ALMUDENA ROMERO







September 2024. Sarabande commission annual dinner x Dom Perignon.

For the 2024 Sarabande Dom Perignon dinner, I created two photographic artworks featuring my grandparents, who were organic farmers. These pieces build upon the themes explored in my Family Album series, where I use living watercress and photosynthesis to create photographs, often portraying family members. This special process results in images free from toxic chemicals, plastics, and minerals, existing only temporarily before naturally decomposing.

The Family Album series is characterised by its ongoing cycle of works-in-progress and works-in-decay, challenging traditional notions of lasting materiality in photography. Instead, it presents art as ephemeral, meant to be experienced rather than possessed. In this new project, the images capture my grandparents working the land, with their faces prominently in the foreground and the landscape they cultivate visible in the background. These artworks celebrate the deep connection between people and the earth, highlighting their dedication, pride in their labor, and the legacy of care they have nurtured for other species and the land.

This project also seeks to honour the often overlooked yet essential labor of farming. The living cress artworks have been cultivated on wooden folding room dividers, creating an immersive installation that invites dinner attendees to walk through the pieces as they transition from the dining room to the cocktail area. This interactive setup allowed guests to engage closely with the artworks, enriching their experience as they seamlessly moved through the space.




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