Cultural Landscapes of Energy

Energy and territory are two inseparable realities for contemporary society. While energy exerts a crucial influence at the social and economic level, its territorial implications should not be overlooked. In fact, the 5,984EJ of direct energy consumed by Spain in 2010 must necessarily have been produced somewhere: energy therefore occupies territory and constructs space.

To feed our way of life, power stations, mines, oil pipelines, transmission lines, refineries, dams and wind farms spread across the landscape, weaving a dense network that in certain areas configures some of the most complex and relevant territorial systems. This exhibition seeks to shed light on where the activity of the energy generation industry has been most intensely deployed, delving into the cultural and heritage values of the landscapes generated.

The exhibition penetrates energy landscapes from an approach that is both analytical and discursive. Analytical, by displaying maps and graphs showing the evolution of networks and systems. Discursive, by collecting cultural symbols that embody the relationship between society, energy and territory. The combination of both approaches allows for a narrative that slips ambiguously between data and perception, between science and art. On a 45-metre long table, collections of digital maps, tactile cartographies, newspaper covers, historical photographs and documentaries, topographical models, film fragments and sound recordings are arranged.