplated, enjoyed, traveled through, and stored in our memory. Some may even be places we do not wish to revisit. This encapsulates much of my photographic work.

A photograph offers an external view of the place and an internal view, connected to what you see and feel as a photographer at that precise moment.

My photographs draw from ancient places, architectural memory, and a vision of the world passed down as a legacy. Through them, I aim to offer not only visual appeal but also moments of reflection. I strive to showcase emblematic places and unknown corners subjectively, from the intimacy that silence and night provide. In those quiet moments, the place in front of your lens reveals its story.

Note on Peratallada:
The town, renowned for its extraordinary beauty, is declared a historical-artistic site and cultural asset of national interest (BCIN). It is one of the most significant centers of medieval architecture in Catalonia.

To be continued…