Where Art Replants a Forest – Photography by Markel Redondo
Where Art Replants a Forest is a visual story photographed by Markel Redondo for El País Semanal. Set in the historic surroundings of Abadía Retuerta, in Spain’s Duero Valley, the project documents an ambitious artistic initiative that blends art, ecology, and reforestation. Through photography, Redondo explores how creativity and environmental restoration intertwine to heal a landscape — and reimagine our relationship with the natural world.
At the heart of the story lies an art project dedicated to replanting a forest on the Abadía Retuerta estate. The initiative brings together artists, environmental scientists, and local workers in a long-term effort to restore biodiversity to land once cleared for agriculture. Trees are planted following both ecological and artistic principles — their arrangement conceived as a living sculpture that evolves through time. The result is a dialogue between art and landscape, where the creative gesture becomes a form of environmental action.
Redondo’s photographs reveal the subtle poetry of this process: light filtering through young leaves, the textures of soil and bark, the hands of those who plant and care for the trees. Each image reflects a moment of collaboration between humans and nature, and the slow rhythm of growth that defines true regeneration. His approach balances documentary clarity with a sense of quiet contemplation, offering viewers space to reflect on the meaning of renewal.
The story also connects to a broader reflection on how art can foster ecological awareness. In Abadía Retuerta, artistic vision merges with scientific knowledge to create something both symbolic and tangible. The project not only restores the land but also reimagines it — turning a damaged space into a site of cultural and environmental significance. It stands as a model for how creativity can inspire action, and how aesthetic experience can deepen our care for the planet.
Shot entirely on location in the Abadía Retuerta estate, Redondo’s series combines landscape, portrait, and detail photography to convey both the scale and intimacy of the initiative. From wide aerial views of the reforested area to close-up portraits of the people behind the project, the work highlights a shared sense of purpose: the belief that reforestation is both an act of repair and a statement of hope.
Published by El País Semanal and written by Clemente Álvarez, the feature forms part of the magazine’s special series on the environment — exploring how art, science, and sustainability intersect to create new ways of thinking about progress. It invites readers to look beyond traditional conservation, toward a vision of ecological restoration as a creative and collective act.
For Markel Redondo, Where Art Replants a Forest extends his long-term exploration of environmental narratives. In previous projects such as Sand Castles and The Idea of Éxito, he examined the impact of overdevelopment and the fragile balance between human ambition and the natural landscape. In Abadía Retuerta, his lens finds not ruin, but revival — a visual meditation on how landscapes, like societies, can be reinvented with care and imagination.
This online gallery presents a curated selection of photographs from the El País Semanal assignment, along with additional images that broaden the narrative beyond print. Together, they form a visual essay on renewal — a collaboration between art, science, and nature, reminding us that the act of planting a tree can also be an act of creation.
Keywords: Spain environmental photography, El País Semanal art story, Abadía Retuerta forest restoration, reforestation project Spain, art and ecology, documentary photography Spain, Markel Redondo photographer, sustainability, contemporary art Spain, environmental storytelling, landscape restoration, artistic reforestation.
