Artistic Residency in Baja California with Sebastien J. Zanella
DESILLUSION AWAY
Cabo San Lucas
22-27 September
At the age of 16,
Sebastien Zanella created Desillusion.
Then a humble fanzine dedicated to adolescent freedom & boardsports, the entity grew over the years to become more than another magazine project: it morphed into a state of mind.
After more than 20 years of existence,
130 issues & 42 documentaries, Desillusion returns to reinvent a fresh method for communicating its original state of mind.
The idea is to no longer talk about adventures lived but to live one.
Often the light tells more truth than any story ever could. - S.J.Z.
Accompanied each day by Sébastien Zanella, participants will live the artist’s daily life, a path that will bring them before vast natural expanses that are conducive to contemplation; Experimentations with landscape and movement through photography or its practice; Development of one’s relationship to the world and the other, through each person’s artistic prism.
The residency will include individual sessions wherein each participant will take the time to talk about their experiences, their relationship to photography and/or poetry, film, as well as their desires, sensitivities and interests.
Portraiture, street photography, documentary photography, film, commercial shooting, writing – all facets of creation will be addressed during the workshop’s daily outings. Each person will have the opportunity to develop or assert one's vision.
Five days of immersive, hands-on guidance for each participant — a journey to reconnect with one’s artistic essence. We dive into the other, only to return closer to ourselves.
An oportunity to share a vision…
Sébastien Zanella is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer. Through raw and poetic imagery, he explores what it means to live freely — beyond norms, beyond systems — whether on a skateboard, in the ocean, or wandering through the desert. His work is a form of resistance, a visual manifesto that seeks to turn life itself into art.
Over the years, Zanella has photographed and filmed some of the most iconic figures in skateboarding and surfing — including Dylan Rieder, Dane Reynolds, John John Florence, and Erik Ellington — while also working with leading names in the fashion and luxury industry such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chloé, Tudor, and Porsche.
His signature style is marked by natural light, improvisation, and emotional depth. Rather than documenting the world as it is, he reveals what often goes unseen — the inner fire, the fragile beauty, the mystery.
Zanella is the founder of Desillusion UTOPIA, a poetic society dedicated to outsiders and dreamers — artists of the everyday who believe that life can still be lived as a form of poetry.
Nestled between the Baja desert and the Pacific Ocean, Cabo San Lucas is a mystical land where light feels sharper, time slows down, and nature still carries the echo of ancient rhythms.
Immersed in the beautiful landscapes of the Pescadero community, ten residences emerge from the soil designed to be architecturally conscious of the natural resources and local materials.
SALARA
SALARA is more than a residence — it is a reflection of the land itself. Nestled between desert and ocean, each structure is thoughtfully built to blend with its surroundings, embracing the textures of stone, earth, and wood. Light flows gently through open spaces, creating a dialogue between inside and outside, silence and movement.
Here, time stretches. Days follow the rhythm of the sun and wind. It is a place where architecture becomes shelter, but also inspiration — a space to rest, to reflect, and to create. Perfectly suited for those seeking presence, depth, and connection, SALARA is not just where we stay, but where we return to ourselves.
5 PLACES ONLY
The individual price for one week is 3210 euros, which includes 5 nights accommodation.
The couple price (one room with a king size bed) is 4950 euros, which covers 5 nights.
This fee includes room, breakfast, and the 5-day workshop. Daily feedback will also be provided by Sebastien Zanella.
As lunch will be eaten on the go, or at the hotel and is not included in the global fee, the group will eat locally at very affordable prices.
Join me this September in Cabo San Lucas.
A week away from the noise — to slow down, to feel again, to create with intention.
We’ll walk between desert and ocean, chasing the light, the silence, and something deeper within ourselves.
This is not just a photography workshop.
It’s a journey back to what moves you.
An intimate gathering of outsiders, guided by instinct, surrounded by beauty, and bound by a shared desire:
to turn life into art.
Places are limited.
If you feel the call, I’ll be waiting by the shore.
Only 2 spots remain for this journey.
If you feel called, fill out the form below.
Tell me a bit about yourself, your creative path, and what draws you to this experience.
I’ll get back to you personally within a few days.
Let’s see if this is the right moment, and the right place, for you.