In La Maquina, I am considering the interplay of earth, sustainability, and human survival, how this interplay births monsters, curious chain-like connections, and acts as a portal to transport us to an unclear future. I want you to ask yourself: what monsters have we created? Do we destroy to create, destroy to sustain? What do you see in the future?
In each of the embroidered pieces you will see a source of power and/or energy depicted against the backdrop of the beautiful Spanish countryside. A windmill on fire (a story told to us by a local farmer), a defunct nuclear power plant (Santa Maria de Garoña), and an electrical tower. In the case of the windmill, it is meant to bring a renewable energy source but, if struck by lightning or otherwise combusted, it slings melting plastic to the ground with fiery propellers (you can see examples of this in Grant’s short film). The nearby nuclear plant was abandoned because of political and economic tensions, as well as workers reporting inefficient protections against the harmful effects of radiation. Finally, electrical towers speckle the land, zinging with the sounds of transmitted energy, but sending it away from this region, toward Madrid and other large cities. These machines…are they our monsters? Or the gods that will rule our future mythology? This region has become a “sacrifice zone,” dedicated to energy and food production, but not to the people living here, and the earth they till. Furthermore, who owns the machine? Who owns the tractor?
Rural Apocalypse 