Samm Escobar’s Photographs Of Puerto Escondido Warn Us Of A Future Already Here

In a series of digital collages titled ‘Invasio’, Samm Escobar discusses both the problems and prosperity that have come with the increasing popularity of Puerto Escondido, the town he calls home. “I have witnessed the footprint of contamination that our civilization is causing”, Escobar writes. “I believe that in the same proportion mankind has acquired more and more scientific knowledge for good, it has also caused an even bigger alteration in the ecosystems of our planet. A change that is not always favorable.”

In a world where workplace walkouts each Friday are the new normal, the Anthropocene weighs heavy on our shoulders. Humans have changed the world in a way that is potentially irreversible, and the climate crisis we are experiencing is only a sign of further dangers that will ensue if we do not begin making radical policy changes globally. ‘Invasio’ is a collection of digital composite photographs, in which Escobar has placed garish signage on the pristine beaches of Puerto Escondido, reflecting “the invasion and change that civilization has inflicted on nature, intervening and destroying even the most pristine and faraway places.”