Calima in Fuerteventura

Calima in Fuerteventura

The Calima is the presence in the atmosphere of particles of dust, ash and sand, carried by strong Saharan winds. Its immediate effect is a decrease in visibility and a sensation of discomfort in the eyes, nose and throat. In recent years, with the increase in pollution, it has led to other harmful effects on humans. During my stay in Fuerteventura, I witnessed a Calima sand storm, perhaps the strongest over the last forty years in the Canary Islands. This powerful natural phenomenon has held the entire island hostage, transforming the landscape into a post-apocalyptic world such as depicted in many science fiction texts. I have tried to translate this experience in order to convey the emotions that I felt. My pictures reveal empty landscapes and desert places, characterized by a warm and veiled light, where human beings appear as solitary figures, like mannequins on an imaginary set made of sand. While these photographs document and demonstrate this phenomenon, they are also intended as metaphors for the dilemma of our modern existence. In fact, they seek a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. They also show us our dependence on nature and how we are only part of it. To me, these photographs work like mirrors of our age, landscapes that are clearly not vistas of an inexhaustible and sustainable world.