FIELD NOTES N.º 2: "HOURS OF THE SUN"
Bleda y Rosa, winners of the National Photography Prize in 2008, were commissioned with the second photographic series of the Field Notes initiative with the project “Hours of the Sun”, which they undertook at Yuste Monastery in Cáceres, the last retreat of Emperor Carlos V.
Through their unique way of seeing, and a series of images exploring the relationship between the Emperor and astronomy, botany and mechanical engineering, the photographers capture the essence of the Sun as a life source, but also as a mechanical and symbolic regulator of the passing of hours.
The exhibition can be visited in the framework of the PhotoESPAÑA Festival until 7 September in the gardens of Campo del Moro, the Gallery of Royal Collections and the museum´s Immersive Cube.
“Hours of the Sun”, which gives rise to plenty of food for thought about nature and engineering, connects deeply with ACCIONA’s mission in elaborating, through exhibitions like this, a critical, artistic view of humanity’s relationship with nature.
The Company has made responsible resource management its main strategy, developing infrastructure solutions deriving from the inexhaustible force of elements like the Sun to build a positive society whose wellbeing implies conservation of the natural environment.
Indeed, through their photos, Bleda and Rosa frame this dialog between nature and its stewardship, between the tangible and what transcends seeing, inviting the viewer to reflect upon the human footprint on nature and the way in which sunlight establishes the rhythm of life and history.
The “Field Notes” initiative took place over three years with the collaboration of some of the most prestigious Spanish photographers known internationally. The project was aimed at looking anew at the natural spaces in National Heritage’s Royal Sites, focusing on environmental conservation through three vital sources of energy and life: water, the sun and forests.
Javier Vallhonrat, National Photography Award winner, was commissioned with the first series of the Field Notes project in 2024, “Aquatic Acuity”, carried out at La Granja de San Ildefonso Royal Site. Through his lens, the beauty and complexity of the centuries-old hydraulic system is captured, where human ingenuity meets the secrets of water.
The exhibition was held during the PhotoESPAÑA Festival in the Campo de Moro Gardens from June, and at La Granja as of September. It drew attention to the original water system for the gardens’ fountains, which in 2024 celebrated 300 years of age since being built by Philip V. They are still in service and it was possible to reflect upon the fragility of water and how this essential element for life can be harnessed imaginatively, symbolizing how we use engineering for innovative solutions for preserving and guaranteeing sustainability.