manuel alvarez diestro's photographs take over the streets of bilbao and santander

Manuel Alvarez Diestro’s Urban Photo Installations

Visual artist Manuel Alvarez Diestro papers the streets and markets of Bilbao and Santander with photographs of vertical structures in Asia and the Middle East. These include images from cities in South Korea, mainland China/Hong Kong, and Qatar, with works from series featured in designboom such as the construction of New Towns in South Korea, Chongqing, the South Korean countryside, and Seoul Bridges. Diestro’s main objective is to create a connection between the Asian megalopolises and smaller cities in Northern Spain.

Woman looks at ‘Seoul Bridge’ in Santander | all images by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

photographing existing images in their urban setting

In Bilbao, Alvarez Diestro papered a shipping container with a photo of recent vertical housing developments in the city, drawing a parallel with the towering structures of Asian capitals. By photographing his works after they were installed in public spaces, the artist captured the images’ interaction with the local architecture and passersby. This process introduced a new layer to the project—photographing existing images in their urban setting—creating a collage-like effect through juxtaposition.

Some of the displayed images have been altered by graffiti or advertising, which added a new dimension to the work. These spontaneous interventions provided a fresh form of expression, giving the photographs a life of their own. This initiative is part of the ‘Arte Peatonal’ exhibition, curated by Arancha Vidal, with the support of the Bilbao Council and the city of Santander.

‘Seoul New Developments’ in Santander

‘Seoul residential developments’ in Santander

‘Chongqing residential towers’ in Santander

‘Hong Kong’ in the markets of Santander

‘Hong Kong towers’ inside a market in Santander

‘Incheon Towers’ in Santander

‘Seoul Bridge’ in Santander

‘Bilbao new residential towers’ against tree and building in the back

‘Doha’ altered by graffiti

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Manuel Alvarez Diestro in front of 'South Korea new towns'

'Seoul Bridge' | image by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

'Seoul Bridge' | image by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

'Doha, Qatar' | image by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

'Incheon residential towers' | image by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

'Songdo, South Korea' | image by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

project info:

photographer: Manuel Alvarez Diestro | @m.a.diestro

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom