Entre Reliquias y Ruinas

The transition in the ways of life of nomadic hunter-gatherer societies that transformed into sedentary farmers and herders between 14,000 and 9,000 years ago was decisive for human history. Since around 11,000 years ago, there is evidence of human constructions characterized by clustered square houses, built closely together, with lime mortar floors and circular pit-shaped hearths. Even in these early periods of human civilization, materials similar to or equivalent to concrete were already being used to erect structures. However, the modern development of concrete as we know it began in the 19th century.

Since then, concrete has been a fundamental component in the construction of buildings and structures worldwide. Its use has become widespread and essential in construction due to its versatility and durability. This hard and robust material, reminiscent of stone, conveys the solidity and permanence of our creations. Its extraction through mining and quarrying links it to extractivism, revealing not only its physical presence but also its intrinsic connection to the earth itself.

Today, concrete stands as an unmistakable symbol of modernity. As an omnipresent material in all cities, it emerges as a sign and trace of human impact on the planet—a representation of civilization, progress, and the constructions that have shaped our history. It reflects urban expansion and the infrastructure that defines the contemporary era, symbolizing the tangible and lasting impact that today's civilization has had on the built environment.

The use of this material is closely tied to modern and contemporary architecture and engineering, where a regular, smooth aesthetic is adopted—stripped of any irregular, organic, or natural sensation. Everything built in contemporary times possesses a certain homogeneity and unnatural regularity: sharply defined corners, right angles, and robust forms. Cement cubicles rising 30 stories high. Or, in the words of Le Corbusier, “machines for living.” Thus, concrete, as the cornerstone of these structures, becomes the vehicle through which the vision of contemporary progress imprints its mark on the urban landscape, leaving a trace in the history of human development.

In contrast to the rigidity of modern architecture, the natural landscape embraces organic and irregular forms. Thus, I embark on a search for fragile compositions to reflect on fractures and fissures, exploring the inherent beauty of imperfection through the Taoist concept of Wabi-sabi—a worldview based on transience and imperfection, which embraces the incomplete, the impermanent, and the imperfect as essential elements of existence, calling for an appreciation of life in its purest and most natural state.

This approach transcends aesthetics; it becomes a philosophy that guides the perception of the world. Amidst imperfection, forms transform into relics, evoking the idea of ruins within dystopian landscapes. Groping one’s way through relics and ruins becomes an act of discovery—an exploration of the beauty that emerges from decay, between what once was and what is yet to come, in a world where transience is the only constant.

Between Relics and Ruins is framed within a quest to connect nature with the spaces built and inhabited by humankind through the idea of progress. This vision stems from a reflection on the landscape, integrating insights from engineering, science, and art. Through a transdisciplinary approach, I seek to problematize and construct narratives based on my own experience of the territory we inhabit. A dichotomy emerges between the organic and the industrial, expressing the fundamental way in which we consume the planet: the city reduced to its minimal unit, exposing a dystopian sentiment about where we are heading—without necessarily wanting to. Depending on the perspective, the very idea of progress changes.