10 green questions to… David Coronado
Last year, we had the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition El último bosque (The Last Forest) at the Hort de Tramoieres gallery, where David Coronado gave us an in-depth look at the devastating reality of Mediterranean tropical forests. But David is much more than a photographer: he is a true storyteller of landscapes. Through his camera, he captures the beauty of nature with a unique sensitivity, observing it with depth and respect, so it comes as no surprise that he was recently awarded the Gabriel Cualladó National Photography Prize 2024. At Espores, we spoke with him to delve into his universe, from his earliest childhood memories in the mountains to the landscapes that inspire him, including his latest photography project. And we are glad to know that, for him, nature continues to be his most powerful creative ally.
What’s your first memory of nature?
As I grew up in an industrial and polluted área, my parents took us to the mountain every weekend and we always spent the summer in places far from pollution such as Barx in la Safor.
If we drop by your house, the plant we’ll never find is…
Flowers. I prefer any kind of plant. I see flowers as something decorative that have been cut to make things look pretty for a few days.
Choose a plant species to take a selfie with.
A cork oak.
A vegetal flavour you hate and one you love.
I love figs. I can eat a kilo of figs in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, I always avoid eating olives.
With which botanical scent do you automatically travel in space or time?
When we passed by a fig tree in summer and I smelled it, I began to salivate and remember when I was a little boy and used to climb fig trees.
Your secret fear when you go to the countryside.
Going with people. You have to speak, you miss out on the silence and not fully disconnect.
Which of the four Rs do you practice most: reduce, reuse, recycle or recover?
Reuse. The truth is I could do more in this regard.
A landscape that could inspire your next photographic project.
Our L’Horta. I am keeping a photographic diary of my experiences with Dana. Of a place that never harboured civilisation (L’Horta Sud) and that in 150 years we have tried to urbanise, thinking that nature can be subjugated.
Do you have a favourite film or book where nature is the main character?
There are two films by Herzog: ‘Fitzcarraldo’ and ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God’, in which nature gives human beings their true dimension.
Three things you would take to a Botanical Garden.
A camera, a notebook and a cap.
