Ana Robles Pérez

sociaal-maatschappelijk, proces, Media, Documentair, Design, Community, Archieven, Analytisch

☞ Ana Robles Pérez (Ciudad Real, Spain) is a visual-documentary-explorer-designer based in Rotterdam, working at the intersection of design, education, and the cultural sector. Her practice is driven by a strong curiosity for speculative and socially engaged approaches, delving into themes such as memory visualization studies, more-than-human perspectives, and alternative heritage practices. She is currently involved in design, research, and educational projects together with Marina Otero Verzier and the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK). During the last years, she has collaborated with various collectives and institutions, including TBA21 –Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, La Biennale di Venezia, the Dutch Watersnoodmuseum, Triennale Milano, ARQVA – the Spanish National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, MAYRIT Bienniale of Design and Architecture, Willem de Kooning Academie, CentroCentro, Complutense University of Madrid and Design Academy Eindhoven, among others. She holds an MA in Social Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven (2023, Cum Laude), as well as a Bachelor's degree in Design Methodologies and Communication from the Complutense University of Madrid and the Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd (2020, Cum Laude).

When she's not working, you'll likely find her spending time with rescue dogs or walking along pilgrim routes. 𓃡⛰︎

**The festivity of The Settler Dog 2023, Villalba de Calatrava - Spain** - As a response to the 70% of land dissertation and the annual abandonment of 168.000 dogs in the Spanish context, “El perro poblador” project (the “settler dog” in Spanish) proposes a transformative universe where both realities converge into a beneficial multispecies model. Dogs, transcending their conventional role as domestic human companions, become pioneers in rural communities in risk of disappearance. Following strict guidelines of biological species translocation practices and Spanish historical settlement processes, these dogs serve as catalysts for revitalizing abandoned infrastructures, while embodying the historical, traditional, and folkloric knowledge embedded in the living dynamics of these villages. The project's first prototype featured the canine family Kit, Kat, Lotus, and Mummy—residents of the “La Bienvenida” animal shelter since 2020—and their symbolic settlement in Villalba de Calatrava, a historically significant Spanish colonial village in Ciudad Real, now inhabited by just four people. This initiative culminated in the “Festivity of the Settler Dog” on August 23, 2023, commemorating the dogs' arrival. Mirroring traditional celebrations held in honor of the Virgin, this event reframed the dogs as revered figures, transforming their arrival into a communal and ceremonial moment of renewal.

**“La flor del Guadiana” (Guadiana’s river flower) 2023, Daimiel - Spain** - Las Tablas de Daimiel constitutes a central Spanish wetland currently facing the threat of extinction. As of June 1, 2022, water coverage spanned a mere 6% of its expansive 1,734 floodable hectares, amounting to 103 hectares. In response to this alarming decline, various organizations and local communities are collectively attempting to comprehend and avert the complete disappearance of this ecosystem. Amid this critical juncture for its survival, this project seeks to lend support to various dialogues involving ecologists, scholars, activists, and particularly the local wetland community to redefine the manner in which the study of the territory unfolds, elevating local knowledge to the status of a vital and insightful source of information in the management of water landscapes. Framed as an archival methodology, this approach takes shape within the realm of two distinct materials employed in the study of landscapes. Specifically, it involves the scrutiny, transcription, and dissemination of narratives extracted from Miguel Alvarez Cobelas' book titled Flor Ribera, la Gente del Río de La Mancha, (Flor Ribera, the River People of La Mancha.) written in a regional dialect, capturing life in the wetland during the 1960s. These narratives are integrated into a digital platform alongside cartographic data of the region, a customary tool utilized by scientific experts and scholars.

**Constellations of the Mediterranean hydrocommons, 2024** - Inspired by Lisa Blackmore's ideas on water cultures, “Constellations of the Mediterranean Hydrocommons” is a live cartographic lecture developed for ARQVA, the Spanish Museum of Underwater Archeology This project offers an alternative interpretation of the Mediterranean's maritime cultural landscape, allowing the museum to extend its boundaries and enrich its institutional narrative. The museum's archaeological artifacts become catalysts for collective initiatives, suggesting new constellations of knowledge that continuously revitalize, expand, and refresh the collection's dialogue with its surrounding environment. A collaboration within Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) within Organismo: Art in Applied Critical Ecologies ✷

**Meteorología Popular, Rogativas y Pronosticadores de Tormentas** - Most societies perform rituals to influence weather conditions when they are not favorable. These practices seek to provoke rain during periods of drought, stop rain when there is flooding, regulate temperature or divert storms to protect communities and crops. The Catholic religion recognizes such rituals, known as pro-pluvia rogations. Depending on the level of drought, rogations can range from public prayers to mass celebrations and pilgrimages. For decades, their organization and execution institutional guidelines and were recorded in municipal followed archives and cathedral records. Today, these documents are valuable sources for Historical Climatology studies, allowing us to understand the climate of the past, present and future. Meteorología Popular, Rogativas y Pronosticadores de Tormentas is a curatorial research done with Marina Otero Verzier for Wet Dreams, the Design and Architecture Biennale of Madrid curated by Marina Otero Verzier and celebrated from March to August 2024 in CentroCentro, Madrid.

**"Quedó en agua de borrajas"** - Spain is a reference in river restoration through the removal of dams and barriers. At least 25,000 kilometers of rivers are expected to be barrier-free by 2030. These processes benefit certain species, improve water quality and prevent flooding. They also force us to recall the motivations and impact of their construction. Quedó en agua de borrajas explores the environmental catastrophe of the Riaño reservoir, which submerged nine villages, erasing their lands and stories. The Riaño valley was flooded on December 31, 1987, one day before the EU environmental regulations that could have saved it came into force. Seeking refuge in the top of their houses, the community of the valley resisted until the very last moment, staging one of the most significant acts of civil disobedience against the hydraulic policies of the territory. The project elaborates on the collective memory of the community and on how control over water often leads to the destruction of environmental and cultural heritage. Quedó en agua de borrajas is a commission for Wet Dreams, the Design and Architecture Biennale of Madrid curated by Marina Otero Verzier and celebrated from March to August 2024 in CentroCentro, Madrid.

☀︎ For a full CV, contact anarroblesperez@gmail.com

Datum: 17-07-2025 t/m 17-07-2025

Datum: 24-06-2025 t/m 24-06-2025

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