FIELD NOTES N.º 2: "HOURS OF THE SUN"
Bleda y Rosa, winners of Spain’s National Photography Prize in 2008, have produced a second series of photographs in the Field Notes initiative, coming up with the project Hours of the Sun, undertaken at Yuste Monastery in Cáceres, the final retreat of Emperor Carlos V.
With their unique way of seeing, through a series of images exploring the relationship between the Emperor and astronomy, botany and mechanical engineering, the photographers captured the essence of the Sun as a source of life and a mechanical, symbolic regulator of the passage of time.
The exhibition took place in the framework of the PhotoESPAÑA Festival until 7 September 2025 in the gardens of Campo del Moro, the Gallery of Royal Collections and this museum’s Immersive Cube. It was also displayed at the Monastery of Yuste itself until 27 October 2025.
Hours of the Sun, inviting a reflection on nature and engineering, deeply connects with ACCIONA’s mission to promote, through exhibitions like this, a critical, artistic perspective on our relationship with nature.
The Company places responsible resource management at the center of its activities, developing infrastructure solutions that use the inexhaustible force of elements like the Sun to contribute to a more sustainable society and well-being through nature conservation.
Indeed, through their photos, Bleda and Rosa establish a dialog between nature and its stewardship, between the tangible and that which transcends seeing, inviting the spectator to contemplate the human footprint on landscapes and the way in which sunlight marks the rhythm of life and history.
How does a system of water, designed over 300 years ago, still function and continue to be used today? In The Wonders of Water, the Royal Fountain-Keeper at La Granja de San Ildefonso Palace in Spain opens the doors to a unique network, seen as never before, accompanied by observations from photographer Javier Vallhonrat.
Javier Vallhonrat, National Photography Award winner, was commissioned with the first series of the Field Notes initiative in 2024, producing the project “The Wonders of Water”, carried out at La Granja de San Ildefonso Palace. 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 the 300-year anniversary of its construction by Philip V. The fountains are still in service and invite a reflection on the fragility of water and how this essential element for life can be harnessed imaginatively, symbolizing how we use engineering for innovative solutions preserving and guaranteeing sustainability.