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Latest News
Jul 24, 2014

DCist Interview  

Photographer and art writer Pat Padua recently reviewed my Carabanchel book for DCist. The article includes an interview about the book and my dual life as a photographer/epidemiologist. Padua writes: “Parascandola’s new book documents this decay and the colorful tags, which suggest a change in the pattern of human behavior from one in which freedoms are taken away, to one in which freedom becomes an institution’s destruction.” Read the full article here.

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Latest News
Jun 10, 2014

Carabanchel Book Available Now  

My first photography book, Carabanchel, is now available for purchase. The book can be ordered from me directly for $45 plus shipping (email mark@parascandola.com) or via Blurb online. Carabanchel Photographs and text by Mark Parascandola Released June 2014 56 pages, 28 color photographs The book documents the defunct Carabanchel prison, its history, and the nearby community through photographs and accompanying text. I took the photographs when I visited the site in October 2008, as a fierce debate over the future of the prison grew. At the time, neither I nor the community knew that the site was to be demolished […]

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Latest News
May 16, 2014

Carabanchel Photography Book Release  

Artist Mark Parascandola releases his first photography book Carabanchel on Wednesday, June 4, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, at Studio 1469, 1469 Harvard St NW – REAR (Columbia Heights Metro). Carabanchel spotlights Parascandola’s photography of the defunct prison that once jailed Spain’s most notorious political prisoners for the greater part of the 20th Century. The event is free and open to the public. https://www.parascandola.com/bookrelease1469/

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Events
May 16, 2014

Carabanchel Photography Book Release Reception and Artist Talk  

Artist Mark Parascandola releases his first photography book Carabanchel on Wednesday, June 4 at Studio 1469. Carabanchel spotlights Parascandola’s photography of the defunct prison that once jailed Spain’s most notorious political prisoners for the greater part of the 20th Century. The event is free and open to the public.

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Érase una vez en Almería  

La Capital del Cine Mundial Hace 50 años que la película de David Lean, Lawrence de Arabia se estrenó. Lean tenía la intención de filmar toda la película en Jordania, en la misma tierra donde Lawrence había llevado a cabo su campaña. Pero las dificultades por aquel entonces de trabajar 200 millas en el interior del desierto durante meses retrasaban la filmación y superaba con mucho su presupuesto. A todo ello se añadía también un daño psicológico porque el productor Sam Spiegel temía que Lean estuviera realmente obsesionado con el desierto. Por tanto, Spiegel ordenó que la producción al completo […]

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La Chanca – Español  

El Barrio de La Chanca La Alcazaba de Almería, un castillo morisco elevado sobre la ciudad, avista el barrio de La Chanca. Es una zona históricamente empobrecida creada con pequeñas viviendas construidas en las colinas a las afueras de la ciudad. Los habitantes pintaban sus casas utilizando cualquier ingrediente que estuviera disponible, dando como resultado un conjunto verdaderamente multicolor. Sus ruinas todavía recuerdan las operaciones mineras y de transporte realizadas durante el siglo XIX que se realizaban desde la montaña hasta el puerto más cercano. La Chanca ha sido el hogar de una población muy diversa, incluyendo pescadores y sus […]

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Travels
Jul 24, 2013

Salvemos el Toblerone!  

Earlier this month the cavernous metal structure affectionately known as “The Toblerone,” in Almeria, Spain, was reduced to a pile of crumpled metal. The event inspired an unlikely wave of international support and creative activity. The building’s distinctive profile, mimicking the Swiss chocolates that are a standard fixture in Duty Free shops around the world, has been memorialized via t-shirts, graphic artworks, songs, videos, and countless photographs. For four decades The Toblerone towered over the old train station and was one of the most distinctive pieces of architecture passengers see when arriving to the city. The Toblerone was constructed in […]

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Latest News / Press
Jul 23, 2013

TV Interview for “Abierto al Atardecer”  

On a recent visit to Almeria I was interviewed for “Abierto al Atardecer” on Interalmeria Tv. We discussed my great uncle, artist Federico Castellon, photographing movie locations and the neighborhood of La Chanca in Almeria, and the breaking news of the day — the demolition of the historic mine processing plant known as El Toblerone. As a fan of abandoned industrial spaces and their historical and cultural significance, I certainly felt compelled to offer an opinion. The video, and my awkward spanish, can be seen by clicking the image below:

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Latest News
Jul 16, 2013

Sondheim Artscape Prize 2013 Semi-Finalists  

Seven of my prints are included in this exhibition opening Thursday, July 18, 6-8PM, and continuing through through Sunday, August 4. Decker Gallery & Meyerhoff Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD. More info here.

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Eight Lives of El Condor  

The camera is usually shooting out from the hillside, looking down over the installation. The sun sets behind the hillside, so the few glimpses in that direction are somewhat obscured by the glare of sunlight. One of the most intriguing locations in Almeria is the site of an elaborate fortress originally constructed in 1969 for the film El Condor. Adobe houses, horse stables, an elevated water tank, and a luxurious two story stone house surrounded a central plaza the size of a soccer field. The entire complex was circled by 30 foot walls with a network of watchtowers and stairways. […]

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