In Past Tense Future Perfect, Payes invites viewers to reconsider humanity’s complex relationship with the Earth. Through her lens, she examines monumental efforts to address some of the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges—actions that span the line between hope and despair. These endeavours, such as Iceland’s engineering feats to protect against the volatility of nature, become metaphors for our collective struggle to restore balance in an increasingly fragile world. The works reflect a world on edge: communities bracing for volcanic eruptions, dykes constructed to divert lava flows and landscapes reshaped in an effort to mitigate disaster. The outcome remains uncertain. Will these interventions succeed, or are they merely temporary measures against forces too vast to contain? Payes envisions a future both hopeful and precarious—a rallying cry for humanity to act decisively to ensure the planet’s survival. Her photographic series acknowledges the echoes of the past, recognizing missteps and missed opportunities, while offering a vision of redemption through ingenuity. However, these interventions come with profound questions: What price are we willing to pay? What happens when nature resists control? Perhaps most poignantly, is it already too late? The images confront viewers with moral dilemmas: Do we abandon Earth in search of refuge elsewhere, or do we commit to the hard, uncertain fight for a sustainable future on this planet? Payes’ visual narrative captures this tension with hauntingly dystopian imagery tempered by glimmers of resilience. It underscores the interconnectedness of all life and the imperative to care for our shared home. In her work, the past is not just a cautionary tale but a key to unlocking a better future. Through her lens, the dystopian becomes a mirror, urging us to act with urgency—before the point of no return.