María Sebastián Sebastián

Dr. María Sebastián Sebastián is a tenured senior lecturer in the Department of History and Theory of Art at the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). She holds a PhD in History of Art, a degree in Architecture from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, and a Master’s in Cultural Heritage: Research and Management. She is a member of the consolidated research group CRIGUST (Critical Geographies in Urbanisation, Sustainability and Touristification) and co-director of the journal Mayurqa.

Education:

• PhD in History of Art – Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB)
• Degree in Architecture – Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
• Master’s in Cultural Heritage: Research and Management – UIB

Research Interests: Her research is centered on contemporary architecture, tourist architecture, and the history of photography. She explores the intersection of tourism and urbanism, the visual culture of mass tourism, and the Mediterranean identity in architecture. Her work often investigates how tourism reshapes landscapes and how photographic narratives construct and disseminate cultural imagery.

Awards & Fellowships:

• Premi Ciutat de Palma Research Fellowship (2016) – Project: El passeig marítim de Palma. Gènesi, desenvolupament i futur
• Wiley Research Fellowship (2022) – Royal Geographical Society – Project: Travelling Women. Depictions of the Mediterranean area in the narratives of Emilia F. Noel and Margaret Hasluck

Teaching & Advising: Dr. Sebastián teaches across multiple programs including the Degree in History of Art, Degree in Construction, and Master’s in Cultural Heritage. Her courses span History of Photography, 19th Century Art, Visual Culture, and Architectural Heritage. She also supervises final degree and master's projects.

Research Group & Publications: As a member of CRIGUST, she contributes to national and international research projects. Her publications include over 30 articles and book chapters, with a strong focus on tourism and architecture in the Balearic Islands, modernist hotel design, and photographic heritage.