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Magnum photographer Lúa Ribeira worked intensely with young people – shooting them in dystopian landscapes on city limits to reflect their feelings of disconnection
Maraatack. Barrio Alto, Almería, SpainThu 20 Nov 2025 08.00 CET
Alba Bitxx. Barrio Alto, Almería, Spain
Ribeira took the photographs for her Agony in the Garden series in her native Spain, between 2021 and 2023. She went to Madrid, Málaga, Granada and Almería. Agony in the Garden is published by Dalphine. Ribeira’s work is part of the touring group show Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum, curated by Charlotte Cotton. All photographs and quotes by Lúa Ribeira
Ceroeuros and Rainvon80. La Molineta, Almería
Ribeira worked with young people to make images that reflect the alienation and uncertainty they feel today, while evoking a dystopian landscape suspended in time
Pomelo. Cruz de Humilladero, Málaga
Ribeira’s collaborative spirit and immersive approach often becomes a joint venture between artist and subject
Broken I. Music video. Zapillo, Almería
‘I worked in the peripheries of southern Spanish cities,’ says the photographer, ‘where the arid landscapes helped ground a project that otherwise refuses a fixed geography’
Maraatack. Barrio Alto, Almería
‘The project’s title refers to the biblical passage about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. My intention was to connect contemporary reality to more universal themes of suffering, betrayal and impending doom’
Recumbent Christ. National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid
Much of the inspiration behind Ribeira’s work comes from religious motifs, but she is also influenced by painting and cinema
El Cero and Kidflako. Barrio Alto, Almería
‘I’ve been inspired by the ways younger generations articulate themselves – through expressions, images and gestures that are increasingly global and attuned to the alienation of our times’
Ninu. Rock Palace, Madrid
‘In a world marked by material excess, digital acceleration and overlapping financial, migratory and ecological crises, there are certain symbols and aesthetics that echo across the world’
Lamine. Rose garden, Retiro, Madrid
Clothing and gestures take their cues from online worlds and personas, hinting at extremes of hedonism and nihilism
Waste. Puche, Almería
The project takes us across barren terrain that feels almost like a video game, while the characters encountered there seem both local and globalExplore more on these topics
