Presentation
On 29 October 2024, the Valencian Community suffered the worst floods of the century in Spain: more than 220 people died as a result of the floods caused by torrential rains, and dozens of villages were completely destroyed. At the epicentre of this disaster was Paiporta, a town of just over 27,000 inhabitants, devastated by a flood of mud that swept away everything in its path. In the days and weeks that followed, the village became a symbol of the catastrophe.
Over time, the mud was gradually cleared from the houses thanks to the efforts of the residents, many of whom were still in shock, and thousands of volunteers who travelled from all over Spain. But the amount of mud covering the streets was so immense that it seemed endless. Furniture, clothing, paintings, appliances, documents, toys… everything inside the houses ended up in public spaces. Everything was in ruins. The objects that had once filled the houses now lay in the street, waiting to be taken to a landfill.
The mark left by the flood was evident in Paiporta like a scar, measuring the magnitude of the disaster. Inside the buildings, a line marked the height reached by the water. The smell intensified day by day. The authorities recommended the use of masks due to the health risks posed by the mud, stagnant water and dust in the air. The streets of Paiporta were gradually changing. Every day something changed—sometimes only a little, sometimes more noticeably—but always with great effort.
The situation was an emergency, and the questions were persistent: Why did the forecasted rains have such devastating effects? What was different this time? Why did no one arrive in time to prevent the catastrophe?
Biography
Photojournalist, Canon Ambassador and Editor-in-chief of Sonda Internacional: a non-profit media outlet specializing in visual journalism on the climate crisis. Since the beginning of his career Santi has focused on migrations and human ecology—these interests stemming from his training as a sociologist. His work has been published in major magazines and newspapers worldwide, exhibited in dozens of cities, and it has received a number of national and international awards including a World Press Photo, the Ortega y Gasset journalism award and Spain’s National Photojournalism Award two years running. In 2016 he was part of the team nominated by the Associated Press for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography; and in 2018 he was selected by the World Press Photo 6x6 Talent Program in Europe. Moreover he was part of the World Press Photo jury in 2023. Santi often contributes to the magazine Revista 5W, the NGO, Open Arms, and is a guest lecturer at the EFTI International Photography School, among many others. He was a frequent contributor to the Associated Press from 2014 to 2018, and he has also freelanced occasionally with other media, including The New York Times, TIME Magazine, CNN and El País.
