Series - FotoSlovo 2026 - Category « Fine Art »

Welcome to ‘GOOD GRAVY!’, a fine dining experience where photography meets the culinary arts. After more than five years of meticulous experimentation in the kitchen and in the darkroom, Carlos Del Río has created a visual cookbook based on the manipulation of 35mm photographic film using food products and cooking techniques. This collection features brewed, boiled, fried, baked, cured, submerged, and fermented images using homemade recipes (including the first-ever sourdough bread film).

Conceptually, the photographs in ‘Good Gravy!’ often play with the relationship between ingredient/recipe and photographed subject: film bathed in wine is used to capture religious scenes and motifs, cooked in gazpacho to portray a journey along the Andalusian coast, marinated with spices and seawater to document the waves on a Summer afternoon… As the photographic film reacts to the organic and inorganic ingredients and parameters such as temperature, humidity, and cooking time, unpredictable chemical and physical reactions occur. When exposed to light and shot other photographic techniques (such as multiple exposures or in-camera manipulations), ethereal textures, vivid colors, and abstract patterns emerge.

In a digital age dominated by instant gratification and overwhelming visual overload, ‘GOOD GRAVY!’embraces the philosophy of slow and deliberate experimentation in analog processes. Guided by the belief that the process can be as transformative and rewarding as the end result, Carlos explores unconventional techniques and embraces the serendipitous and joyful nature of film.

To celebrate this edition of the 2026 Fotoslovo Awards, Carlos offers a tasting menu showcasing some of the most special recipes created to date.

Bon appétit!