FLYSCH, refers, on the one hand, to the layers of sedimentary rock that exist in some parts of the Basque coast and, on the other, to the Germanic origin of the word itself: “to flow or slide”.

And this is precisely what the Getxo artist Martín Del Busto wants to reflect in this exhibition, which brings together some thirty works, including an audiovisual piece, from a much broader project based on the industrial history of Bizkaia and its impact on the Basque landscape.

Through his work, Del Busto presents several similarities between this geological phenomenon and Bizkaia’s metallurgical past. To do so, he experiments with different printing techniques and supports such as steel, uncoated paper or aluminium. Many of these textures are inspired by the anthropocene, a term that refers to a geological epoch characterised by the impact of human beings on the Earth.

The works represent spaces such as the remains of Altos Hornos, La Naval or Chatarras GESCRAP, but also include images of flysch rock cliffs, beaches and caves, among other characteristic landscapes of the coast of Bizkaia.

The images play with aspects such as ambiguity, ephemerality or movement, through apparently opposing landscapes of Bizkaia. By means of different printing techniques, different states of the metallurgical process are presented. By printing on uncoated paper, the ink is made to slide and the images “melt”, creating an ephemeral effect. Suddenly, the rocks and metals begin to resemble each other and some abstractions emerge. However, ultraviolet printing directly on steel or aluminium respects the material and enhances the original textures of the photographs.