Abstract of the accomplished photographic work
This research proposes a reflection on the network of power and control relationships that link the activity of one of the largest construction companies globally with state management. The development of the Castor platform, an artificial natural gas storage built by the Spanish company Escal UGS, off the coast between Catalonia and Valencia.
In the framework of this failed project, the installation of the 22km long submerged gas pipeline caused severe environmental impact, including the disappearance of some aquatic species, alteration of fishing routes around the marine platform, and a series of earthquakes.
The Castor project becomes an exemplary case of the control capacity that private companies with vast economic assets can exert over the state. As a result, that submerged energy not only hides among the cracks of buildings affected or within the holes of limestone rocks, but also in the nebulous contracts between the public and private sectors.
Description of the project you intend to pursue through the Prize
The Business of Wind explores how wind-generated electricity extends beyond renewable energy. It examines the extractivism behind producing its components and the resulting light and noise pollution, particularly in rural areas where most electricity is generated. The project investigates sophisticated corporate practices, including expropriation, bribery, nepotism, fraud, and money laundering, which are often used to expand multinational corporations. Through critical photography, the project questions established political power structures and examines economic mechanisms in a playful yet effective manner. It connects the dots and asks the questions no one wants to hear.Building on essential prior research, the project employs large and medium-format analog photography as a means to access and question these spaces collectively. The photobook will include visual and documentary materials, presenting the quantities of resources required for wind turbines and their broader implication.