Modernismo. Retrospectiva Exhibition ·

Eleven Years of a City Remembering Itself

What began in 2012 as a simple curiosity soon became one of the longest documentary projects of my career.

Each November I returned to the Fiesta Modernista in Teruel, photographing not only the costumes and celebrations, but also the people whose enthusiasm had transformed the festival into one of Spain's most remarkable historical recreations. Over time, I realised I was witnessing something far greater than an annual event. I was documenting a community's relationship with its own history.

For more than a decade, familiar faces reappeared before my camera. Children grew into young adults. Volunteers became organisers. New generations embraced traditions that others had carefully preserved before them. With each return, the festival evolved, but its spirit remained unchanged.

In 2023, that body of work became Modernismo. Retrospectiva, an exhibition bringing together eleven years of photographs that celebrated not only Teruel's Modernist heritage, but also the people who continue to give it life.

The exhibition has since travelled to several locations, allowing new audiences to experience the festival through the eyes of someone who quietly returned year after year, documenting both its celebrations and its enduring sense of community.

Looking back, I realise the exhibition was never simply about the past. It became a portrait of a city that continues to shape its future by remembering where it came from.