Sand Castles (2010-2013)
Spain was one of the countries hardest hit by the European economic crisis in the late 2000s, due to a toxic combination of billions of euros worth of bad loans held by Spanish banks and a real estate bubble that burst in spectacular style in 2008. Ten years later still thousands of empty houses, that were built in a dizzying rush by developers to make the most of cheap loans and favourable government regulation, litter the landscape across the country.
Moved by the need to capture the absurdity of the situation and to show the apathy of the authorities, the Bilbao photographer Markel Redondo began to travel around Spain after the 2008 crisis to record the consequences of unbridled urbanism. Almost ten years later, he has revisited these places, including new locations, and provided new data after deciding to take photos with a drone to get aerial views. This decision, apparently simple and with technical deliberation, has resulted in images with a much deeper meaning because they give a bird’s eye view and reveal the appearance of a new type of modern ruin. These constructions do not contain stories, feelings or murmurs of the past but on the contrary, show the skeletons of constructions where there has never been any life. They are mirages of human greed where we find neither longing nor pain, only the impression of being the last inhabitants on earth.
Markel Redondo is an award winning photographer (and filmmaker) based in the southwest of France and northeast of Spain. Specialized in editorial, portrait, and corporate photography with over 15 years of experience. When not traveling he works in nearby cities: Pamplona, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Vitoria, Biarritz, Bayonne, Bordeaux, and Pau. Originally from the Basque Country, he is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Basque. Since 2018 Markel is a fully AESA-approved drone operator in Spain.
A day before I was due to begin a degree at the University of Bolton, I decided Computer Sciences did not factor in my future and withdrew from the course to pursue a career in photography. From Bolton I headed East to China where, while studying for an MA in Photojournalism, I worked for a number of agencies, newspapers, and magazines. In 2007 I headed back to Europe, returning to my hometown Bilbao in 2008. Currently, I am based between Bilbao (Spain) and Biarritz (France) when not traveling abroad. I am represented by Panos Pictures. Since 2018 I am a fully AESA-approved drone operator in Spain.
My editorial and documentary work has been published in major publications such as Time, El Pais Semanal, Sunday Times Magazine, Le Monde, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Le Monde Diplomatique, L’Express, Financial Times Magazine, Stern and Neon.
My travel and lifestyle imagery has been seen in in-flight and travel magazines including National Geographic Traveler, Lufthansa, American Way, Wine Spectator, Monocle, and Celebrated Living.
I have been commissioned to provide photography and video for a variety of corporate clients such as Bosch, L’Oréal, or Agfa and organizations like Greenpeace, UNHCR, Ayuda en Accion, and WWF.
I speak Spanish, English, Basque, and French.
Specialties: Photojournalism, documentary photography and travel photography, portrait, editorial, commercial photography, multimedia, video, video journalism, videographer.
