Echoes. The wind as Identity of Lanzarote

Newt Brulé

Wind is an invisible force –felt, heard, but never truly seen. In Lanzarote, it is constant, shaping not only the land but also daily life. It carves through rock and sand, dictates the movement of people and vegetation, and carries with it both destruction and renewal. Always present, it is an element in constant dialogue with the island.

The force of the wind is both an architect and an obstacle, defining how landscapes are formed and how they are inhabited. The curved stone walls of La Geria, built to shield vineyards from its relentless force, are a testament to human adaptation in a place where nature dictates the
terms. In this ever-windy terrain, movement is shaped by resistance, and presence is often marked by traces rather than permanence.

Even human figures are not separate from the wind: they exist within it, shaped by it, dissolving into its currents. Life on the island is not lived against the wind, but with it. It is something immersive, inescapable, alive.