Unicaja presents, within the framework of the 67th Asturias International Trade Fair (FIDMA) in Gijon, a retrospective exhibition of the 'Memorial Maria Luisa' International Nature, Mountain and Adventure Photography and Video Contest. In total, a selection of 83 works will take visitors on a journey through the 35 years of this renowed contest in the exhibition ‘Una mirada al Memorial María Luisa’, which will be open at FIDMA 2024, from August 3 to 18.
For Unicaja’s head of Corporate Banking-North, José Marcos Fernández, it is a question of ‘highlighting the artistic heritage of Asturian society thanks to the works treasured by this Contest, which was born in our land but has transcended to the international sphere’. In addition, ‘we want, through these images, to promote knowledge and respect for our natural environment, in line with our sustainability strategy’, he said.
The president of the Gijón Chamber of Commerce, Félix Baragaño, ‘praised Unicaja's presence at the Asturias International Trade Fair, which this year presents an exhibition that shows the extraordinary wealth of the mountains and natural areas, and invited visitors to FIDMA to stop by the pavilion and enjoy the magnificent photographic exhibition’.
They are, according to the president of the Contest, Román Benito, ‘works of the best nature photographers in the world, which take us to the most inhospitable corners of the planet, from deep valleys to the highest peaks, immersing us in the depths of the oceans, allowing us to feel the fury of volcanoes, admire the most imposing fauna and also the beauty of the smallest things’.
Therefore, he invited all lovers of the natural environment, photography, mountains and adventure to visit the exhibition and ‘join us in this celebration of the Art of Nature’.
This selection of images is presented in large format and in various types of support, such as high quality dibond, backlit and panoramic, which make this exhibition a unique experience for the viewer.
The guided tour during the exhibition and the videos with the best moments of the contest will help visitors to discover the photographic technique, context and secrets behind each image.
The exhibition can be visited from 3 to 18 August and the Fundación Cajastur Pavilion, located at the International Trade Fair of Asturias (FIDMA), at the Luis Adaro Fairgrounds in Gijón.
35 years discovering nature in photographs
Throughout these 35 years, the Memorial María Luisa has been a meeting point for photographers from all over the world, who share their passion for nature, the search for excellence and the generosity of sharing their work with the public through this contest. Therefore, these exhibited works are the result of hard work and dedication. Each one tells a different story, available to the visitor, which resonates with the essence of outdoor adventure.
These photographs are not only a visual delight, but also invite us to reflect on the importance of preserving our natural environment and offer us the opportunity to admire the grandeur of nature through the creative and artistic vision of the world's best photographers in this field.
Since its creation in 1990, the Contest has become an international reference, incorporating up to fourteen thematic categories, all of them related to the natural world. It has also opened up to the world of moving images, admitting films, videos and documentaries to the competition.
Currently, the contest is present in more than one hundred countries and, in the last edition alone, 19,400 photographs were received from more than 1,500 photographers.
The 'Memorial María Luisa de Fotografía de Montaña y Naturaleza' was created as a means of perpetuating in the memory of those who knew María Luisa Álvarez, the memory of her person and her way of understanding friendship both inside and outside the mountain. Therefore, it was the will of the founders of this memorial that bears her name that the theme of the photographs should be the mountain and nature in all its manifestations.
